how I developed a healthy attitude towards food - 5 tips for eating better

Today I want to share how I navigated towards a healthy attitude to food and eating in general. These, of course, are anecdotal and exemplary. I just want to try and do my bit for people who could use a bit of assurance or guidance. If you’ve been through, or are going through, similar struggles I’d really encourage you to share your advice or anecdotes in the comments below!
#intuitiveeating #selfimprovement #vlog
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Chapters:
00:00 - introduction
02:39 - food is more than fuel
04:19 - stop justifying your food
06:26 - learn to cook
08:35 - try intuitive eating
12:13 - treat yourself like a child or a pet
14:01 - outro & thanks!
THANKS FOR WATCHING!
x

[@lemonade9051]

'Look after yourself as if no one else will' That statement is everything. Thank you.

[@tinealily]

When I overcomplicate eating I find thinking of feeding an 8 year old to be immensely helpful. Bright carrots! Houmous! Laughing cow cheese! Nice good things.

[@MaverickBaking]

Love this!

[@nicolemeyr2834]

That is really such a good trick

[@leannalovins]

There’s something you said in a previous video, Kelly, that really struck me and it sunk in; why would I spend the prime years of my life fussing over food when my body is healthy and functioning properly. This statement has been a guiding light along with your “what I eat in a day” shorts, to help me try to approach a more intuitive eating style without fear. I’m still not there yet but it’s discussions like these that help pull me out my head and stop thinking negatively.

[@jenntwoN]

💙💙💙 Two things that helped me in recovery: 1) One of my oldest friends is a potter and makes beautiful things. Using dishes he made at mealtimes was wonderful because it felt like an accessible point of entry for enjoyment around food to use beautiful things, and also it helped me bridge the gap of feeding myself as a way to love myself, because I felt his care and friendship in the dishes themselves. 2) I started pushing back against things I heard others say. I also love to bake, especially for people I love, and, for example, if my mom said she was going to be 'bad' and eat a cookie I'd made (her favorite kind! fresh from the oven!), I'd ask her please not to say that enjoying a thing I'd made for her enjoyment was morally reprehensible. If my coworker apologized for eating a snack during a meeting, I'd say, "Please! Nourish your body!" In some ways, I think it's sort of talking back to diet culture, in others, it's a way of speaking back to younger versions of myself and saying the things she needed to hear.

[@MaverickBaking]

Love love love this! That first point is so precious, and you're absolutely right about pushing back and speaking as you would to your younger self!

[@gaelle-annefreiberg571]

A few things have pushed me to recover, one of the major ones being this channel. What also I've realized and pushed me to keep going is that I've never regretted it, NEVER. Go step by step, and pat yourself on the back, say good job to yourself when you do something in regards of a step towards recovery, no matter how small. ❤

[@ninasky8975]

Your shorts about food are always so soothing to me . I struggle with binge eating or eating for just pleasure and gaining a lot of weight in the last years . I used to be Bulimic and anorexic as well. Find balance is incredibly hard to do and my stressing about food makes me gain more weight again and again . I strive to eat and think like you ❤️

[@jennasmith8062]

i got into calorie counting when i was 16-17 for “health” reasons. it quickly spiraled into an obsession; i’m 5’4, so i must stay under 1200 calories, i must know the calorie count of items on the menu, i must measure teaspoons of peanut butter and olive oil. numbers consumed my thoughts for most of the day. my disorder never evolved into more dangerous behaviors or symptoms, but i clearly had a problem and couldn’t relax and view food as just food. i was always hungry, and looking back, also quite lethargic. this lasted around 2-3 years . one day, i started getting into abbey sharp’s videos. i learned that what i was doing led down an extremely dark path. this prompted me to quit calorie counting and everything surrounding it (reddit communities, scanning bar codes, etc.) cold turkey. i’ll never forget how it happened; i sat down to eat a delicious piece of chocolate cheesecake after my loosely calorie-tracked lunch (towards my final decision to quit, i was more lax with counting) and didn’t try to find a recipe online that had a similar ingredient makeup. i didn’t do any math or remind myself to abstain from what i wanted later in the day. i just quit. and i enjoyed it! it’s still tough sometimes, but my relationship with food is pretty much healed. watching your content and other similar media helps so much, and without people like you, i would not be where i am today ❤️

[@Kate28889]

Oh my gosh me too! I refuse to calorie count now, even when I’m losing weight.

[@MaverickBaking]

Good for you! Calorie counting can be very risky and become obsessive very quickly. I'm really glad you were able to find content to help you release some of that tight control. I've been there myself so I know how hard it is and how long it can stay with you. Well done!

[@Robby_strong]

I love abbey sharp!

[@babysab8013]

Best tip is to only eat when hungy as in your stomach is empty. You can't over eat this way. Life changing for me

[@rachaeltrujillo9960]

Love abbey sharp. Glad you realized the slippery slope and are better now ❤

[@ehmha3641]

I have been a chubby child, and an obese teenager and a very obese young adult (max weight 130kg). Lost 60 kg in a year and ended up with an ED that came in different forms like bulimia, restricting myself to 800 kcal a day, working out 6 days a week etc. In 2019-2020 I gained back 30 kg cause of stress, health issues and an absolute night mare job. I started watching my weight back in 2020 and I am slowly transitoning into a healthy relationship with food and working out. It's a slow process and every once in a while my ED is kicking in but I can pretty much control it 98% of the times. I accepted my body weight meaning I have a bigger upper body. I don't weigh myself anymore, I just try on old clothes every once in a while to check if I made any progress. I count calories, watch my portions but I dont starve myself and enjoy my food. I also love buying good products esp. when it comes to cheese, meat and fruits.Don't follow any special diet but def. try eating well 70% of the times.I am in my 30s now and it's the first time in my life that I am somehow near an almost healthy lifestyle. Intuitive eating for me is a thing when I am sick. It's amazing how your body literally tells you what it needs to recover .

[@willyishere]

I'm a 19 year old guy in university who has struggled with various eating disorders and exercise addiction. I really really messed up my hormones and am fighting like hell to get my testosterone back into the normal range. I just want to let you know how much your videos and shorts help me with overcoming this shit. Sometimes when I want to restrict myself I put on one of your shorts to sort of distract myself from the situation and allow me to eat more freely. I just wanted to say thank you and hopefully you know your videos truly help people who aren't even into baking haha.

[@MaverickBaking]

Thank YOU!

[@rileycollison2947]

For me, unfollowing people who talked about calories or dieting in any form really helped me to tune back into my own body, and helped me realise what I wanted to eat. I am now able to look at these things a bit more, but I am still careful as I don't want to slip back into my unhealthy ways.

[@MaverickBaking]

This was a big thing for me too!

[@Dollarstoredolly2023]

What a wonderful video! It's probably one of the best videos I have ever watched about having a healthy relationship with food! The part about how you feel around your menstrual cycle is so me! Exactly! Thank you for sharing this with us all! ❤

[@MaverickBaking]

Thanks so much!

[@cookiemonster1429.]

I totally resonate with what you said Kelly! I am waaay to critical of myself, and I am sure I would never treat a friend or my own child the way I talk to myself in my head. GODDD! I have alway been curvy/midsize. I would get a lot of comments from family, especially culturally we are conditioned to be so narrow minded about body sizes. If you deviate from the norm it is looked at as a moral failure. Honestly, I just want to eat cookies and things I like without feeling it is a "bad" thing. I guilt trip myself at times too. Thanks for sharing. I loved the intuitive eating concept. I also firmly believe that food is much more than just fuel, it is a huge part of our identity and cultural heritage.

[@user-hi3di3zj2z]

Finding enjoyement in my everyday eating has personnally helped me a lot. I have been raised in a food loving family, I was taught that cooking is loving, that nourishment come from the nutrients the food contains but also how enjoyable and tasty it is. I sort of lost that intuition when my eating became more and more disorder. Now, I try to find and implement enjoyement in every meal I can, without making it a pressure either. A tasty and genuinly enjoyable food is not only for occasions, it's for everyday, we deserve tasty things everyday, it doesn't has to be a treat !

[@user-hi3di3zj2z]

In french, we would probably call that "la gourmandise"

[@MaverickBaking]

Exactly! It's great to hear you were able to return to that loving attitude, well done!

[@wdestrempsmecke]

You are an inspirational goddess. As someone who has been in and out of treatment for EDs for the best part of 30 years and before when there was no medical definition, you are an absolute breath of fresh air. Hope is with you and your words. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@MaverickBaking]

Thank YOU!

[@nataschahansen8207]

I really love all of your videos about this topic cause you have such a logical and clear way of describing it. You are one of the creators that are really helping me in my recovery cause it seems like you’ve genuinely found away out of your eating disorder. I’m currently in recovery from anorexia and have been for almost 6 months and I love your small what I eat in a day videos (and all of your other content) cause it helps me rationalise guilt and remind me that it’s okay to eat whatever the fxk I want💕

[@katiestegman8083]

Well this was a happy surprise. I found you by your "eating whatever the fXck you like" shorts. The title intrigued me, because I certainly don't allow myself to do that. Then I found this video, which is probably the most useful and sensible thing I've even seen/heard/read about diet in my life (and good God I've seen a lot). I feel like this is something I should listen to every morning to get my head on straight. I've read a lot about intuitive eating but never heard explained in such a logical way. I have some health issues that mean I have to be careful with certain foods, but I know what they are and can easily incorporate that knowledge into intuitive eating. Coincidentally, I've just come back from Italy where I did eat very intuitively, and I felt great. It must be lovely to live in a place where walking is life and the food is very well made and in reasonable portions. I'd move there just for that! Anyways, that for the great inspiration. I'm on to your podcast and loving it!

[@livesweetlee2812]

You are a light for others. This is a beautiful video and 100% true. We are human and have every right to enjoy food and form a loving relationship with it. 💖🙏🏽

[@cristinabock1310]

I got so far into ortho and anorexia trying to steer clear of stomach pain from Crohn’s disease. Finally recovering after years, not only weight wise but mentally which is the key for making recovering stick! I tell myself that the fall out from malnutrition far outweighs stomach pain. Your channel is so helpful. ❤

[@spegnilaluce]

11:32 girl this thing you did with your hand gave me so much Italian vibes you couldn’t imagine I find it beautiful.

[@user-ft1vu1jy9o]

I have listened so many food behaviour advices,but it all was like "oh drink more water"," oh balance your diet","oh don't forget to rest","oh be more happy" You've helped me so so much. This video is on another level. Those dietitians and nutritionists have spoke about physical reasons,but you've brought up all mental issues and it is the best. Your advices are the best. You are the best💗

[@MaverickBaking]

Thank you so much!

[@lasyakarthik5817]

Love this! Beautifully articulated

[@HSsandrah]

Miss, you are a godsent. So smart and well-informed. Thank you for all your content. ❤

[@paulawhittaker3538]

Love this video. I keep trying to stop calorie counting & try Intuitive eating but finding it hard to listen to a body that's been ignored for far to many years. It's a scary process at the beginning. I'm finding your videos informative,helpful, fun plus my dream is to travel to Italy, so I love seeing little snippets of the places you visit and just your everyday life living there.

[@MaverickBaking]

Thanks so much Paula! I know exactly how you feel, it's like every week you're learning something new or pushing back against old ways, but it's so worth it in the long term!

[@adryaunadavis6370]

I started counting my calories back in November and I'm trying to do better for my body. I work out so I think it helps a bit, though my eating was one of the problems. I also have an issue of eating less sometimes and it could make feel kind of sick. This video was very informational, inspiring, and relaxing. Thank you Maverick for this amazing video. ❤️ I feel much, much better after watching...

[@georgia3349]

so so useful!! thank you for these tips

[@natashaj4113]

Thank you so much for this. I feel quite emotional at the last part 💛

[@kristina5249]

You are brilliant, thank you 🙏🏼

[@haylxx1]

I love your videos and I loved this message so much ❤ Needed this especially after this week of feeling guilty about every little thing i eat.

[@sn7496]

So so well said

[@finallyhannah3515]

Thank you so much for the anecdotes and reassurance! Such a warm place for recovery☺️

[@allisonwright9151]

Great video! Thank you!

[@KK-rj7ij]

I never had an ED, but I enjoy watching your videos as you have a very nice voice. I enjoy nice food and have gained a few pounds lately mostly due to not moving enough at work, but I am not very concerned about it. What I 've noticed while watching your videos, is that I used to eat a lot of sweet things, cake and cookies when I was your age and now as I am getting "older" I have started to enjoy veggies a lot more and find them more "tempting" than cookies, so I am guessing intuitive eating is probably the way to go.

[@seralinaland1188]

Consuming your content especially the shorts for the past couple of montha has drastically changed my eating habits 180° it feels wonderful I never imagined eating could be this enjoyable and balanced

[@MaverickBaking]

This is lovely to read, well done you!

[@JoshEatsFood]

Too good 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@rachelheinz541]

thank you for putting into words exactly how i feel. Of course, i still have my days/weeks of struggle, but I always felt guilty for eating anything unhealthy, especially sweets. 2 things help me. The first thing was identifying that my fear was to be fat. My fear wasn’t to be unhealthy but fat. I started working on reminding myself that I am beautiful and deserve to be loved no matter my size. If i am going to be scared of something it should be my health. The 2nd thing that helped was allowing myself to eat sweets whenever I wanted. It took some time and I gained some weight at first, but eventually I started craving a more normal amount of sweets instead of binging every time I had them because i was denying myself before.

[@lauracletheroe9922]

Aw you taught your mum how to cook too ❤ couldn’t be prouder of you xx

[@rachaeltrujillo9960]

Yes! I agree so much with all of what you said. I think it’s a very healthy and joyful approach. As a mom trying to raise a daughter who has a healthy relationship with food and her body and who will eat well and enjoy what she eats we need more people with this mentality in the world. ❤

[@merry9858]

Thank you so much, I am binge watching and listening all of your content . you help to learn love myself in the most charmingly simple and elegant way

[@sarahpenman99]

I really enjoy your videos but this is so powerful. I have thankfully never had any issues around food but can still understand and relate to what you are saying here and think you are the perfect role model for my young daughter as she grows up. Thanks for being open and honest I am sure this will help so many people Kelly xx

[@JulesSeptember2307]

This is honestly the most refreshing take on this topic I've come across, in my opinion at least. It's my go to video to rewatch when I'm having a hard time. Thank you so much, it's helped me so so much. ❤

[@jbb2432]

I love this so much! Treating myself as if I was a child in my care is something I've been doing for a while. I don't think I have heard anyone else mention it before. Love that you did! ❤ Jem.

[@cbear8499]

Great video 👍🏻

[@rosinareads_]

I have really needed this. thank you so much- you have helped to put my mind at ease

[@MaverickBaking]

You are so welcome!

[@margheritam5568]

Thank You very much for your words and your attitude. I've discovered your channel recently and i'm not going to leave It very easily😊 I am always worried about my health and that of my loved ones and I blame myself if sometimes I eat food not properly healthy, instead of enjoying it 🙄 This video is so refreshing, it makes me peaceful, so thank you again! Un abbraccio dalla Toscana!

[@bogeythedog163]

Love your corkscrew hair!

[@ericafrances7110]

I love this, thank you. 💜

[@MaverickBaking]

Thank YOU!

[@helenfrancis6505]

Thank you so much for touching on this tricky topic. I’ve had issues with weight/eating (both over and under). Bingeing, calorie counting and general self loathing all my life until about 5 years ago. I’d had my little boy and was the heaviest I’d ever been and decided enough was enough. 18months later I’d lost 8.5 stone and kept it off for a good couple of years. I’d done lots of healing on my journey and soul searching and peeling back layer after layer of anguish and pain and dealing with it all. However this last 18months old habits have crept back in, secret binge eating, self loathing, lacking energy, low mood and general teary ness. Your video made me realise I just need to start listening to my body again and guiding it to be able to be honest with me about what it needs without me shoving down my bodies needs with a large bar of fruit and nut! Thank you ❤

[@MaverickBaking]

Wishing you all the best, Helen!

[@claudianovak166]

Very simple and very good explanation! Awesome video 🙌🏽🫶🏽🙏🏽👏🏽

[@MaverickBaking]

Thank you!

[@111ewa]

I feel the same as you with oats omg :D don't know what I'm doing wrong

[@esmepathare]

YESSS

[@seralinaland1188]

4:35 this hits me so hard, I always felt like i'm being watched and judge by others because I was always the person who's "healthy" and only eats healthy food, so whenever I ate something "bad" I will make sure no one sees me and when someone is in the room with me I force myself to make the only healthy option instead of what I wanted it sucks

[@j_cara]

❤

[@lululove6175]

Thank you Kelly for this excellent video…..I have a severe rare spinal condition so my elimination does not work properly and if I dont eat somewhat of a restrictive diet, I feel terrible and I wish it wasnt so.. i used to eat everything with such joy so this is very hard for me. But i do the best I can and if I want that lovely pastry, I will have it.❤. BTW, your hair is spectacular and you are quite beautiful. :))) i am pretty tired of a lot of the influencers…carnivore, keto, vegan, plant based…uggghyhhhhhh.

[@WSM888]

i started calorie counting when i was 17-18? i never had any trouble or worries surrounding food before because i was a fairly active person, playing all types of sports almost everyday in school, so i ate whatever i wanted to fuel myself. but after graduating and with covid, i stayed at home all day. so obviously i put on a little bit of weight, i started calorie counting and exercising everyday to lose a bit of weight. this started to go a bit crazy, i am 5’5 but ate less than 1200 calories a day, i cut out carbs and sugars. i realise now that that was so bad for my physical and mental health because i was always tired and never wanted to leave the house. even though i still struggle with food, i’m slowly starting to let myself enjoy snacks and not think too much about the calories. what i do now (don’t know if it actually helps) is that i just either guesstimate or just don’t think about the calories because it’s still a bit difficult for me to not count the calories, but at least i don’t go crazy and search up every single thing. it’s still difficult but i do hope to fix my relationship with food❤

[@MaverickBaking]

Calorie counting can be such a slippery slope, I've been there myself a a few times! Really happy to hear you're not as obsessive or controlled by it now, even if it can still pop into your head. It gets easier with time. All the best!

[@sookie0327]

Hey Kelly! Love your videos, they calm me so much. :) I was just wondering how would you heal a relationship with exercise? I'm not particularly fond of exercising but I keep seeing these day in my lives, and pressure from family and social media to exercise, but given my history of EDs and such I don't really know How to go about it. As soon as i wake up i feel that I should be working out but that's not what I ever want to do really. The most exercise I do is just walking lol. But I feel that me simply existing in my room is not good and that I should be out moving. I want to get away from that mindset.

[@bluebonnetgirl]

I’m trying not to justify my eating. I used to love food!! I would cook constantly, always trying new things… I’m working on getting back to that place. ❤

[@NoollyBag]

Oof so relieved to listen to you saying that oats don't keep you satiated for hours😊... I thought I was a weirdo, 2 hrs after the biggest porridge ever my stomach's rumbling😂. Still love it tho, but eat it for the pleasure and not too keep me full for longer ❤

[@MaverickBaking]

Yes haha! Love them, but they do not do their job well with me

[@melaniejaverliat6095]

Oats do that to me too!! I get bloated from porridge and am hungry 2 hours later 😅 gotta learn what works and what doesn't! ❤

[@madhurmotwani9935]

I love your specs, have the same style of specs :)

[@MaverickBaking]

Thanks!

[@CXVIGeriCXVI]

I will say, my mum was a big one for home cooked food. I am forever thankful that she cooked nutritious meals for us. But she also had an attitude of no processed, packaged foods in the house. No crisps, cakes, cookies, sweets, etc. It always felt like a treat just to go round my friends house and have white bread or a packet of crisps. Definitely ended up with a disordered relationship with food and hit obese bmi as an adult. I'm now much healthier and consistently eat crisps and cakes from supermarkets 😅

[@annamu837]

Having exactly the same when I eat oats or porridge 😂

[@gtqn1425]

Thanks for this. I agree with it all however I’m intuitively greedy, and put on a lot of weight eating what I want when I want. Would you reconsider this approach if it made you obese?

[@beckthter]

I’ve come back to rewatch this video ❤ but as someone who is currently trying to lose 10+ kilos, I find the whole ‘intuitive eating’ thing so disheartening, because whenever I try to do it I end up just putting on more weight 😢 now clearly there’s an issue with the ‘balance’ part of my diet which I’m working on!

[@leonore3349]

Oatmeal only fills me up for a couple of hours too, even if it's made with milk, peanut butter and nuts.

[@MaverickBaking]

It's so strange isn't it?? My body just DEVOURS it haha

[@goodi2shooz]

Let me start by saying I am a big fan of your channel and I have loved every one of your videos and I like this one too with one small caveat.. I don't see Fitness Pal as a menace. Some of us actually need to watch certain things like for me it's sodium and I have to keep track of how much sodium I'm eating in a day so that I can stay healthy. For others it might be potassium or sugar and fitness pal has been a lifesaver in that department. Also not everyone who is trying to lose weight is a victim of diet culture. Some of us are genuinely not healthy and we need to lose some weight in a healthy manner. So please don't throw the baby out with the bathwater (sorry it's an American phrase).. just some of us have to keep track of our choices.

[@MaverickBaking]

A very good point. It's a very impressive app in what it can do, and I imagine for people like yourself or those with conditions like diabetes etc it could be very useful indeed. However, that much detail and number-driven data can be really really dangerous for some of us. While tracking nutrition CAN be beneficial or educational, it can also lead to obsessive and disordered attitudes towards food and eating in general. In the same way that social media brings some people peace and joy, but brings others stress and low mood. I didn't mean any offence to those who use the app, just a bit of leftover venom from the damage it did to me, hope you understand!

[@agibarathova6389]

you are so well spoken

[@zellalaing5439]

Oat are shite, nothing makes me feel worse than a bowl of porridge or a flapjack, to some they may be great, but to me, they're the worst.

[@veronicamozee]

I don't mind stuffing my face. I even have a mighty fluffy fupa. But I'm trying to lose a few pounds. Before I do I'ma let my Winnie the Pooh belly show. (This is a recent development) and I relish the veil that's been lifted about me hiding my belly. Fasting is sooo fun and I do it from time to 24hrs and I'm gonna live my body when I reach my goal weight as I already love it every step of the way. I can't WAIT to be able to zip up my Beyonce skirt if you're.😂 And if after I reach it, I go crazy on carbs and gain a few pounds that'll be fine too. Being comfortable in your own skin really helps. I love myself when I'm fat, I love myself when I'm fit (not that I've been under 175 in a while). :)

[@Valeria-hg2ri]

i wish something or someone would actually help..

[@bethanthomas293]

As someone who has struggled with eating for almost of my life, I personally find that steering away from social media/ unrealistic “what I eat in a day” really helped reframe my attitude towards eating. I have come to the realisation that it’s all for the aesthetic and isn’t sustainable for the average person. That’s why I love your channel, you inspire me to eat intuitiively!! 🫶

[@memoryia]

thank you for this

[@MaverickBaking]

You're very welcome!

[@Storyteller2078]

I love this and need this. My progress is slow, but it’s there. Thank you❤️

[@batfaengz]

I’ve had a bad relationship with food for so long but since I’ve found your channel it’s really helped me change my mindset around food. I don’t feel guilty for eating anymore and I truly listen to what my body wants. Thank you for your videos they’ve really helped me❤❤❤