Breaking rules

-->I have discovered that when rules get tedious, it’s time to change them. That feeling is an intuitive nudge. It's physical. Listen to your body. The only rule that makes sense 24/7 is to protect yourself.

Rules are made to be broken. 90% of rules are designed to expire. They should come with a time-stamp. Generally, rules are created to solve a problem or correct confusion. Good rules fix the problem.

Rules teach and we learn. For example, with dieting, you may decide to have desserts only on weekends as an experiment to gently lose weight.You make it a rule. It becomes a handrail to keep you on track and then it becomes automatic, part of you. You feel a calm,  healthy sense of accomplishment. The rule has done its job.

The rules made for breaking are ones that serve no purpose. They are the ones that feel tedious. We need to let go of them and see what needs fixing and what doesn't. It's important to look at the big picture.  Ask yourself:

• If I eat what I want right now, how will I feel about it in an hour? 
• Is this rule important to achieve my long-term eating goals?

Today, nearly everywhere, rules are broken. It's time to think outside the box. Problems, like everything else, change. This is part of the topography of living. Everything upgrades, including your needs and your eating goals.  Upgrade is another word for change.  If your needs have changed, ask yourself:

• What has changed? How can I use it to my advantage?
• How does my body respond to this old rule? Does it still make sense for me?

With intuitive eating, instead of rules, we have guidelines - universal values that are easy to feel -  such as curiosity or dignity. No rules, just guidelines to help you think with your senses and feel with your mind. What do you see? What do you feel? What do you think? It's time to think differently by tuning into your body. That is way to respond to what's real instead of trying to fit what you eat into a neat box of rules. Change is normal. Living and eating need choices. Stress and daily surprises all create unpredictable circumstances at mealtime. Listen to your body. You will know when to break the rules.

For great eating tips and easy insights for making your own rules, download Am I Really Hungry?.



#janebernard