What Are You Really Hungry For?
Conscious Weight Loss: Shifting Your Inner Dialogue About Your Body
This was the topic of a recent talk I did here in Scottsdale, AZ. For those of you who weren’t able to listen in, I’m going to bullet point it for simplicity.
How do I lose weight (or do anything, really) consciously? To me, loosing weight consciously means becoming aware of your relationship with food and with yourself around the topic of food. When we have an issue – something that isn’t our intended result – it is often the result of energy stuck in the body. Again, while the topic here is food/weight, we could easily apply this to relationships, money, illness and so on.
Emotion is simply energy in motion. Often we are taught that it is not ok to express or feel emotions such as fear, shame, doubt and especially anger. Instead of expressing them or even acknowledging them, we stuff them and they get stuck in our body resulting in aches, pains, illness, weight gain/loss, etc. While they may also have chemical and biological causes, they all stem from the same source – EMOTION.
What’s the solution?
- AWARENESS. Know thyself. Start paying attention to your behaviors, thoughts and feelings around self and food.
- EMOTIONAL EATING. Become aware of what you are really hungry for. When you are looking for comfort in food, you are setting yourself up to fail. The goal is to feed/nourish/comfort yourself first, then eat. When unwanted eating behaviors are addressed, the chances of long term weight loss are increased substantially.
- SLOW DOWN. Food isn’t meant to be fast. Be aware of drive through, fast food, snacks, food on the go. Not just because of the quality of the food, but the movement of your body while you are consuming it. Plan ahead if necessary by doing meal prep on the weekends, having healthy snacks with substance in your purse/desk and avoiding shopping when you feel hungry or emotional.
- MINDFUL EATING. Allow the body to settle in to the present moment. Be aware of how you feel when you eat, when and where you eat and with whom you eat. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly. No phones, tv, computer or other avoidances while eating. When you sit down at a table and share your meal time with others you are much more likely to feel fulfilled than if you stand and a sink and stuff your face.
- PERSPECTIVE. Learn to have a different point of view of yourself and the issue at hand. The pressure of loosing weight can be ridiculous and tedious. A watched pot never boils. Plus, the subconscious may resist “loss” for biological reasons. What if instead you choose to release what no longer serves you? That could be weight, anger, fear, an outdated belief or story about who you are, etc. Releasing vs. loosing feels better, doesn’t it? When your goal is to let go, you create the space for more healing.
- LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION. What are you saying too yourself, about yourself? What is the vibe of your internal dialogue? The most important conversations we have are the ones we have with ourselves, in our own head. They are the foundation for everything in our world – our entire experience.
- INTENTION. Intention is about the experience. A goal is to have, to reach, to accomplish, to do. Intentions are the energy, the movement, the driving force behind what you do. They are extensive, limitless, experiential and allow you to get out of your head.
- REPATTERN. Creating new patterns is a must. Replacing negative thought patterns with awareness, improved self-control and positive emotions. Using your awareness to create new responses to old stuff.
- PRACTICE. New choices – upgraded decisions. Feeling better before deciding or taking action. Checking in with self. Understanding and assimilating REAL comfort vs fake comfort. Bit by bit. Day by day.
There are no quick fixes in the work that I do. It’s a practice, a lifestyle. It starts with awareness, perspective, understanding. Followed by upgrading your language and communication skills with self and others. Finally, setting intentions and creating your desired experience. With this you will experience shifts in time, with practice, eventually changing the way you feel.
