From Mindless Eating to Body Wisdom — Mariah's Multi-Year Story

"I now have control or choices over food rather than the opposite — them having control over me."

Mariah went through Chandra's Food and Mood program and shared three video updates across her journey. Together they trace the arc from mental food chatter and emotional eating to true body wisdom.

Video 1 — Clear Mental Space

The biggest shift through working with Chandra was just this clear mental space — because it wasn't consumed with worrying about what I was eating or what was going to be the next meal.

Making the right food choices became easier. Not in terms of bad food and good food — but in terms of: is this food going to fuel me and feel good in my body, or is it food that might bring up bloating or an upset stomach? I started making choices based on how my body would feel. That made it easier so I wasn't judging myself, wasn't hard on myself for choices that might make me feel bad. I actively chose, I'm going to eat that piece of chocolate cake — and went into it knowing how I'd feel after.

Stress and negative emotions became easier to deal with, too. Experiencing negative emotions became not so scary. I learned with Chandra that it's okay to feel those things — and by feeling them, we discovered I might possibly not eat them. I'd get to let them go and release them by feeling them, and then move on and make better food choices.

Before working with Chandra, I generally ate pretty good, but I had this tendency to not feel my emotions — and then all of a sudden be mindlessly consuming things that weren't the best for my body. Through working with her, I got down to understand why. Now I have the option. I get to make the choice as to what I want to eat — and so I choose better foods, I crave better foods.

Water was a big one. I didn't even have the recognition that not drinking enough came from an emotional place — a place of thinking water wasn't safe to consume. Our gut health really needs lots of water.

Video 2 — Breakthroughs With Mind and Body

I started Chandra's gut health coaching because I struggled with inconsistent eating, inconsistent water consumption, and dreading exercise. I knew I wanted to get my body in optimal health and my gut was a big piece.

Since working with Coach Chandra, I feel less bloated. I also have a new awareness around patterns with food consumption and how foods make me feel. I've had really big breakthroughs not only with gut health but with mental health too. A lot of her tools have helped me become aware of how my brain creates these thoughts, how those thoughts create how I feel — and ultimately, that I get to be the creator of those stories. Using her tools I've gained a lot of control over those stories and made real progress on old patterns.

Life without Coach Chandra would have been fine — but I didn't want to just be living a fine life. I wanted to be growing and expanding and thriving. With her I've been able to expand and get into having a healthy, happy body.

"I would tell anyone thinking about working with Coach Chandra: just don't think about it. Hop on the first call."

Video 3 — One Year Later

A year has gone by, and my relationship with food a year later is great. I make conscious choices. My body really craves healthy foods. I find I really crave salads. I'll think about it all day — what am I going to have for dinner? Oh, I'm going to have a big salad.

I recently watched my old testimony from a year ago and was struck that the mindless eating piece is completely gone. Everything that goes into my mouth, I'm very conscious of it. I'm not emotionally eating. I'm not consuming foods without awareness.

I also had a recent experience of eating a meal I remember really enjoying as a kid — and I didn't really like it. I have newly developed taste buds. I could taste that it wasn't as good of quality of ingredients or as nutritious. My body could recognize that it was missing what my body really wanted.

I used to struggle a lot with acid reflux, some bloating, and a sluggish feeling. I'll notice in my body if those old symptoms come back — and I have a really big consciousness around them. If something pops up, I either already know where it came from because I chose a meal I knew wouldn't feel the best, or I have the awareness to pinpoint what it was faster.

Most people think food changes mean restriction. Really, I have total food freedom.

— Mariah