What would you do if you weren’t wasting time on dieting?

There are two books that I've read that have made a profound impact on my wellbeing that I’d like to share with you: 

• Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, and

• Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, and Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight by Lindo Bacon and Lucy Aphramor.

I say profound because they have helped me learn how to love myself—what my body can do, and embrace who I am.

I have always lived in a larger body, and I have always thought that it was wrong. I’ve lost weight, and gained weight for the last 30+ years. When I started Pilates in 2015, I actually came to reduce my stress. And it worked. But, what I noticed was that I was also seeing and enjoying how my body moved, and that it felt good.

I also have had the opportunity to read these books in a group format led by a registered dietitian, Jamie at Wonderfully Well. I believe this has also helped me to better embrace and love my body.

These books have had me questioning whether dieting and controlling my shape/size is what I should be spending so much time on.

Does logging and controlling every bite of food I take make my life better?

Does forcing myself to go for a run (when I loathe running) so I can shrink my body to make my life better?

How much mental energy is wasted controlling what I eat and exercising to help me lose weight?

At the beginning on one of our group book sessions, Jamie asked us:

What would you do if you had unlimited mental capacity? (I.e. if we weren’t wasting all of our mental space on dieting.)

I told her that I’d start a business.

And now you get Felicia Jane Pilates. Sure, there’s more to it than that. But, I do feel that it was a step in the right direction. So, I encourage you to ask yourself: What would you do if you had unlimited mental capacity?