I blew my own mind this week.
You may know that I created a workbook to accompany the Fat2Fierce coaching program. It's filled with exercises I learned in coach training, and have used on my own personal journey. The workbook is comprised of 6 sections, each filled with assignments that follow along with the specific topics of the program.
The topics include:
Your Relationship with Food
Reconnecting to Your Body
Feeling Your Emotions
Attentive Eating
Body Acceptance
Claiming Control
I like to dive right in with food because that's why most of my clients come to me. They want to stop over eating. They want to end emotional eating. They want to develop a peaceful relationship with food.
I've had my own personal battle with emotional eating. I was a binge eater for a very long time, and I had a very unhealthy relationship with food. It's been 2 years since I started my journey and ended that habit. I know I've come a long way, but I didn't realize just how far I have come.
This week I decided to start using my workbook for me. After all, I am my very own client. I dove into one of the very first exercises called "Exploring Your Relationship with Food". Simple, and to the point.
The exercise includes 5 questions. They are the same 5 questions I answered once upon a time. They are the same 5 questions that put the wheels in motion and started my transformation.
The questions:
1) Do you use food as a substitute for the things you want in your life?
2) (if yes) what are you using it as a substitute for?
3) What role does food serve in your life?
4) What is your go-to food?
5) Why is this your go-to food?
When I first answered these questions 2 years ago, it was very clear I was using food as a substitute for the things I wanted in life. I discovered that I was using food as a substitute for success and security.
From my own personal journal in 2016:
"I'm good at being overweight. I have been for a really long time. It's stable. It's safe. There is a fear of the unknown. Food is something I know - I know it well. I love to snack. Snacking brings me comfort."
Answering these questions helped me uncover that I let food become my friend. It was the friend who didn't judge me, who didn't let me down, and who would always be there for me. Food didn't reject me.
My go-to foods were sweets - always sweets!! Brownies, cookies, cake, ice cream. They were sweet, soft, and comforting, like the connection I was craving.
These answers were a wake-up call. This was the awareness that allowed me to see the relationship firsthand, front and center. This was unconscious behavior that I never realized. This was my dirty secret, and the reason I binged. Once the light was shinning on my secret there was no turning back. My old pattern began to unravel, and eventually it came to an end. I was on to myself, and only then was I able to stop.
Fast forward to now. This is the fascinating part.
I answered the same exact questions this week, almost 2 years later.
My answers are very different.
Do I use food as a substitute for the things I want in my life? No. Not really. Occasionally I still snack if I'm bored, but the times are few and far between.
What role does food serve in my life? It's fuel. It gives me energy. It no longer serves a role outside of this.
What is my go-to food? I don't really have one anymore. If I do snack when I'm bored I usually grab a piece of fruit, protein bar, a handful of nuts, or popcorn (because....movies!!). These are my go-to foods because I feel good after eating them. This is so different!!
As I was doing this exercise I realized that my relationship with food has completely transformed.
I don't binge.
I don't crave food.
I never feel like I'm missing out on anything because I don't have an emotional connection to food anymore.
This blows my mind.
I'm sharing this with you today, because I know I am not the only person who struggles with food - overeating - binge eating - emotional eating. These questions helped me, and maybe they will help someone else. I want you to know that it is absolutely possible to end the habit, and take your control back. If you would like some help from someone who has been there, I hope you'll reach out. Click here to complete the transformation questionnaire and schedule your complimentary coaching session.
Sending you so much love & peace.
xo,
Amy