I was watching an Instagram Reel when I came across one of those “fitness gurus” that said something along the line that you don’t HAVE to wake up at 5 am to workout or go to the gym and you are not any better if you do.

I think the poster was trying to come across as someone who “gives permission” for people not having to resort to toxic ways to get their fitness in, but in reality, the poster was coming across as someone with privilege in their fitness/morning routine.

I have seen this “tip” time and time again,mocking the very people who do wake up at 5am. I am here to remind you that yes, you don’t HAVE to wake up at 5am if you want to move your body, get it in a morning routine etc. But if you want to and NEED to, then you have the permission to wake up at 5 am to get in your fitness needs.

Many of us have SO many other things going on besides focusing on our health and wellness. We work, we are taking care of our families and so on. So maybe 5 am is the ONLY time you really have to get a workout in before the world wakes up.

So next time you hear someone say you don’t need to wake up at 5am to get some body movement in, remember that yes you don’t have to, but it is actually what is working for you and your situation.

Here’s to a morning routine, no matter what time,

-Deanna

Moving our body is essential to feeling good, feeling stronger, but what if we get bored of our workouts?

It happens, even to me(gasp!) and sometimes though it is not the workouts. It may be your surroundings that get you bored.

This happened to me last week.

In the early evenings, I tend to take my walks near a beautiful college campus. As much as I love it, I do tend to get bored of the same scenery over and over again.

I live right off the lakefront, and decided to head on over to the lakefront trail instead, and even added some jogging in the mix. It’s one of my favorite ways to move, so changing it up a bit where I do my walks is what I exactly needed.

The lake was very choppy that day, which added the excitement of being close to water while moving my body. I even stopped by the beach on my way home.

So next time you get bored of your workouts, check in with yourself and see if it is maybe where you are doing your workouts instead. It may be just what you needed.

If not, then I encourage you to take a look at your movement menu and see what other ways you want to move your body instead.

Here’s to moving your body whenever, wherever,

-Deanna

In the non-diet/intuitive eating space we approach goals differently than the norm. The goals tend to be more sustainable in the long term and are rooted out of love, not fear.

Sure, we want to set goals because that is how we grow,evolve,and improve, but doing so in a lovingly matter is much more attainable than out of fear.

For example, a loving goal I have set myself is to move my body at least three times a week using a combination of strength training, barre exercises, and walking so that I can keep up with my grandkids in the future, be able to carry my own groceries, and have energy to do the things I want to do.

Moving my body in hopes of losing weight, shrinking my body so I can be more accepted in society,etc is rooted in fear that would only sustain you for so long.

You want to feel freedom around your goal, not feel trapped or oppressed. Goals need to come from an intrinsic aspect and not from the external.

Now, it doesn’t mean you are not influenced by diet culture, but you can have the desire to experience your goals free from that.

Always check in with the goal you have set for yourself as you are doing the things to move towards the goal. Ask yourself, how are you feeling, what are the thoughts coming up through the actions, does it feel aligned or has your goal changed? Goals and how you get there can ebb and flow.

Can you think of a goal you are working on and is it out of fear or love? You can reach out if you want me to help you assess if it is out of fear or love if you’d like-I would love to hear them.

Here’s to goals that come from a place of love, not fear.

-Deanna

Summer is in full swing over here in Chicago and in many parts of the world. Schedules and routines have changed up a bit with kids out of school, people taking vacations, and so forth.

This also means we are changing our wardrobes into lighter clothes where skin is showing more and for many women, this is really challenging, especially if there has been weight gained over the winter.

And we get invited to so many barbecues, birthdays, weddings, and if you are in a big city like me, the many festivals that involve often with food.

I really feel like summer is the time where women can really get challenged if they have decided to ditch diets for good and have been working on this throughout the year. We are out and about more often so we are interacting with more people, going places, etc.

Here are quick tips to help you have a non-diet summer:

1. Give compassion to yourself and get more curious than judgemental: Don’t forget, diet and wellness culture especially in the summer is still in full force if not even more, and it makes perfect sense that you are feeling the pressure of wanting to lose weight. We live in a society that praises the thin ideal and looks down on those who are in larger bodies.
2. If you do not feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit now, you don’t have to, instead, wear what is comfortable to you: Yes, we say you need to accept your body and just wear that bathing suit, but if you don’t feel safe in your body yet then there is no need to give yourself the pressure to wear one unless you want to. Other options could work such as wearing the bathing suit but maybe put shorts on, or wear a tunic top over it. Whatever you do please don’t ditch the beach just because you feel you HAVE to wear a bathing suit. You deserve to enjoy what summer has to offer just as the next person. Find a combo that would work best for you!
3. Release all the perfectionism and the rules around dieting: Summer schedules are different than the rest of the year, so give yourself full permission to eat all the foods and eat when hungry. If breakfast is not until 11 am because you slept in later than usual, so be it. If crackers, deli meat, cheese and fruit at the beach is your lunch for the day, then let that be your lunch! We don’t need to be perfect around our meals ever, but especially in the summer we don’t as well. The days are longer so you might be eating dinner at 8,pm or 9pm even (hello patio season!). It’s fine. The key thing here is to honor your hunger cues, fullness, and satisfaction. We want to create memories with our family and friends, not stress over when and what we are eating.

Hope these quick tips help! What would you add to this list?

If you want to work on having a non-diet summer, I created a Facebook “Undiet your Summer Challenge” group if interested! If you’d like to join other women for that extra support including myself, come join us! Come ask questions, get tips from me, and more! It’s also FREE!

The challenge runs until Labor Day Weekend. You can join the FB group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/undietyoursummer

Hope to see you in the group!
Deanna

You love the idea of not having to diet anymore and do away diet culture for good. The thought of not having to binge anymore and can still form healthy habits without the burden of counting calories and extensive exercises sounds refreshing.

“But I want to lose weight.”

Despite knowing all this, you still might desire to lose weight. And I am here to tell you that is perfectly normal.

Of course you want to lose weight, and I give my clients a safe space to explore and have these thoughts. Our society unfortunately is fatphobic and can be cruel to people who are in larger bodies. We fear we won’t be as accepted or loved if we gain weight or be in a larger body. So it’s perfectly normal to have these thoughts.

Diet culture is not going anywhere anytime soon. And you can’t change everyone’s thoughts and beliefs in your circle around weight unless they are willing to be open to change.

Which is why changing your own beliefs and thoughts about weight is so important to protect you from the diet culture noise around you.

When I hear my friends and families talk about the woes of needing to lose weight or making an observation that someone has gained weight, I now have the capacity to think that they too have been swayed by diet culture messages and it is not their fault either. In their eyes, being in a smaller body makes them feel safe.

I also explore this with my clients in my 1:1 Private Coaching program.

If interested in coaching with me 1:1, I have the capacity currently to coach two women, and if those spots get filled, get on the waiting list now by applying to see if we are a good fit.

Apply here: Apply for Coaching

I’ve been thinking so much lately how important the power of community is when it comes to supporting one’s overall wellness being. Everyone from the young to the old and in between need support in all facets of their lives.

Many cultures thrive and rely on family and those surrounding them to support one another. This is the downfall for the US where relatives live too far away from each other.

I recall growing up in the 80s as a kid we had my grandparents living one block away so summer time was spent going there so my parents can work. But nowadays career opportunities and cost of living has created distance between our support systems.

In some of the blue zone countries, where people have the most cenetarians, the power of community and a support system was one way to prevent isolation which can increase morality. In one of the small islands of Greece, I was reading that if they notice someone is missing from a community gathering or is not there for weekly church, they will literally go to that person’s home and get that person out of the house to make sure they join them and not sit in isolation.

Of course there are nuances, as many people don’t have family to support them due to various reasons. Being part of a support group does not have to necessarily have to be blood relatives. Seek out those who would benefit from supporting each other and form your own community for support and help when needed.

My husband and I live far from family, and there are times where they can come to visit to help out, but we ultimately had to form a community and support system of our own. We also help them out as they also do not have family here to support them.

This all ties to having a community and support from people when it comes to forming wellness habits,especially those that support your anti-diet wellness journey. By forming a community around your health journey, it can help sustain healthy habits that are not tied to diet culture. Even if it’s just to bounce off ideas you have or experiences that you may have encountered.

Getting non-judgemental support and advice can go a long way to support your anti-diet journey.

Think about who can be in your community circle when it comes to giving you accountability and support, who would that be? Make a list, and/or search for groups and communities that have the same things in common. And sometimes it doesn’t have to be a large group in person.

FB groups and meet-up groups with like minded individuals are a couple examples. Even if it’s just 2-3 friends meeting up for coffee once a month can work. Get creative.

And you can even be in more than one community or support group and that is ok.

And if you can’t find ” your people” create it! Guarantee there are women out there that also feel the same and are looking for like minded individuals like yourself.

Are you part of any groups/friendships circles/ family support etc? Would love to hear from you how you do community!

Speaking of community, I am going to aim to do a community event in Chicago real soon! If you want to get on my email newsletter and happen to be in the Chicago area, I can let you know of the next event happening. Just email me at deanna@deannakozarov.com and I will get you on the list.

In my Intuitive Eating Journey, the one thing I noticed that happened to me at first and even until this day is that I don’t reach for vegetables as much.

Fruit was easy. Diet culture even demonizes fruit as having too much sugar so letting go of that food rule for fruit didn’t take that much effort.

But Diet Culture puts vegetables on a very high pedestal and all the health gurus tell you that you must eat as many plants as possible if you want to achieve optimal health and lose weight. And of course don’t “add sauces” for it may bump up the calories too much and cancel out the nutrients even.

I believed that for a long time so my vegetable intake was mostly boiled broccoli and raw carrots.

So it was no wonder when I gave myself unconditional permission to eat ALL the foods and let go of dieting that vegetables was the one area that I couldn’t get into because not only was I tired of dieting, I was tired of eating boiled broccoli too.

For a long time I felt guilty about it, my thoughts around this was like “why eliminate a food that gives SO many nutrients?” You HAVE to still eat vegetables! But you are anti-diet now! Veggies are so boring! Don’t do it! Very polarizing indeed.

The aversion to veggies stems from diet culture, because when dieting, most likely you were eating veggies only steamed or raw, with no flavor whatsoever.

There are a few things have helped me eat more vegetables. At the end of the day, veggies do have the vitamins and minerals that can help us feel GOOD. But it’s not the end all of be all either when it comes to fueling our bodies. And they still have to be satisfying.

1. Prepare your veggies in more than one ways. I took up the idea to roast my broccoli in the oven and added some spices, which made them taste good and satisfying which made me ENJOY them again.
2. Add them to soups,sandwiches and as toppings to pizza- For example I am not so much of a raw spinach person anymore (gah so bland, so boring) but when I add them to soups and as a topping to pizza I definitely would eat them more often.
3. Dip them in sauces, or add a fat based dressing to salads- Adding flavor is the name game here, so pairing veggies to dips like ranch dressing, guacamole or caesar dressing to salads gives them that satisfaction factor.

And if you skip a day or two of not eating vegetables that’s ok! What is important is being consistent over weeks, months even, not really today or two days from now.

And if you genuinely don’t like a particular vegetable or how it makes you feel, you have the permission to skip it all together. There is a plethora of vegetables to choose from and just because you see everyone eating kale and broccoli it doesn’t mean you have to be also.

And lastly, check in with your beliefs and thoughts surrounding vegetables-where are they coming from? And how can you reframe those thoughts? What are the feelings coming up for you when thinking these thoughts?

If you want to see how foods are making you feel after consuming them, my free “Food and Mood Journal,” is now available. It’s a simple template that you can print as many times as you’d like and also includes journal prompts for reflecting. It’s a great way to tune in with your body. You can sign up for the free journal here: Click for Free Food and Mood Journal.

Last week, my family and I took some time out of our busy schedule and headed to sunny Florida over Spring Break. We grabbed an Air BnB right next to the beach and my goal for that trip was not to do anything too touristy but to literally spend the majority of our time at the beach resting and taking in all the sights and sounds of the ocean. We would then end the day with a long leisure walk along the boardwalk, ice cream in hand. We rounded up our evening then with some Netflix before bed. It was glorious.

When I ask are you taking time out for rest I don’t just mean just getting enough sleep(although this is also VERY important and probably needs its own post), but also taking time out of our “go go go” routines and just BE.

This also translates to when it comes to moving our body. In diet culture, daily excessive workouts have been pounded in our heads that they are very important to changing our bodies and we shouldn’t be having many rest days, or skip any days really.

This idea of not resting can do more harm and good. Rest in society is being viewed as someone being lazy, or feeling guilty. But this is far from the truth. Rest and recovery is important to be able to do the things we want to do with energy and feeling good. It is also part of a healthy routine.

We should not be pushing through a workout if we let’s say, didn’t get enough sleep, get sick,etc. When our body doesn’t feel good in these ways it is smart enough to send you messages that you need to take it down a notch.

And rest can look different for everyone, maybe it’s a movie night in, a nap during the day, a leisure walk instead, or a quick trip to the beach for example.

There is no timeframe, no deadline, how long rest should be for us. It’s whatever feels right and good for you.

Rest can be one of your ways you can practice joyful movement when creating your body movement menu! Be sure to include this in your list when creating one. If you have not created one yet, I got you! I have a free template you can use to start your body movement menu today. Grab it here: Click for your free Body Movement Menu.

Today’s post is about something that has been brewing in me for awhile as I kept running into coaches, programs, fitness pros, etc that are co-opting to food freedom aka intuitive eating, but still promoting diets in terms of weight loss.

The concept of Intuitive Eating and breaking away from diet culture has become more and more mainstream and well known to the health and fitness industry, thanks to the numerous contributions to this area. The pandemic may have even accelerated the idea that life is too darn short to go on diets. I know it has for me at least.

Diet culture and the diet industry is seeing this and as always, are trying to find ways how they can also get in on the food freedom bandwagon so they can of course, make more money.

When it comes to the non-diet approach and Intuitive Eating, weight loss is not the focus at all or the end goal. Yes, people HAVE lost weight doing the non-diet approach and Intuitive Eating, but some gain weight too, or even stay the same. Again, coaches and fitness pros who use the intuitive eating approach are not helping women lose weight and it is not a diet, but to be more in tune with what makes them feel good and break free from diet culture.

So here are some things to look out for when trying to find a coach or come across someone who is promoting the “non-diet approach” when in fact, they are not.

“It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle” is used numerous times to promote programs,work outs etc. But if they are STILL promoting weight loss or even mentioning “weight loss,” I am sorry but, yes, it is a diet. Those who promote weight loss this way can be kinda still obvious because they are still mentioning they are helping women to lose weight. Some are even more sneaky by maybe not mentioning the word weight loss but restricting the calories in their program down to just consuming 1200 calories a day for instance (yes we are talking about you Noom, that calorie count is more for toddlers!).

Promoting detoxes: The word diet or weight loss may not even be in the promoting of these but they are promoting diet culture.

The term “Intuitive Fasting” then came into light and a book was written about it, which is glaringly obvious this is a diet and a way to restrict calories. What the heck is Intuitive Fasting? It is just Intermittent Fasting, another diet disguised to hop on the Intuitive Eating bandwagon. Don’t fall for it.

Using the terms “earn your food” coming from an “Intuitive Eating Coach” is also a red flag that this is also another way to focus on weight loss and dieting, using excessive workouts that will only burn you out a the end. These coaches don’t even use the term weight loss but are very good at not mentioning it when in fact they are promoting weight loss in their programs. Food is a right, not something that some get and some shouldn’t.

When looking at posts that have the hashtag “Intuitive Eating” pay close attention to what they are really promoting. Weight loss coaches will use this hashtag to draw more attention to their pages when they have nothing to do with the practice of Intuitive Eating and fighting diet culture.

These are some of my observations so far that I have seen, would you add more to this list? Let me know in the comments or feel free to send me an email deanna@deannakozarov.com and let me know or if you need for me to take a look.

I thought I’d share how to make peace with a specific food(s) that you may be struggling with. This takes practice just like anything else so give yourself grace and patience with this!

We do this by reframing a food we deemed “good or bad” and replace it with more positive descriptions about that food.

Making peace with food is probably one of the core messages in the non-diet, Intuitive Eating space. And for many of us, this has not been the case. Being confident in our food choices is vital to live an abundant life.

All foods have value and are neither good or bad, and you may be labeling them as such right now. All foods fit and have a place in your eating routine.

How did we get here? Diet culture unfortunately has demonized a lot of foods and it is always changing. One minute Fat is bad, next minute Carbs are bad. It is no wonder that everyone is confused on what to eat and get into chaotic eating, binge eating, overeating, and restricting. Stressing over foods that we eat makes it then pointless if the food is deemed “healthy” or not.

I truly believe that the energy and the vibes around eating foods also makes a difference as to how we feel after. Fear around foods can have an effect on our digestion, mood, and energy levels as well.

Let’s take ice cream for example-instead of calling it “bad” or “too heavy” etc, we can reframe it as “nourishing for the soul”, “comforting”, “creates memories with my kids”, “cools us down” etc.

Here is another one: salads “gives me energy”, “vitamins and minerals”, and “provides hydration to my body”.

Hopefully you get the picture.

Some foods provide us with more nutrients than others and some foods provide us joy, comfort, satisfaction and fun. They are all necessary in order to stress less with food and stop dieting, and neither foods are better than the other.

What specific food are you struggling to make peace with? Share in the comments so I can help you reframe and make peace with it.

And I help with these kind of topics and more in my 1:1 Coaching Program. Apply to see if you are a good fit, it’s a really quick application to complete. Apply here: Apply for Coaching.

Here’s to having a more peaceful relationship with food so we can create more mental space to enjoy this thing called Life.

Deanna-