When Food no Longer Takes Center Stage
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Weight is the Star of the Show
Recently a client of mine had a great Ah Ha! moment. She was successfully losing weight, following her meal plan when she had a thought – “I don’t think I want to do this anymore.” It was a brief whisper of a thought that seemed to land quickly and take off. At first, she didn’t think much of it. She was surprised at her own success and proud of taking consistent action. Proud of doing hard things. She was retraining her brain.
Yet, that little whisper of a thought could have been poison. She paid attention to that thought and then she challenged it. She discovered she did want to keep doing this. She wasn’t hungry. She wasn’t suffering. She was bored. It was time to create some new goals. What might she do with the time her brain had previously spent on food chatter? She was putting off planning a vacation. How about doing some research and making some plans? Done. Thought challenged and dissolved.
What is Food Chatter?
When every thought involves acquiring food, eating food, not eating food, what to eat, and when to eat, it is “food chatter.” When you find yourself constantly asking yourself: How much do I weigh? How do I look in these pants? If I eat this will it go right to my butt?
Making every food thought equal to a value judgment about yourself is useless food chatter. It is useless when we want to consciously choose health.
Smart women have been led by food chatter for years and years. I am happy to report that now you have an opportunity to come to a new decision.
“If you want to find out why you overeat, stop overeating.”
Become aware and sensitive to your thoughts. Understand that your thoughts create your feelings. When you understand this, you realize that there is no small thought. Thoughts can be conscious or unconscious. They are responsible for our emotions. I used to think, “I have no discipline. No will power.” These thoughts did not give me any strength or belief in my ability to do hard things.
Have you unconsciously responded to stress, boredom, depression and even irritation by eating? Have you noticed, that the problem that stressed you is no longer the only issue. Now it is compounded by your excess weight, health problems and self-critical declarations, such as: "I suck." "I hate my body." "I can’t change."
When Weight is No Longer the Star
LIFE IS THE ISSUE.
PURPOSE IS THE ISSUE.
REGRET IS THE ISSUE.
LACK OF CONFIDENCE IS THE ISSUE.
BULLYING YOURSELF IS THE ISSUE.
LOVE IS THE ISSUE.
How to Ban Weight from Center Stage?
Eat meals for nutrition. Eat to satisfy physical hunger. Plan your meals so there is no decision to be made. No standing in front of the refrigerator. Food chatter leaves and there is space for other things. When you accept your body and your current weight from a kind, loving, yet not a coddling place, the number on the scale loses its power. This happens the moment you change your thoughts and your focus. Not the moment you lose a pound.
When you look at your life and seek clarity, you start asking different questions. What is it about my job that frustrates me? Why am I always fighting with my son? Can I develop confidence where I don’t seem to have it? Do I have to turn into a dragon when I get stuck in traffic? The things we ate over in the past, become the problems we look to solve today. Offer your brain the right problem to solve and it will seek a different solution.
Let’s transform the weight problem before it becomes a serious health problem. It starts with a decision. Be on your own side. Truly love yourself and you will love your life.
We can put our food in order and live a rich, full life - lived in brilliant color.