I've Stayed the Same Weight Since my 20s… Here’s Why (My Food Journey) 

I'm gonna need the recipe for that salad you were making in the video! 😋👀

I'd love to see a video on the benefits of sodium in the everyday diet since there is a lot of conflicting research out there, I'm a little confused about what to believe

I am an endurance athlete and was excited to try LMNT but then disappointed when I went to their website and saw them bashing the US FDA and WHO. @abbeyskitchen Are their claims legit?

@abbeyskitchen I *really* wish I could find a hydration formula without stevia or monk fruit, neither of which I can tolerate. I loved Hydrant, which has just a small amount of sugar, but they've switched to monk fruit also, so I'm out of luck again.

@@jennychavira5883 check out salt stick!

Love this

Hi, Miss Washburn.

For me, it's been very helpful to consume fat positive and body diverse content to really challenge the idea that thinness is the ideal, and its been helpful in becoming comfortable gaining weight because my body was made to be strong and take up space. It's all a journey and every day is different so

I don't know if this might help u, but in my case, my set point weight is not a super high bmi and it looks really nice and natural on my body (it'll look good on you too, mostly because it's sort of the perfect place for your body to function properly). It'll be hard to accept at first, but you also have to remember how much better you will physically feel, and how many things you'll be able to do once your body reaches an optimal state

I totally understand that. Part of recovery is coming to terms with your body's natural shape and size. It is absolutely a journey!!

@@blairalexander6686 any specific recommendations of who to check out?

I love Sierra Shultie. She and Abbey had a really good convo like a year ago. I think she’s technically body neutral but I love her content.

Of course! It's so important

Its not genetics. Calories matter and also eating an excess of dietary fat makes you fat.

It does, but overeating causes people to become obese. Stop with the nonsense.

That is awesome!

What is the 'hunger crushing combo' ? Sounds interesting!!!

if it helps at all i'm american and they rely on the bogus BS system of "generic" information that anyone with 2 cents realizes is false.... glade to see abby addressing the "set point" theory, ill keep the bro science there for simplicity lol (yes their a whole thing between calories/fat/insulin/carbs/inflammation but thats for another time)

@@jonsmith9728 I definitely believe you! I mean it took them so long to update the food guide in both countries (I hear the US one is still pretty bad). There’s a lot of conflicting interests going on, the food industry holds incredible sway over what we’re told is “good for us”. I don’t know much at all about set point theory, I tried to research it, it seems fairly controversial for now but I think Abbey specified that you can’t really figure it out when you’re trying to lose weight or are in a transition period.

@@DT-dh7ed Basically it’s the idea (fact really) that in order for a snack or a meal to be filling and for you to not be hungry an hour later, that meal/snack needs to have a good amount of protein and fiber and a bit of fat. You can have carbs as well, it’s not an issue, but it’s a bad idea to have them by themselves as you’ll get hungry very soon. I’ve experimented and it’s absolutely true, that PFF combo makes me feel satiated for way way longer than the carb heavy/only snacks or meals I used to eat.

I’m in the exact same boat (always the same weight and then gained 20lbs in my last year of an MSW program) and it has been game-changing to realize that it is TIREDNESS/burnout that has driven my eating. Anyway, sending good vibes for your journey, we’re in it together!~~~

This is incredible, thanks for sharing your story Sarah!

This really resonates with me as I too am a recovering drug addict and find it difficult to not fall into addictive behaviors, for me especially its an addiction to exercise and to losing weight and even tracking food. Thanks for sharing though and well done!

Thank you dude!!! You fucking rule!

Thank you dude!!! You fucking rule!

Thank you dude!!! You fucking rule!

im glad it was helpful

i suggest you watch until the end, I explain how these are things that intuitively feel best to me, bc if i wasnt eating intuitively, i would gain weight.

@@AbbeysKitchen I understand it when it comes to eating habits, and your ideas have reflected positively on my relationship with food. But these strategies are still associated with weight maintenance and I think saying them in this video says that you are aware of this association, and while you may naturally be someone who exercises every day, does not indulge too much in drinking, and doesn't like to eat out too much, a lot of people can't practice this lifestyle naturally and their take away would be that there is an association between this lifestyle and weight maintenance which is maybe okay with these general practices but maybe less so with the others like the salad dressing and not adding more oil to your dishes.

@@B_27 this video really shows that diet culture is insidious, we can be living it every day and be in denial. Abbey needs to do more work to divest from this mindset.

@@B_27 What is intuitive then? I think intuitive refers to connecting with the innate need for your physical body, eating to survive (primal) plus fulfilling the psychological desires (what 'feels' good) to keep the spirit alive. It's a tricky balance and there's no way to generalize it bc we're all individuals. Most people are using the tagline 'intuitive eating' as an excuse to give in to your unnecessary wants to overeat and become a victim obsessed with nostalgia. Mentally living in the past. Insane. Opposite of growth, which is the point of being here. We can learn from looking at trees and nature (growing), and then observing mainstream society with their eyes addicted to the screen and their brains becoming flabby, and their awareness of having a soul nonexistent. Creepy.

Not adding extra oil when it's not needed is not necessarily scarcity. It can also be a taste preference. Let me tell you something: as a French-Algerian who lived in several countries in Europe, I'm 100% with her there: people tend to overuse oil and sugar, just because their tastebuds are used to a lot of sugar and oil. For example in Germany, people tend to eat cheese with an extra dose of butter or margarine, because they like to spread it over their bread (and because they tend to eat cheese that taste mild). Or they drink coffee with milk after food, which makes me nauseous just by thinking of it. Even my mom who grew up in a north Africa (and couldn't care less about weight management) has stopped adding extra sugar and oil in everything, because it is often not needed and tastes more delicate, which is what she learned from living all these years in France. I remember that Abbey sometimes recommend using butter instead of coconut oil or other fancy oil source whenever she thinks butter would simply taste better. When I watched her do her vinaigrette I actually thought "the maple syrup is not needed", and not because of the calories but because French people rarely add honey nor anything sweet in their vinaigrette, and they are the best. Walnuts can be nice though. I believe Abbey has not only healed her relationship with food but she is also a foodie. It's not because you are eating intuitively that you cannot question food recipes or food culture. I'm not trying to be snob here, I've just made this experience because of living in so many different countries (currently I live in Cyprus for example and I find the food quality pretty low here). Lobbying has led us to stop trusting our tastebuds, I'm convinced of that. Also, it's been proven that taste change with age, in that sense that we tend to enjoy more delicate taste as we age. Since a couple of years for example, I only eat high quality chocolate because I am lucky enough to be able to afford it, and let me tell you: you don't eat so much of it when the taste is so rich. On the contrary, the other day I had some Milka chocolate and felt so bad afterwards because it was way too sweet. In a way I wanted more because of the sugar rush but felt also really bad, almost dizzy and like my tongue was coated with sugar for hours afterwards. I was stuck in a conflicting state: do I want more or do I want to change that taste in my mouth?! This is so interesting to me. I noticed the same with fashion and beauty standards: we would never tell you because we know it sounds snob, but a lot of time, North American fashion appears pretty vulgar to a French person 🙊🙈🙉

yes, its so much more complex that calories in and out. i discuss that ad nauseum in another one of my videos

This is true!! Simply being in a caloric deficit and exercising has done nothing for my weight! It doesn’t budge. So I’m working on not caring so much about the number on the scale, and caring more about how I look and feel. And learning to accept my body how it is now after having a child ❤

This really resonated me as I experienced exactly the same! Thank you for expressing and I hope you're on your way to developing some enjoyable self care habits

Yay you got this

Olive oil is the reason we live longer, are healthier and thinner in Europe ! The Mediterranean region has an amazing culture and olive oil has always been fundamental. Also, it just tastes so good 😅

Exactly! Plus we are not a homogeneous European culinary blob 😂 Irish person here and we definitely don't finish our meals with a glug of oil

Italy here, and neither one of us drizzle oil like that 😂

@@aoifecorcoran4840 Exactly. I always hate it when people from America do this, basically calling Europe a country. Most of them don't even know how different European countries are, it really makes me mad how uneducated this is.

@@simona_ab Italians have one of the greatest cuisines ever. 👍🏻

@@aoifecorcoran4840 nope like us Brits it’s your appetizers😂😂😂

🙌

Thanks for clarifying!! Love that these guidelines work for you

I liked hearing what works for you! I agree alcohol really messes up my sleep so I try to limit it too

You can be defensive and claim to be misunderstood, or you can listen and acknowledge that there’s a conflicting message here. The thumbnail literally says HOW I MAINTAIN MY WEIGHt, not “how I eat what makes me feel good and not to try and manipulate my weight.”

@@annemarieanderson4824 yes I maintain my weight by listening to what feels best to it. This is the point of the video. I used to eat way more in my 20s, I now eat less bc I am less hungry bc I am listening to my body. I have not tracked or tried to reduce calories, this has naturally adjusted over time. Sorry the point of this being about set point weight was lost on you.

Aw thank you so much!!

Movement definitely helps, and water. In my case, my morning coffee does it:)

Aw this is so nice thank you!!

THIS!!!

i actually have another great video on weight loss that might be helpful ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lDNbBQAHKdg.html

I would suggest you work one on one with a weight inclusive eating disorder RD if you have that type of access. You’ll never truly heal your relationship with food if weight is always at the back of your mind.

@Kate Clark I can tell you what worked for me in that departament. I was in the same position, obese and suffering from binge eating disorder. I started intermittent fasting after watching Huberman Lab's podcast about the science behind it. Studies show that people are loosing weight if they eat within 8h window, without changing their diet. So I decided to do that. It's a simple enough principale for me to stick to. I also purposfully decided to not focus on what I eat, just eat whatever I want but it has to be eaten within one of three meals. No snacks inbetween. I also made a promise to myself to stick to 8 hour feeding window, because I suspected I might be tempted to shorten it. It works suprisingly great for me, I'm never tempted to eat outside this eating window and I have very few cravings, as opposed to before. Haven't binged at all during this time and maybe only ate a snack impulsively once or twice out of emotional hunger and have lost 7 kg over the period of a month and a half. I can see myself easily folowing that regiment until I reach a healthy weight. When I noticed it's really working for me I started to carefully incorporate cookies and icecream into my meals at least 1or 2 times a week. But I eat them mindfully, focusing all my attention to the taste, eating slowly, etc. Before all this I was really miserible for years, feeling non stop emotional hunter, strong cravings almost non stop, lack of feeling satiated, snacking all the time, binging at least a few times a week and coping with all my emotions through food and social media consumption. Plus 35kg overweight and feeling awfull physically. I'm shocked at how different I feel now and how rapid the changes were visible and how easy this process was. I feel free now. Forgot to add I have insulin resistance, hashimoto's, hypothyroidism and pcos. I was prescribed Saxenda, the weight loss drug, but decided not to take it and try this instead. And it worked!

But intuitive eating doesn't work when you are overeating ultra processed foods. It literally breaks the body by killing insulin sensitivity and destroying normal hunger cues. With a return to eating predominately unprocessed foods (it doesn't have to be 100%) and appropriate movement, natural satiety signals return, insulin sensitivity improves, and the body resettles into whatever set point range is normal for a given body.

Love this!!

This 💯

It is a real thing. Weight training is supposed to help a lot.

Thanks for the feedback, my team has already updated the title at my request

Yep. Same weight since my freshman year of college. I’m 50. When I turned 43 it was as if I was absolutely unable to stop the weight gain despite some pretty strong efforts with trainers and dietitians helping. It has been the single handedly most frustrating issue to date. I’m not a millionaire that can just go buy all new clothes.

@@allisonfalin8854 I hear ya. It really gets me down and makes me feel like crap about myself. Docs are like, take some anti-depressants. That’s not the problem. So I’m working with a hormone specialist. We got the hot flashes under control but the weight gain still won’t budge. I want to see how she does when she gets a little older.

Absolutely. I’m still young, as I mentioned, my weight will change! We shouldn’t expect to stay the same weight . But I eat less now than I did 10 yrs ago BECAUSE I listen to my body

Honestly, me too. I’m not sure it’s even possible for a conventionally thin dietician influencer to convincingly embrace HAES or intuitive eating. It just has that air of “I did it, so can you” no matter the attitude of the influencer. Like I love Colleen Christensen’s approach but her body size makes everything she says come across as a teeny bit smug. Also, I think it’s misleading for Abbey to say “here’s how I do it.” Abbey the truth is you have no idea “how” your body maintains the weight you are at. It’s possible that if you ate quite a bit more, you’d be the same size. None of us can fully take credit for what our bodies do in response to how we act. And you’re only one illness or hormonal shift away from being a lot heavier or thinner despite your best efforts. So I guess I’d like to hear a lot more inclusion in what you promote, or if anyone has a suggestion for entertaining nutrition content that comes from a non-straight-sized person, I would love to hear it. I already listen to and adore Maintenance Phase and would love to know about anything along those lines. Humor is a MUST, btw.

I agree completely.

Same, she is very lucky to be naturally thin.

@@annemarieanderson4824 I agree. I’m a soon to be RD who is classified as “overweight” but still live in a straight sized body and I just wouldn’t feel comfortable discussing body image with people in larger bodies. I cringe at the content that straight sized RD’s put out regarding body image and healing - and they do it with a straight face. There are a ton of great RD’s out there who have lived experience. I always suggest following those types of accounts 🤍

I totally understand that longing to be in a smaller body. Remember these are not rules, they’re just what worked well for me bc they are what feel best to me which in turn tends to maintain my set point (the weight ur body maintains when you’re honouring it). But I am sorry it has made you sad. Of course not everyone’s journey will look like mine

aw i am so happy to hear

What happens if you suddenly stop? There are side effects for being on it or trying to go off it??

I went off bc for the first time (other than pregnancy) in 20 years just 2 months ago. I guess you could say “cold turkey” because I didn’t do anything special other than stop taking it. The only side effects have been adjusting to the mood swings 😂 for me at least, it hasn’t affected my weight.

For reference I started taking bc because of acne, and I am terrified of going through that again. But I don’t like my hormones being messed with.

@@katiefoster2169 I used to be on hormonal birth control for acne, basically from age 16-26. When I was 26 I switched to a copper IUD and I didn't experience much of a difference with my skin. I was getting acne even while on the pill, and stopping didn't change it at all. I did notice some hair thinning after quitting the pill, but nothing extreme. I think this is what my hair would have been "normally". On the flip side, I experienced huge improvements to my libido and mood. Overall I'm glad I made the switch, but of course everyone's experience is different!

I would speak to your doctor, not a RU-vid comment section tbh. I honestly wouldn't trust comments trying to help me medically cause what works for one person could not work for another. The only comment I would mostly trust is from Abbey herself cause she is registered. Talk to your doctor...

Wholeheartedly agree. I've been following this channel for about a year, and I've taken away lifelong lessons about building a balanced meal and viewing nutrition through a lens that is neutral rather than good/bad. But, at this point, it comes off like generating clicks is of greater importance to Abbey now than what it was a while ago, and I don't begrudge anyone for getting the bag, but the unintended side effect is that her helpful lessons get overshadowed by the harmful packages they're wrapped up in. And, long-time viewers like us get alienated in the process.

What do you mean by her click bait? The tittle of her videos?

This was less clickbait to me. If it was just called my food journey I don’t know that I would think it was different enough from previous videos to watch.

@@sarahboudreault7779 Mostly her thumbnails. Especially in her reviews of certain people's diets, the thumbnail will imply something super egregious or at least a little negative, but once I watch the video, I she'll actually be pretty content and sometimes impressed by the diet and lifestyle.

"triGGERing" grow up

yes thats definitely the point!! it has to feel enjoyable

This makes sense. I think my fiance and I are heading this route

Yes I've definitely noticed a price increase here too

I think what Abby fails to mention is that you have to heal your relationship with food to even begin to understand your satiety cues, let alone know what your body set point is. If I was still experiencing low blood sugar spikes and craving sugary foods all the time, I would think my set point was around 170lbs at 5'1 because genetically I'm curvier and was not really eating "too much". Now that I have healed my body cues, my body set point is 130 lbs and even though that sounds high for my height, it is a size 2 for me and I'm very tiny looking. Like Abby I do not weigh myself and only know due to physical exams. So, just to throw that out there!

@@TeaSipperEsq. yes EXACTLY. i didnt get into the scienfe of set point in this video (i have in others), but you cant know your set point if youre still dieting

Don’t despair quite yet. My set point was 240 lbs and I carried that amount for over 20 years. About 5 years ago I started working with an endocrinologist. He gave me some nutrition advice saying that moving my set point might not be possible, but it would help balance my hormones. Since then I’ve lost 30 pounds. Which is an average of 6 pounds a year. Very slow progress. But no longer carrying the burden of dieting (the doctor explained diets can’t change your set point though nutrition choices may help, there’s a difference), I’ve since transitioned to intuitive eating. Abbey is one of my favourite channels because her advice is the same than the doctor but she’s giving food demos.

How did you learn about these spikes and how did you fix them?

@@AbbeysKitchen I was not dieting or restricting during the nearly 20 years I was about 235 lbs.

Sis you are probably eating highly processed food and being sedentary to get obese. Neither of those are natural. That means something is wrong and u need to get it under control. This is why i hate "set point" theory. Skinny ppl can claim their "natural set point" is just low, meanwhile their diet and activities are what keep them skinny. And they pander to bigger people and make them suffer the consequences of misinformation

I'm so glad!

Yes! I’m getting a Barium Swallow done end month not fun in the sun kidos.😂 if they cannot find why the issue I may need sooner than later la dreaded colonoscopy….. as she fell to the floor”🕊️🕊️🕊️🌹🌹🌹🌹🫶🫶🫶

Aw so glad

i mean she's not telling anyone that they absolutely must eat a certain way, if you don't like her content then why are you here lol

@@chaaaargh she doesn’t like the content, keeps coming back to give Abbey’s channel the interaction 🤷‍♀️😂

@@user-fc4xg5ym1tthis video is an explanation of how to understand how food makes you feel and what it feels like to feel full. I’m not sure how you’re continuing to demonize that.

She must have criticized your favorite celebrity 😂 or you haven't watched much from her channel or you would notice a clear distinction between the extreme diet culture obsessed celebs vs her making choices that she actually likes and doesn't set off her digestive issues.

@@MadisonFalcoFoods This. It may have a click baity title, but it isnt untrue and people need to listen to what I say. I said a) its NORMAL for your weight to increase through life, dont expect to stay the same weight, and b) these are simply gentle nutrition tips that feel good to me that have the side effect of weight maitenence for ME. if i didnt listen to my body and what feels good, i woudl gain weight. thats the point here.

This is the essence of diet culture. Which I thought Abbey was against. This video and her responses make me think otherwise.

We have to give it time without manipulation

I am surprised (but maybe I shouldn't have, neglect and women health seems to be a thing :(), but if being on the pill made you put on that much weight, your doctor should change it. I didn't gain a pound. But well, I was tested before going on pill - it was less of a birth control for me, more like a remedium for very heavy periods. It worked wonders. But if you've gained so much weight, it should be tested! Have no one checked your hormon levels etc.?

Birth control is known to cause weight fluctuations. Different ones in different amounts. -a med student

Mm I can eat intuitively just fine when I’m not having an anxiety or panic episode. And I can still feel hunger at that point, just can’t physically eat. Anxiety doesn’t effect everybody the same way and it cerainly isn’t an obsticle for intuitive eating (altough might be for someone, it’s very individualized).

@@nellivilhelmiina yes very individualized indeed. and IE isnt just "eat when youre hungry, stop when youre full". dont forget, I had an ED and wasnt able to hear my cues either. this was a LONG road to get here but it started with rejecting dieting

It is a myth that IE will not work for those with anxiety. IE works for anyone and everyone if they are gentle with themselves and don't expect overnight miracles. It's a way of life and decades of over- or under-eating does not turn around overnight. I started working with an ED therapist, then added a dietician, then started practicing IE and writing in the IE workbook, then attending Eating Disorders Anonymous meetings and connecting with fellow travelers. It's working slowly but surely and I never thought the food behaviors would lessen but here we are. Now it's about accepting my changing body with love and respect--THAT'S the hard part.

@@AbbeysKitchen yes exactly! IE can work for anyone, but might require a ton of work plus a level of truly understanding how certain food/drink makes you feel. And I think it also requires a basic knowledge of nutrition.

Was your pain in the upper stomach?

@@lynncrf It started in the upper stomach but the worse it would get, the more it would spread through the entire abdomen area and the sides.

not my weight no, bc coolsculpting doesnt cause any weight loss. but my body shape? absolutely. and not for the better as my video describes

Glad you like them!

Menopause changes the game. Abby is young. I have a similar story to yours. Once post menopause (which I am now)things stabilize. During I gained 25 lbs and despite regular exercise and healthy eating and nothing budged. I’ve lost 15 of the 25 one year post menopause. I was stressing about the last 10, and one day decided to continue to workout for mobility and strength, not weight loss. I also gave up dieting as the restriction works against me. I do focus on eating whole food diet most of the time, but if I crave something I have it. I don’t weigh myself. People have been saying I look better. Might be because I’m happier and I’m learning how to dress for my current shape. Either way I am more at peace. The Binge Eating Therapist on RU-vid has helped me shift my relationship with food. Give yourself some grace and find some self care support. Menopause was also a time where I was very depressed. Therapy was helpful and support from other women at our life stage.

im so sorry for your loss. be kind to yourself, all this takes time, and it could be related to the stress of the MC. I was there. xoxo

Aw thank you 🙏🏻 love my pals here ❤