What To Give Up
Filed Under: Overeating
12 February 2015 | Written by Xenia Ayiotis
What do you give up to change your relationship with food and overeating? No, it’s not carbs!
You are probably expecting me to say give up sugar, refined and processed foods, alcohol, coffee, fried foods, etc, etc.
So then what?
Give up snacks or do some juicing and fasting?
No…
Give up yoga and do intense interval training?
No…
The things I am going to recommend that you consider giving up will change so much in your life.
So here is what to give up:
- Hating yourself, your limitations, your imperfections and of course, your body
- Control – of yourself and others
- Dieting, detoxes, starvation and restricting food
- Ignoring your hunger and letting yourself get starving
- Judging yourself…and others
- Judging your food as good or bad
- Keeping clothes that don’t fit you in the hope that they will one day and keeping them in your cupboard as a reminder to get thinner!
- Busyness
- Neglecting your needs for rest, play and fun
- Overworking to get that to-do list done (it will never be done!)
- “Shoulda – Woulda – Coulda” (my favourite line from Sex and The City)
- Trying to be thin from a place of lack and despair
- People-pleasing
- Forbidden foods
- Counting …anything… including apps that do it for you
- Impatience for quick results
- Resistance to what you are experiencing in the moment
- Comparing yourself – to your former self or to others (remember compare = despair)
- Being scared of buffets or social events because of food
Why give these things up? Well simply because they are mostly ineffective, cruel and make you stressed and miserable. They also make it very difficult to get to a place of peace with food, eating and your body.
So how do you do this?
- Observe.
- Notice and become aware of your thoughts.
- When you notice you are judging, comparing, hating or people-pleasing… Pay attention and kindly tell yourself “Look at how I am judging my body.” Then let the thought pass.
- Choose a thought that is kinder and makes you feel better.
– Xen
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