I understand. I like eating too. I like how food tastes. How it makes tv time less boring (because...let's face it -- only 8% of the stuff we're watching is actually engaging and interesting -- the rest is just white noise to make us feel okay about sitting on the couch). How it's not very hard to start a conversation with someone you don't know if you have a cocktail plate in your hand (automatic source of conversation about how fab this or that is, right?).
Lots of people tell me they don't eat very much and can't imaging eating less.
And then the other day I had someone tell me that she is more mindful of what she's eating because, due to the healing process of a (non-bariatric) surgery, eating leads to pain. So whenever she thinks about putting food into her mouth, she finds herself weighing the need for that food against the pain that will come after.
All of the sudden -- there is something more uncomfortable than the feeling of being bored...or anxious...or tired....or sad...or whatever it is that drives you to eat when you're not actually hungry.
Now -- although I know many of you are saying to yourself "Man! I gotta get me some of that surgery! I could be thin in no time" -- you may be missing my less obvious point. And that is:
Food only has that much power over you when there is nothing else with greater power. You don't need to have pain for this. You could create a powerful positive vision to weigh each of those decisions against. (like training for a 5k or half marathon or learning how to rock climb or taking your grandkids for a hike to the waterfalls in the UP). Whatever you feel your weigh is holding you back from doing -- you can make that your guiding vision. You may find you can make that more important than finding your next 3pm fix of stale, breakroom Christmas cookies.
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