Sunday, August 22, 2010

Temptation and Obsession

What is the difference between temptation and obsession when it comes to diet?

Being tempted to eat means you are still in control. We all live with temptation. We are in a kind of flow, where choices must be made before we realize it. You are tempted to stay longer, leave earlier, eat more, work-out less, make a call, turn off the phone, take a chance, stay with the familiar, stop learning new things, start something new- . Temptation makes you think twice. It puts you to the test. Because temptation forces you to think twice, you are in control.

Temptation is the opportunity for you to remember and feed your eating priorities. This will satisfy you physically and emotionally. Think twice about what your body needs to feel satisfied by noticing what you notice. When you tune in to your body and make the choice to respect your self, things will start to make sense. Amazingly temptation brings out the best in you.

Obsessing feels like being out of control. In fact, obsession is losing perspective about what makes you feel good. Perhaps the obsession is pizza, chocolate, or pasta and you only can think of finding satisfaction with your obsession. But- the problem is that it doesn’t happen. The result is of obsessive eating is physical discomfort, and emotional dissatisfaction because in fact, food is not a substitute for what you really want. Only eating for quality of life, and to enjoy the experiences of taste and smell, can satisfy your emotional needs.

You will stay in control by remembering your emotional demands are not more important then your physical needs. Using your senses to know your self physically puts your emotional demands in a healthy perspective. Ideas that turn into obsessions about what to eat, may not be in sync with your physical needs. Be flexible with yourself and you will discover that you have the answers.

Trust your intuition. Your first intuitive sense is your survival instinct. Use it.
Don’t be tempted to: Ignore what you know. Don't abuse your body and don't defeat your eating goals.

Scan my Intuitive Eating blogs for a title that sounds like the eating temptation you are facing today and read it. This will help you connect with your intuition and stay in control of your eating.

Many people write to me because they identify with my March 23 blog: Zig Zag Eating, http://fine-tuning-eating.blogspot.com/2010/03/zig-zag-eating.html.   Is that you?

We’re in this together, and we’ll walk through this together. You are not alone. Keep your head up and your eyes open. You have "it".

Namaste.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Every day is unpredictable.

     Every day is unpredictable. So much decides what you genuinely need to eat. For example- the weather, stress, happiness, and sleep all impact your organic self. You are intuitively responding with your senses to everything, all the time. 

Be gentle, you are organic.
Organic means: not artificial.
To be your ideal weight: work with your body, don’t fight it, or ignore it.

     Feed your self what nourishes, not what ‘fills you up’. Nourishing your self is done with food, and with ideas. It is done by connecting with your 6 senses when you eat. Your senses work with your mind and your body to let you be clear about what is nourishing. Let your intuition be your guide.  Trust your self.

     Every one has a physical and a mental process of growing that cannot be rushed. You can’t be rushed to change your thinking, your weight, or your style. Be proud that you are seeking answers and knowledge. That means you’re smart and you’re cool.

While you’re thinking, ask your self:
Do I have eating patterns?
What gets in my way of supporting my health and fitness when I eat?
How can I approach eating differently?

     Often, when thinking about losing and maintaining weight, we are easy prey to doubts that it will work, or fears that we won’t be able to stick it out.  These self- defeating thinking habits interfere with responding to what your body needs. There is no such thing as a quick fix that endures. Every dieter knows this from experience.
Don't feed your self doubt or fear. 
When you listen to your senses, you are feeding yourself compassion, and understanding. 
This is empowering!

Your body is not a machine and you are not generic. That’s why only you know your best eating choices. Use your eyes to see what you want. Connect with how your body feels. Think about what’s in your best interest. Respond to your life as it’s happening. Plan to feed your self in a healthy way to maintain your weight. That is a nourishing thought.  It is you respecting your self.

Your body cannot be rushed to change. To lose weight or maintain weight loss, you need to be gentle with your self. Being gentle is the secret of self - control. 

Enjoy eating with all of your senses and you will eat less.  That's a promise.