StudioEats April Intuitive Eating Challenge

Good morning, love bugs!

I hope you’re all having a great week so far <3

Yesterday I wasn’t feeling myself. I think it was a combination of things… staring at the computer all day trying to get my nutrition paper done, stressed about my car (I was having car trouble and had to take it in), relying on friends for rides, and it’s my time of the month…

All of these things left me feeling absolutely exhausted by the end of the day. To prove just how exhausted I felt, I have to tell you that I had a nap after I finished eating dinner. I never nap. I didn’t even nap when all the other kids napped at the babysitters!? Meg is not a napper, but last night I knew my body needed it. So, I napped! It felt so strange, but at the same time it felt so good and I think I’m close to 100% today.

I’ll be back later on today to share with you my new goal, but for now I’ll let Jamie do the talking!
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Hi everyone! I’m Jamie from over at StudioEats. I know that Meg has been talking a lot on here about Intuitive Eating and her amazing progress with it, and has referred to the challenge I’ve been running. I thought I’d stop by and invite you guys to join us for the month of April.

A little bit about the challenge that you may not have already read on my main Intuitive Eating Challenge page…

There have now been 80 people, mostly women (probably 95% women) who have gone through it or who are going through it now.

The focus of the challenge is to get people to “normalize” their relationship to food. Many of the women come to me feeling like they have very tight control over what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat. They don’t want to feel so rigid and controlling over this area of their lives and they find it affecting other areas of their life. For instance, many women say that their social lives suffer—they get nervous for dinners out, so they avoid them. They get nervous to go out and drink because of the “extra” calories. They get nervous if someone suggests a restaurant that doesn’t have any “safe” items on the menu.

Soon after the challenge starts, they start to loosen up. Not only with food, but with everything. They are going out to nice dinners with their boyfriends, girlfriends, and husbands. They are not even looking at the menu beforehand, but they trust that they will find something that sounds delicious. They are making MORE plans to go out and have fun, not less plans.

They are living their lives, and are learning to live their lives to the fullest… today.

Another common theme that most of the women have in common is their struggle with emotional eating. This has become a huge focus during the challenge. When we are asked to eat when we are hungry and stop when we are full, this brings up a lot of emotional eating issues. We don’t want to stop when we are full! Eating brings us excitement when we are bored, pleasure when we are upset, fun when our lives feel a little dull, and relaxation when we are stressed. So we turn to food for a lot of reasons other than to just fuel our bodies and biologic hunger.

The women in the challenge start to really look at their “needs” and how to add or take away things from their lives in order to address their needs. Women are adding more joy, pleasure, relaxation, fun, and connection into their lives, which inevitably leads to less of a need for food. They are making all of these things a necessity, not an option, and are learning about how linked these life components are to their relationship to food. The last big takeaway from the challenge seems to be Body Acceptance. I am working with the women on accepting their body today even if they have goals for how they want their body to be in the future. Last night we had an impromptu conference call where I talked to them about “bringing sexy back”, and feeling sexy in their own skin… Today.

The structure of the challenge is based around Daily Newsletters that you will get each day in your inbox at 6am. Each newsletter has a new topic, strategy or challenge, all related to becoming a more Intuitive Eater. In order to feel supported during this, you will get three 15-minute private one-on-one coaching calls with me. One at the beginning, middle and end. You’ll also get unlimited email support with me through the 21 days, and access to the one-of-a-kind, incredibly supportive Facebook group with other women going through the same program.

If any of this speaks to you, check out more information on my main Intuitive Eating Challenge page. You’ll also find a variety of quotes from people who have gone through the challenge and what their experience is like. I’d love to have you be a part of the April challenge! The normal price is $49, but I am happy to offer any of Meg’s readers the price of $39. Just email me at jamiemendell@gmail.com with “April IE Challenge- Meg” in the subject line, and we will get you signed up.

Will you join the challenge? As you know, I highly recommend doing so! My life was changed after the first 15 minute phone call with Jamie

Tagged as: ie challenge, intuitive eating, studioeats