on listening to my gut

I used to be a religious 3-meal-a-day eater: breakfast, lunch, dinner, no snacks, no exceptions, everyday. Rigid structure was my best friend, giving me a clear set of lines to stay inside no matter what. The longer I've maintained my weight, however, I've noticed that I can take cues from a source that I used to think was part of the problem: my stomach.

In my mind, my tummy was a bottomless pit: nearly no amount of food or drink could fill it to the top. He was a seemingly-insatiable beast bent on foodstuff annihilation. Sound dramatic? It sure is! But for years, I only barely knew what "hungry" and "full" felt like - all I knew was that I wanted more.

A funny thing happened, however, after I "tamed the beast:" my former adversary became one of my greatest partners. If I'm willing to listen (which, admittedly, takes some trust both in myself and in my gut), my belly will tell me all kinds of things. WHEN to eat, WHAT to eat, HOW MUCH to eat, even WHERE to eat can become clear if you're willing to pay attention. Go figure!

I feel like I've just barely begun to explore the intricacies of my relationship with my stomach, but one thing is for sure - only good can come from it! I bet you'll find that to be true for you, too...