Hello , Eating is one of life’s most sensual and pleasurable activities. Yet, for many people, it’s fraught with guilt, shame, fear, feelings of deprivation, and self-recrimination. This is eating as a form of
self-oppression. Eating then becomes a forbidden act, often done on the sly, with no one looking. This in turns becomes an act of defiance - a big fyou to society and/or to the very part of the self that is trying to control the eating. This results in a war in which the person must
battle between their appetite and the rules and expectations they have in their mind – and the appetite usually wins, leading to more shame, guilt, restriction – and the cycle continues. Sadly, when most people come to me, they have listened to so much conflicting diet advice and been on so many programs, they have no clue as to what they should be eating. They often want me to tell
them what to eat but I won’t do that. I want them to give themselves permission to explore and experiment to find out what foods they actually like to eat that satisfy them and leave them feeling nourished. This often fills them with fear but that’s ok. In order to get better, you have to step out of your comfort zone and that’s anxiety provoking. After doing this, my clients are surprised to
find out that they don’t really enjoy a lot of the food they’ve been eating and now that they’re getting more enjoyment out of their meals, they don’t want big treats like brownies or ice cream after dinner. They’re surprised they can be satisfied with far less food.
As a person who once had a binge eating and compulsive eating disorder, I set myself free when I made nothing off limits. I still eat this way today. I eat what I want, when I feel like it. If I want to eat pizza
for breakfast, I eat pizza. I only eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m satiated.
Most days, I eat cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit for breakfast because I love it, but once in a while I’m bored and want something else, maybe pizza, a cookie, or maybe leftover pasta from the night before. I allow myself to eat what I want without an ounce of guilt or
self-recrimination.
I eat what I want but most of the time, I also choose the foods that make me feel vibrant and alive. I don’t overly indulge in food that makes me feel bloated, foggy, tired, etc. Part of mindfulness and intuitive eating is noticing how food makes you feel after you eat it. If it makes me feel bad, I stay away from it. Eating brings me pleasure, not
pain.
Before I eat, I ask myself what I’m in the mood for. I then eat accordingly. In the morning, I ask myself what sounds good to me for dinner that night, so that I can make sure I have time to thaw it out or have the ingredients handy. Once in a while, I change my mind by dinner time but that ok. I will usually have it the next day for lunch or
dinner.
You get the picture. I’m not following any strict diet or health rules here. I do have my fridge, freezer and pantry always stocked with healthy food options so that I can whip up a meal in about 20 minutes. I recommend everyone
have at least 3-5 healthy meals that they know how to prepare and have a printed shopping list for those and keep the ingredients stocked in the house. That way you always have things to eat. Eatingwell.com is a great place to find healthy recipes and meal plans for any type of person, even diabetics and gluten free folks. Exercise: Give yourself permission to spend a week asking yourself what sounds nourishing and appealing to you before you eat. Go to the store and look around and buy things that you feel would truly satisfy
you. When eating, notice the flavors, textures, and aromas. Ask yourself: “Are you truly enjoying this food?” Give yourself permission to enjoy what you want to eat without guilt or self-recrimination. Eat when hungry, stop when full. How does that make you feel? Are you ready to embark on a journey of self-transformation? I'd love to be your guide on the journey to peace and freedom around food and weight. I offer a free consultation. Contact Me! How you do food is how you do life! ® Audio and Home Study Programs Featured Course Your mental attitude determines how successful you will be with weight loss as well as with any other endeavor in life. Unfortunately, when you have self-limiting beliefs,
thoughts, and attitudes, you’re defeated before you even start. In this 6 session recorded coaching series, I am going to show you solutions to the common mental traps, attitudes, and beliefs that keep people from being successful. As a weight loss coach who has been practicing over a decade, these are the
ones I come up against over and over again, and once people overcome these mental hurdles, weight loss can become fun and be almost effortless! $47 Audio and Home Study Courses |
|
