Stop the Food Madness: How to Do It Bite by Bite
Filed Under: Anti-Diet
26 July 2019 | Written by Xenia Ayiotis
Changing your relationship to food can be really difficult especially if you have had a turbulent history of dieting and restriction.
Diets are a quick but not sustainable “fix”. In fact, diets are the culprit to creating a difficult relationship to food. The very thing we have been taught to turn to is what is keeping us stuck.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
— Albert Einstein —
Focusing on weight loss and food restriction perpetuates the restrict – binge cycle and the obsession with food.
How do we get out of this cycle? How do we stop this food madness?
It really is a process of letting go of old ways of being, old ways of doing things, old ways of thinking. The process requires baby steps.
Baby Step 1
Stop dieting. Read more about this here and here.
This step in itself can take time. If this is the only thing you do, it’s enough.
Baby Step 2
Let go of rules and restriction. Allow yourself to eat what you want. This step can be terrifying for many people, it’s like being out at sea with no navigation system.
This step can also be very freeing. Just as when a baby is learning to walk, so too with this step, you will fall and walk and eventually you will learn to run freely!
Baby Step 3
Get to know your hunger. When we follow rules and plans of what, when and how much to eat we disconnect from our hunger. This attunement to hunger is something we are born with. As babies we cry when we are hungry, tired and need a nappy change.
On a deeper level, discover other things you are hungry for, so often we eat because we are hungry for stimulation or rest or connection.
Baby Step 4
Let go of judgement….food is not good and food is not bad. Food is simply food.
Let go of judgement of your body – let’s face it, if you weren’t at war with your body, you wouldn’t be struggling with food.
Watch those judgemental thoughts, they are often the triggers to overeat.
Who would have thought that Einstein was also a genius when it comes to changing your relationship to food!
Baby Step 5
Rediscover the pleasure of eating. Introduce pleasure into your life. Savour every bite. When we are aware of pleasure and eat what we truly want, we are less likely to be on the prowl later to satisfy our taste buds. When we are taking care of our needs we are also less likely to turn to food.
These are 5 basic steps, each step has its own challenges and may take longer than other steps. Be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself as you embark on these changes. No lasting change comes about by being harsh and critical. Breaking free from dieting and restriction can take long but the fruits of this liberation are worth it.
Take as long as you need. Move as slowly and imperfectly as it takes.
You can do this meal by meal, bite by bite.
May we find freedom from anxiety around food.
May we learn to accept our bodies.
May we live with ease.
Love,
Xen
Hello, I'm Xen. Welcome!
I help women all over the world drop the struggle with food and their bodies to create a life of peace and freedom.
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