Falling Off The Wagon

Falling off the wagon hurts. Any kind of fall hurts. The first response we need is comfort, not anger. Start with kindness.

"People don't come pre-assembled, but are glued together by life." ~ Joseph Le Doux

Life is full of surprises and curve balls. Everyone falls off the wagon. It's not about losing control; falling off the wagon is hitting a bump in the road. There are no smooth rides in anyone's life. A helpful way to handle bumps in the road is to have a plan.

 Here are some options:

• If you have a friend who also is working on her weight management, arrange a code word like: "PANIC" and the next time you hit a bump, call her. Together, the two of you practice breathing to connect with personal dignity and physical purpose, for 5 slow breaths in and 5 slow breaths out. Then, tell each other how you're feeling. Talking with a caring friend is more satisfying than the loneliness of binging. 

• If you're alone, leave the room and leave the issue inside. If possible, go outside and notice the amazing signs of life around you - plants, animals, people, sunlight, the wind.  Breathe slowly in and out 5 times to connect with your inner dignity and courage. Yes, it takes courage to fight against what hurts. Decide a way you feel comfortable dealing with the problem, and then respect your choice. The main point is not to hurt yourself.

• If someone close to you is creating stress that pushes you to hide by eating, you need to find a new hiding place. There are always options. Eating a gallon of ice cream while hiding in your room or your car may seem like a solution, but you already know it's self defeating, and the only person being punished is you. Life is not fair but you can still be fair with yourself. Stay real. One day at a time is all you can ask of yourself.

It doesn't matter why or how we fall off the wagon. It matters that we face the truth, forgive ourselves with kindness, reflect on why this happened, and hop back on with renewed dignity and fresh determination to reach our destination physique. The only time we fail is when we give up. Starting fresh is personal power. 

Stay in touch with momentum in your life.Take a tip from nature. No matter how dark the night is, day arrives. After winter, comes spring. The weather will be horrible one day and nice 24 hours later. Allow yourself to experience your truth and then remember that you have dignity, courage and determination. Ultimately, if you don't know what to do when you hit a bump in the road, start with being kind to yourself. The rest is easy.

Am I Really Hungry? 6th Sense Diet : Intuitive Eating can help you recognize underlying emotional bumps in the road and steer around them. Life is created by our choices and our habits. Our responsibility is to ourselves. No one makes us do anything. Take control of challenges by knowing yourself better. Be honest with yourself and the road will get smoother. Guaranteed! 

#janebernard

Eating Appetites

Have you ever felt like you were hungry when you knew you were not? Have you ever craved ice cream after finishing off a big dinner with dessert? Hunger is compelling. It drives us because we  intuitively associate it with survival. But, hunger is not always about food.

Your appetites are sometimes driven by unpleasant sensations like boredom, anger, frustration or loneliness. These kinds of appetites are your mind or soul needing some 'food'.

But, conversation is not something you buy at the store, and friendship is not something you keep in the pantry. It's not as easy to feed your head or heart as it is to feed your body, because you're not used to recognizing this kind of appetite. However, it's real. Your appetites for stimulation, for comfort, for understanding and for affection are an important part of what makes you unique and wonderful.

These kinds of appetites are satisfied by:

• self-respect: You acknowledge that boredom, loneliness, frustration or anger is driving you to eat.
• determination: You decide to protect your body from self-abusive eating.
• prudence: You weigh alternative ways of stopping the physical urge.
• I had a client who kept a rubber band on her wrist because she realized boredom would compel her to stare into the refrigerator. Now, as soon as she starts to feel that urge, she snaps the rubber band and reminds herself, she's not really hungry.
• Another client kept a sign on her refrigerator that said "Why?", which stopped her mindless eating. 
• honesty: Being deeply honest with yourself means not using food to avoid what is unpleasant. It doesn't work. The fact is, it's like covering a mess on the floor with newspaper. The mess is still there.

The odd thing about this kind of appetite is that your body thinks you're hungry, but your intellect knows you are not. Our bodies are the result of our habits. If, over time, you have programmed your body to expect food when you are bored, lonely, frustrated or angry, then you will feel driven to overeat. That's why the simple rubber band works. It's a physical signal that you're okay. You can reprogram your body.

Tune-in to yourself and trust your intuition. Intuition is always self-protective. You can sense if you're making the dignified choice. Be honest and review the facts in your head. You're in charge of and responsible for you, your body and soul.  Self-respect, determination, prudence and dignity are all intuitive tools. Use them and take control.

Learn more. Download Am I Really Hungry? 6th sense diet : intuitive eating and get more insights into what makes you eat and how to take control of your appetites.