The journey of my healing from an eating disorder... (Part 5 - last part!)
The next step for me came after watching a TV program with Paul McKenna - (Freedom from Emotional Eating). He was suggesting, “All you need to do is use this system, which is a process of psychological and behavioural change, and listen to signals from your body.”
It was perfect! Because for the past 15 years I had been studying the body, mind, soul connection and I KNEW that the key to overcoming my food obsession was in my mind and spirit.
Here was the “system” which was comprised of these 4 Golden Rules:
1. When you’re hungry, eat! (REAL hunger, not emotional hunger, which I was now able to distinguish)
2. Eat what your body wants.
3. Enjoy every mouthful. Eating consciously and mindfully.
4. Stop when you’re full!
This was HUGE! I still use this today honestly and I feel like everyone would benefit from doing it. Again, I felt no deprivation from doing this (which we know Never works long term - deprivation I mean.) because I was going to eat what I wanted. What an amazing way to connect to yourself.
I found out so many amazing things doing this. The most important being that the foods that I THOUGHT were my favorites, I actually didn’t even LIKE! Eating mindfully forces you to really taste your food. I realized that a lot of what I had eaten in the past was literally just food that my emotions were craving. My body wanted nothing to do with them.
And, something I already knew, was that we tend to continue eating after we’re full because there is still food on our plate. Many of us were taught not to waste food because, “There are starving people in China.” “Clean your plate”, some mothers repeat over and over. Well, when you over serve, you over eat.
So, this was incredibly liberating to me and a key turning point in my healing for sure. Food was no longer the enemy. I was starting to just enjoy food and using it to fuel my body instead of using it hide and push down my emotions. I also just naturally ate healthier. Although, even when what my body wanted was a donut, I made sure to enjoy EVERY bite of that donut. If I wasn't enjoying it, or enjoying ANY dessert I may be eating, I stopped eating it. I was no longer going to eat anything that I wasn’t enjoying body, mind and soul. I was worth more than that and, I loved myself more than that.
I finally, TRULY, loved myself - from the inside out.
So, fast forward to today. Like I said already, I still use this mindfulness eating principle, but honestly my whole life now is about mindfulness. I make sure I take stock of why I do what I do, from eating, to exercise, to work, to relationships... all of it. If I don’t love it - I don’t do it, I don’t eat it, and I don’t spend time with people who don’t live their lives in a similar way.
I hope this series of notes helps you if you are struggling with your own eating disorder or any other issue. Please, if you have ANY questions or need clarity on any of this don’t hesitate to contact me or message me. I’m sure there are things I may have forgotten to put in here so please ask!
My business is Body, Mind, Soul Fitness so if you need help - I am here for you! <3 Thank you for reading my journey!
I love you! <3
