This post is a continuation of a previous post entitled “When You Have a Complicated Relationship with Food.” You can read it here.
If you tried the exercises mentioned in that post, you may be wondering where to go from there. What to do with this information? I want to take some time to talk about why you would even bother to examine your relationship with food up close in the first place. What is in it for you?
First of all, it is important to note that working on your relationship with food is a long-term, daily project. Secondly, the outcome of working on your relationship with food is NOT to change your body or lose weight. What might you hope to gain from working on your relationship with food?
- Achieving a neutral relationship with food.
- Freeing yourself from food obsession so that you can…
- Enjoy your life more.
- Loosening sticky thoughts around negative body image due to your relationship with food.
Let’s hold a magnifying glass to each of these.
Achieving a neutral relationship with food
Imagine you live in a mental world where you do not categorize food into “good” and “bad”. There is no self-judgement about what you eat or rules about what to eat and not to eat. Imagine that there are no negative emotions tied to food including guilt, shame, and embarrassment. Imagine that food is fuel for your body, period. Imagine that the type and amount of food you eat does not dictate your level of self-love or self-hate.
Freeing yourself from food obsession
Imagine being worry-free about what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat. You are free of the “which diet will work best for me?” mentality. Imagine being free of the stress of what to order at a restaurant or how to handle family gatherings or holidays. Imagine being free of the constant mental stress and decision making about food. Imagine being free of the negativity that comes when you give in to cravings.
Enjoying your life more
Imagine feeling joy and freedom with food and that lightness seeping into other areas of your life. Imagine having the mental and emotional bandwidth to pursue things that are important to you like core relationships and hobbies. You feel free and light in your body because you have increased physical and mental energy. What if food was simply in the background of you living your best life?
Loosening sticky thoughts around negative body image due to your relationship with food
Imagine feeling comfortable in your own skin. What if you looked in the mirror each day and accepted fully how you look and how you show up in the world? Imagine that your body is no longer a roadblock to you living your best life.
If you would like to work on your relationship with food because you want the above outcomes, then stick around. This is a different and perhaps radical path to many. It requires longevity. It is not a quick solution to your struggles with food. But I can guarantee you that you will learn a lot along the way and, if you are open, become a better person in every area of your life.
Stay tuned!
Until next time,
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