Breaking up is Hard to Do -- Saying Goodbye to Compulsive Eating

If you are currently on, or have ever seriously been on a journey to lose weight, one thing we can all agree on is that breaking up is not easy. Food becomes a lot more than pure nutrition throughout our lives. Let me outline some of the many roles food plays – we make it our friend, comforter, lover, mother, brother, enemy, etc., etc., none of which have anything to do with what food really is – energy.

The powerful questions are:
· What do we do now to create freedom and body image mastery?
· HOW do we take our power back?

In order to get to the heart of the matter – why we overeat or undereat – we need to put down the bat. Being our own worst critic doesn’t work; think about the mean words you sometimes use about your body. Those words hurt – and when we hurt, it’s sometimes tough not to eat.

What if, just for today, you throw away the criticism and the judgment – and no matter WHAT it takes, don’t pick it up. As you read this article, imagine what would fill your soul – enough so you would not need comfort food today.

This exercise starts with a strange direction, but trust me: Put on an outfit with pockets.

· Who can you turn to today to fill your need for companionship? Make a list of names with phone numbers for one pocket; remember to only fill the list with people who make you feel safe, loved, and filled with energy. If you find yourself obsessing about food or how you look, start calling down the list until you get a live person on the phone and courageously talk about your feelings. Fill your mouth with words and emotions.

· What could fill your spiritual needs today? A long walk? A trip to a church or temple? Try getting on your knees right this moment and tell the universe that you do not want to hurt yourself with food. Write down your own prayer – just a few lines, and put it in another pocket. [Later, if you feel compelled to eat in a way that is not self-loving, breath deeply and read the prayer 25 times. The compulsion may be washed away by the universe – and the time it takes to pray. Remember, most compulsions only last three minutes.]

· As you sit here, take a moment and breath very deeply. Fill another pocket with loving affirmations. (Download some at http://www.laurafenamore.com/. Sign up to receive them every day if you like.)

· Put a pen and paper in every empty pocket and talk to yourself on the page. Listen to yourself. Write about your relationship with food. Include your feelings and memories and the people in your life. Write to old “ghosts” and new dreams. Remember that your goal is to provide nourishment to your entire being today – body and SOUL. You can claim your power that fills you from head to toe, not from hand to mouth. Claim your true, brilliant space in this world and claim it TODAY. You are worth the effort.

You may have done many of these exercises before, and that’s great. DO them again. Today is a new day, and our relationship with food and our bodies is also new.

Try on a new story – it goes well with your pockets of possibilities.
Laura Fenamore, CPCC, Body Image Master Mentor