You’re eating “It” anyways … so instead of hating yourself and eating “It”, why not try to enjoy each bite?
Summary: This is the new slogan for my entire philosophy.
“You mind as well enjoy it.”
This phrase is the best way on how to deal with cravings. Here are 3 steps I base this change on:
1. Binge eating is a cycle that will slowly stop – Harsh negative judgment towards yourself makes things worse as you gradually learn to stop binge eating
2. Try to enjoy the taste and textures of the foods while you are binge eating – enjoyment is an intentional activity and will disrupt the automatic nature of your binge eating
3. The quest for food satisfaction is empowering – if your current relationship with food is negative and filled with betrayal you need to explore how you can relate to food differently
Here is another video of mind on cravings too about How To Stop Craving Food When Not Hungry By Understanding And Curing Emotional Food Deprivation … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCsbIvfhMjE
Commentary:
Because … this goes to the very root of the issue. The root of the issue comes down to these moments …
These moments where you are eating food and … feeling helpless, feeling out of control …
These moments where you are eating unhealthy food … and concluding, interpreting, making sense of these moments … that you are a failure.
As you eat unhealthy food, each bite becomes further proof that you lack willpower
That you lack discipline, that you are lazy, unmotivated …
That you are not worthy …
That you always fail …
Every single bite reinforces this mindset as you can’t stop eating.
And for years you’ve gone through this.
For years you’ve tried to stop and you never could …
And all the doctors and all the nutritionists and all the therapists and trainers …
All the friends and family and “concerned comments” …
Never helped.
So you mind as well enjoy it.
That’s right.
It sounds terrible, but this is the kernal of wisdom, the seed of light …
You mind as well enjoy it.
In those moments where you are eating unhealthy, and you don’t know what else to do, and your hand is automatically reaching for that first bite …
You mind as well enjoy it.
That chocolate cake? That cheesecake? Those sugary candies? Those mm’s? The pizza? The chips?
Whatever your “forbidden food” …
Don’t zone out. Don’t detract from the eating experience with your judgments and interpretations of how you’re a failure.
No. Don’t do that.
Because then you aren’t enjoying what you’re eating.
I mean, if you’re eating like crap, you mind as well enjoy it, right?
There’s no sense in beating yourself up. There’s no sense in trying to fight it, not when you have fought 10000 times before and never won.
(Or won temporarily, but then gave in and regained all the weight)
Why fight?
What if enjoying these moments of craving … learning how to … was THE PATH to healing?
What if … you could enjoy the sugary foods? What if you had EMOTIONAL PERMISSION to enjoy?
What would happen?
You’re eating it anyways, you mind as well enjoy it.
Why not enjoy it?
The worst that happens is that you eat the food you’re already eating anyways.
And maybe …
As you give yourself permission to BE PRESENT and taste and enjoy and FEEL the food …
Maybe you’ll get bored of this sugary treat.
Maybe you’ll discover, well my lord, I don’t even like this candy.
Maybe, you’ll be able to stay connected to your body before, during and after the eating experience …
And instead of judging yourself and criticizing and deeming yourself an unworthy mess …
You’ll notice your belly instead and how bloated you feel and how …
Bad you feel.
Not how bad you think.
Not how guilty. Not how ashamed. Not how unworthy no.
Those are all judgments. They aren’t feelings.
I’m talking just simply the feeling in your belly of what happens when you eat too much crap.
Forget the judgment.
Eating crap doesn’t feel good.
It just doesn’t feel good.
And if you get out of your mind, out of your judgments, you’ll see this.
But won’t I keep on eating these foods? I have eaten candy before, but I keep wanting candy?
Did you enjoy candy? Did you experience each bite? Or did you zone out and automatically eat.
I’m talking you have to enjoy each bite.
And even then … it’ll take a little bit to re-wire your brain.
Your brain is used to zoning out while you eat food … distractedly eating … daydreaming …
Your brain is conditioned to do this with food.
So when you first start to enjoy the food, it’ll be hard to stop.
You will eat too much.
And if you can refrain from judging yourself once you eat too much, or if you want the food again …
If you can continually practice … “You mind as well enjoy it” with each bite of food …
Every meal ….
You’ll get bored. You won’t want this food. You’ll get tired of cheese cake.
You’ll want to try something new. You’ll just want to.
And that’s what we’re talking about here.
For more info, visit my Santa Clara based Eating Disorder Therapist website at https://eatingenlightenment.com
