As a weight loss coach, most of the women I work
with are stressed out and stretched too thin. Many are overweight, overwhelmed and they’ve become experts at neglecting themselves.
An overlooked aspect that helps my clients lose weight is what I call the pleasure principle. We humans are natural born pleasure seekers. We naturally move away from pain and move towards pleasure. This is why dieting and deprivation never work
for long because they go against our natural instinct and need for pleasure.
In the questionnaire that I give my new clients to fill out, I always ask two questions:
- What do you do for fun?
- How
do you pamper and reward yourself?
Tellingly, these questions are often left blank or maybe they list a few things, often with the comment, “I used to do these things.” Or “I only do these once in a while.”
The reason this question is often left blank or almost empty is because
the person is overly tied up with food. It’s become their main source of pleasure in life. They use food for fun, companionship, a reward, a pick me up, etc.
We all have a need for pleasure, but in order to lose weight, we need to expand our pleasure menu and find other ways to have fun and seek pleasure. When we do this, food can then take its rightful place in our life as a source
of nourishment.
This doesn’t mean that you have to give up the pleasure of eating either. Eating is one of life’s great pleasures, and if you learn to eat slowly and mindfully, you will enjoy your food so much more and eat far
less.
Ask yourself these questions next time you find yourself turning to food when you’re not hungry:
- What am I looking for in food when I am engaging in emotional eating?
- Is it a feeling of pleasure, excitement, comfort, sensuality, tranquility, adventure, or sweetness?
- What can I do in order to bring more of these feelings into my life?
- What experiences might I engage
in?
- What can I do for myself on a daily or weekly basis to achieve that?
Then still and open your mind to receive the
answer.
