Who Am I Feeding?

Filed Under: Overeating

18 June 2021 | Written by Xenia Ayiotis

Do you know?

In a recent coaching session, a client and I were figuring out the reason she binged.

Greta (not her real name) is a mother of 3 young children. She has a very busy life without much support. As we were talking, we uncovered that the main reason for most of her binges was that she was craving more time for herself. She was feeding the part of herself that’s desperate for time alone, the part of her that needs the nurturing she so diligently gives her children.

In another session, a different client shared how she had stopped singing and performing. She had stopped all her creative endeavours for various reasons. As we were digging deeper, she realised that she needed to feed her creativity to nourish her soul. A lot of her eating was linked to a general feeling of lack of meaning in her life.

When I was working on healing my relationship with food, I distinctly remember feeding my inner rebel. If I didn’t feel heard, I would make a scene to get attention, one of the ways I fed that rebel was to eat as an act of protest.

When we are not feeding ourselves out of hunger, we are usually feeding a habit, an emotion, an unmet need or a neglected part of ourselves. If we are able to pause and bring awareness to who inside ourselves we are feeding, we gain insight into what our different parts need.

Who we are feeding has important information, if we can look at who we are feeding with curiosity instead of judgement, we are more able to discover our true hunger.

It could be that the part of you that’s lonely and craving connection, or the part of you that’s bored is starving for adventure. You may be feeding the part of you that wants to speak up and be heard.

By bringing greater awareness to who you are feeding you are able to create a deeper relationship with yourself. When you next notice how you are eating, ask yourself :

“Who am I feeding right now?” and check in again to ask “Who actually needs to be fed?” Get curious, which part of you is undernourished?

What can you do to feed your mind, heart and spirit in a way that fill and satisfies every part of you?

There is a someone inside that wants to be fed but will never be truly satisfied by food.

Are you ready to heal your relationship with food? I have 4 private coaching spaces opening up. Interested in working with me? Book a free 30 mini session and let’s talk!

 

Wishing you well,
Xen

“From our first meeting - two faces on Zoom across the world from each other, there was a sense of familiarity and comfort that was a healing balm for a lifetime of food struggles and dieting. Without realizing how much damage I had done to myself by adhering, for decades, to restrictive food plans and rigid diet programs, Xen had a way of redirecting the harsh and negative self-talk and sending me forth each week with compassion, mindfulness and a new way of seeing myself in the here and now. Gone are the maybe somedays, and if-only, and when-I’m-smaller thinking. Now I am committed to the imperfect and rocky path to listening to my body, accepting my perfect imperfections, and rejecting diet mentality. Those negative voices will revisit me from time to time, I know, but Xen has offered valuable tools for meeting each day as a fresh start - another choice, another chance. Her devotion to this work and her belief in her clients is a remarkable gift; I am so fortunate to have found her. It is never too late to let go of the drama and embrace joy, ease and self-acceptance.”

Karen L, Denver, USA

Certified by The Life Coach School Certified and Trained by The Original Intuitive Eating Pro Professional Member of The Center for Mindful Eating