Do You Lick Your Peanut Butter Knife?

I remember years ago watching a weight-loss episode on a popular talk show. One of the calorie-cutting tips given was to never lick your peanut butter knife.

This made me sad. Very sad.

Who doesn’t love to lick their knife clean after making a PB&J sandwich, almond-butter toast, or bagel with cream cheese?

It’s fun! It’s yummy! It’s super satisfying!

Harmful, Not Helpful
Every day, we’re bombarded with messages like these that are often more harmful than helpful.

They cause us to be hyper-vigilant about our eating. They result in pointless food rules, restriction and rigidity. They lead to unnecessary fear, stress, shame and suffering.

If you bought into the “no knife-licking” rule, yet failed to follow it (which, if you’re like me, is highly likely!), your thoughts may sound something like this:

• Licking this knife is a big no-no—you know that!

• I am being bad, and naughty, and reckless.

• I have no willpower or self-control. No wonder I look the way I do.

• What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I follow one freaking simple rule?

• Ugh, I really hope no one saw me do that.

• I can’t be trusted with peanut butter; I’m going to stop buying it.

• I feel guilty and need to make up for this food sin. No dessert for me tonight!

• I really want to double-dip my knife back into the jar and lick it again.

• Screw it. I’ve come this far, I might as well keep going back for more!

• I shouldn’t do this, but licking the knife clean is so much easier than getting peanut butter off my dishcloth!

Does any of this sound familiar?

Challenge Your Food Rules
I spend a lot of time helping my clients identify and investigate their food rules. 

We deconstruct and challenge them, exploring questions, such as: Where did this rule come from? Is it true? Is it reasonable, sustainable and pleasurable? How do you feel and act when you break it? Is it helpful or harmful?

About 99.9 percent of the time, my clients determine their food rules are causing them far more harm than good.

They realize how their rules are creating an unhealthy relationship with food and negatively impacting their physical, mental, emotional and social health.

As my clients start to shed their food rules, a sense of freedom, empowerment, peace and ease surfaces.

Instead of listening to external sources, they begin trusting their intuition, body wisdom and direct experience to guide them.

And they start licking their peanut butter knife again.

Nina’s Intuitive Eating Experience [Workshop Discount Ends Jan. 3!]

I know how tempting it is in January to jump on the diet, detox or deprivation bandwagon. Instead, what if you resolved to make peace with food and your body this year?

How would it feel to liberate yourself from our oppressive, toxic diet culture—one that makes you feel ashamed of your weight and what you ate, causes physical and psychological damage, and distracts you from more meaningful, fulfilling life pursuits?

Intuitive Eating can help.

While you can read all about this proven approach here, it's helpful to hear what other people's experience with Intuitive Eating has been like.

Nina's Experience
Here’s what one of my clients, Nina, has to say:

“Renee’s Intuitive Eating Workshop has made a huge impact on my life. Prior to the workshop, I was stuck on a 3+ year diet-binge-diet cycle. I used food to cope with a stressful job and cross-country move and as a result gained weight.

I started bouncing from one fad diet to another and eventually became preoccupied with food. I also began binge eating whenever I “failed” at following a new diet precisely. It was a miserable experience. 

With the help of Renee’s workshop, I have slowly learned how to reject the diet mentality, allow my internal cues to guide my eating choices and better identify when I am using food to cope with uncomfortable emotions. As a result, my preoccupation with food and my binge eating have diminished significantly.

Moreover, I have been able to shift my focus from food and eating to other parts of my life such as my relationships, finding a new job and other life goals. 

I really think anyone living in today’s diet-obsessed world could benefit from taking such a workshop.”

Nina's experience demonstrates that, with patience, compassion, curiosity and support, it is possible to break free from diet culture.

Liberate Yourself
If you’re ready to finally make peace with food and your body, check out my private coaching program and upcoming workshop (early bird discount ends January 3!).

5 Gifts to Give Yourself this Holiday Season

If you’re desiring a more peaceful, loving, trusting and relaxed relationship with food and your body, here are five gifts to consider giving yourself this holiday season.

1/ Wear Comfortable Clothing
You know those holiday party clothes in your closet that haven’t fit comfortably in years, if ever? Get rid of them. 

Instead, buy, borrow or rent an outfit that fits your here-and-now body—one that makes you feel fabulous instead of frustrated. 

2/ Smash Your Scale
It’s so easy to let the number on your scale define you, to dictate how you feel about yourself and determine how you go about your day.

By smashing your scale, you're reclaiming your power from a worthless piece of junk that’s completely incapable of measuring your innate worth and overall wellbeing.

Of course, you can donate your scale; however, it’s a lot more fun to smash it! Just be sure to wear safety goggles.

3/ Silence Your Food Grinch
Silence the Grinch (a.k.a. the Food Police) in your head that says you’re being bad and will have to pay for eating all the yummy holiday fare.

Unless you stole the food or harmed someone to get it, there is absolutely no reason to feel bad, guilty or ashamed about your food choices. Nor do you ever have to make up for your eating. 

(For more holiday Intuitive Eating tips, click here.)

4/ Take Timeouts
Despite all the delight the holidays bring, the season can be quite stressful. When you’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to become disconnected from your body and its needs. 

Strive to take regular timeouts for rejuvenating, centering self-care, whether it’s going for a walk, soaking in the tub, meditating by the fire, or getting lost in a book. 

You can also try my number-one holiday stress buster.

5/ Ditch Dieting
Resolve to not jump on the dieting bandwagon come January. And when I say dieting, I mean any plan or program with a bunch of rules and restrictions. 

Diets erode your ability to trust your body and your instincts, and negatively impact your physical and psychological wellbeing. Plus, they suck all the joy out of eating and living.

Beyond the Holidays
If you want to give yourself the gift of a more peaceful relationship with food and your body that lasts well beyond the holidays, consider my private coaching program and upcoming Intuitive Eating Workshop (early bird enrollment ends January 3!).