At the market yesterday: apples as far as the eye can see. I can’t post this picture without calling out a) the sky and b) the selection of men I have to choose from here.

I have pumpkin bread and butternut squash seeds cooking in the oven and I’m sitting here eating my kale, butternut squash, hazelnut salad, with my sunflowers and my SAD light by my side (oh my god, why am I so weird?!).

It has become oh, so very apparent that fall is (has been violently thrust) upon us.

Fall foods make me so happy (come to think of it, so do summer foods). There’s something about this time of year and the comfort that food imparts.

For the first half of the year, I weighed my food and experimented with different macro ratios. I also started weightlifting more.

I ate to fuel my athletic performance. And it wasn’t tough, or a hassle, or really a struggle–I wanted to do it, and I did.

But I found that about 6 months into this way of life, I would go crazy with food if I was traveling or stressed, drinking or hanging out with friends or co-workers. The best explanation I have for this is that my body didn’t want to be in a caloric deficit and I had lost a sense of balance (my elusive goal for 2015).

I’ve read a handful of books, articles, blogs on the idea of intuitive eating. And whenever I read about this topic, I think to myself: isn’t intuitive eating just…eating?

If only it were that simple for us.

(Two of those who I really enjoy are Alexandra Jameison and Yoni Freedhoff. I loved Freedhoff’s simple book The Diet Fix

I hate that eating is such a “thing.” It’s one of those topics where there are so many different experts it makes your head spin.

I heard somewhere once to go ahead and listen to all the different opinions out there, read as much as possible, absorb it, and then takes bits and pieces that make sense to you to apply to your diet. I love this thought for most things in life, actually.

So. Coming off of an extreme and very mathematical way of eating, where food was treated as numbers and not nourishment, I plan on using the fall and winter to go back to listening to my body. I’ll give my body what it needs, eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m not, and truly enjoy all the flavors of my food.

I know, not rocket science, right?

Oh, but it’s so much harder than it sounds. I’ve been trying it for a couple of weeks and sometimes I can’t tell what my body needs. But, I’m getting better at it. I’m checking in with myself throughout the day to assess my hunger levels, and I’m practicing more self-love (when a negative thought enters, counter it with a positive one).

I’m also getting back in the kitchen. I love baking and experimenting and sharing that food with others.

As for my workouts: as I’ve already mentioned, walking, stretching and moving more are high up on my list right now. I’m adding more cardio (outside, if possible) and trying to spend a little less time around meatheads in the gym (although a girl still needs to squat!).

I am so excited to eat all the delicious foods fall has to offer! And I’m excited for this next phase of experimentation. After all, isn’t life just one big human experiment anyway?