Who hasn’t been there?
You’re nibbling on something yum.
Maybe it’s your favourite meal or it’s the bowl of salted chips at the party.
Your tummy is physically full. Your body’s satisfied. You are replete.
But, you hear this voice in your head saying “Just caaaaaaaaaaaaan’t stop….” and you go back for more food.
“Just can’t stop….. until it’s all gone….until I’m completely stuffed…or sick.” What is it for you, I wonder?
Afterwards (there always is an afterwards, isn’t there), the real pain kicks in. You feel helpless….guilty…out of control…ashamed…powerless.
Perhaps, in that moment, you tell yourself “I just don’t care.”
“I want to keep eating….I could stop if I wanted to….just this mouthful…” (and this one …and this one too…..).
Do you know what these are?
They’re fibs.
Untruths.
All of them.
Your mind is having you on.
Here’s the truth.
When you eat past the point of physical satiety, your body doesn’t want to keep eating. Your mind does. It’s simply your trickster mind playing tricks on your body.
Truth No. 1: You are in always in total and complete control of what and how much you eat. A.L.W.A.Y.S.
Know this … when you tell yourself you’re not, you’ll act like you’re not. You see, food isn’t the problem. It’s the way you behave around the food that’s the problem. And when you think and tell yourself that you’re in charge, guess what? That’s right, stopping eating won’t be a big deal.
Truth No. 2: You do care.
You always care. It’s just that sometimes you forget to care. But you always remember in the end. It’s why when you’ve finished overeating, you feel regret and guilt with the obligatory sprinkle of self-hate as you mentally beat yourself up.
Take back control from your trickster mind
If you want to stop eating when your tummy has had enough….. pause. Just stop eating. Step away from the food. Give yourself a moment to think, and check in with yourself, “Am I still physically hungry in my tummy?” If you are, eat a little bit more and check in with yourself again. If you’re not, stop. Just stop.
Take a gentle leap of faith and listen to your body. If you need to, tell your mind, “SHUT UP, I’ve got this! Now, walk through the discomfort of not eating.
It’s not hard. It’s just unfamiliar and uncomfortable.
Once you do this a few times, it won’t seem as hard as it does now. Yes, it will be uncomfortable and unfamiliar in the beginning. Keep on listening to your body. Uncomfortable and unfamiliar is all, not impossible.
Truth No. 3: You Can Do This. YOU CAN DO IT. You REALLY can.
Love etc, Avril
PS: I know what it feels like to be in a constant fight with food. Hypnotherapy can end this battle. If you’re ready to leave the food battlefield once and for all, and you really, really, really want to lose weight now, we should probably talk.
