Satisfaction

What does satisfaction feel like? What does it taste like?

How do we know when it's real?

It's natural to experience dissatisfaction that has nothing to do with eating. It's good to know what's wrong.  Sometimes we are satisfied by a meal, but not satisfied with other things going on in our lives. That's when we confuse bad feelings with hunger, and overeat or binge. Be curious about what's pushing your buttons. Most important - be honest with yourself.

To find satisfaction with ourselves and eating, we have to tune-in to what we sense when we eat. Otherwise, we miss physical signals that increase stress, and that leads to cycles of binging. Intuitive eating is not about how much to eat or what we are 'supposed' to eat. It's about eating types of foods our body needs. That's where to find eating satisfaction. Think with your senses.

Every meal is a fresh start and a new chance to find satisfaction. Be flexible about what you eat because physical needs change. When a meal is not satisfying, be curious. Pause for perspective and examine options to recognize what's causing frustration. Life isn't fair, but that doesn't mean we can't be fair with ourselves!

Every kind satisfaction connects with self-respect. A person not honest with herself has lost her best friend. Be kind to yourself. Satisfaction is a feeling of achievement.

Inner dialogue is a trap that sabotages satisfaction. It's a glass half empty attitude that fuels defeat by creating fear or doubt. If you're not sure about where your dissatisfaction is coming from, the best solution is to pause for perspective. Perspective is a feeling that things are balanced. Find surprisingly easy ways to trigger your perspective in my book, Am I Really Hungry?, in the chapter called, Create Your Plan.

It's satisfying to protect ourselves from destructive eating. Be more sensual around food and eating. You will discover new kinds of satisfaction. The next time you're in a funk and need satisfaction, treat yourself like a celebrity.

 

#janebernard

 

Doing Dessert

Do eat dessert! Dessert is a celebration of good food and a good life.  

My grandmother always said, "Be sure to leave room for dessert." Because of this, I learned not to eat until I was stuffed. Saving room for dessert is a lifelong habit, with surprise benefits! Having an eye on dessert makes portion control of the entree sensible. Do eat dessert with a spirit of appreciation. Enjoying dessert sets a tone of appreciation that echoes in every relationship.

I never realized 'desserts' is 'stressed' spelled backwards. 

Here's how to enjoy dessert without stress.

• D --  Do the right thing. Eat with self-respect.
• E --  Enjoy every mouthful. Use your tongue to satisfy the drive for flavor.
• S --  Smile more when you are having dessert. Celebrate! Feel the goodness. 
• S --  Stop between each mouthful. Put down your fork or spoon and savor the sweetness.
• E --  Engage in eye contact while you're enjoying the sweet. Enjoy sensual syncing.
• R --  Remember, it's fortunate to have dessert when there is so much hunger in the world. 
• T -- Take your time. You may discover that you don't need to finish dessert. Dessert is a treat!

#janebernard

Eat for Fun

When eating isn't fun, it's a problem. Fun feels good, tastes good and keeps us smiling. How can we eat for fun and not overeat? When does fun stop and personal abuse begin? Why do some people get to eat 'whatever' they want and not gain weight? How can I take control of my diet and still have fun?

• To eat for fun, know what puts a smile on your face. Is it food? No. Food is strictly nourishment for your body.
• Feed social hunger.  Symptoms are loneliness, boredom and frustration. Food can't satisfy social hunger.
• Don't eat when you're alone. When we talk with others at mealtime, we eat less. 
• Instead of snacking in your free time, use it to play with your pet, appreciate nature, call relatives, take a cat-nap, take a power walk. Burning energy will feel like fun.
• Schedule to volunteer once a week to help others. Being appreciated is when you share energy with another or many others. It can be a smile, a thank you, a pat on the back or just eye contact. This energy connection feels like fun.

•  Take control of what's fun. Taste what you eat.
• Taste is a source of pleasure. Oral gratification includes taste and smell.
• Feed physical hunger. Symptoms include hollow feelings in your stomach, fatigue, pangs and lack of concentration. Food satisfies this.
• Smell what you're eating and notice the reaction in your body. Our bodies are always sending signals about what we need.
• Take small bites to taste better and get the pleasure. Eating fast means less nutritional benefit and you miss out on the oral gratification.
• Eat with the idea in your mind that you want to enjoy the pleasure of your food. Don't let time, other people, work or TV remove this option. Make pleasure your choice.

• Be good to yourself. See eating as an investment in your future - a way to get more energy, to have healthier skin, to increase sex drive. Choose what to eat based on what you care about.
• Discover who you are. When it comes to fun or to hunger - we are all unique. It's common to underestimate how much we eat when eating is a habit or a reaction to stress. Tune-in to what's making you feel hungry. Be curious and be honest with yourself. 
• If you have trouble being clear about what you're eating, keep a food journal to help break the cycle of food denial.
• Intuitive thinking is how to understand the source of hunger. It's the answer to undoing internal traffic jams that cause binging, overeating and emotional eating.
• Get curious about how you feel and what you think about what you eat. Write it down. You might be surprised. 

To get lots of helpful tips for transforming from a dieter to an intuitive eater, download Am I Really Hungry? 6th Sense Diet: Intuitive Eating.  Learn how to recognize and take control of frustration, temptation and social pressure. It's time to have fun!

• Learn to satisfy your intuitive appetite for clarity, balance and protection. These are your source for personal success, enthusiasm and fun.  

• Learn to forgive yourself and Carry On! Alcohol has lots of calories, but music and dancing have zero. Dance more!

Tiny New Years Resolutions that Last

Happy 2014! May the New Year fill you with self-confidence and the knowledge that this year, you are going to gradually lose weight.

Resolutions that are big are like meals that are big. They overwhelm our body and are doomed to backfire. Instead, here are some easy tiny resolutions for intuitive eating that guarantee long-term satisfaction with your body and an enjoyable eating lifestyle.

• Eat with your heart. This means use all of your senses, including common sense. Take time to be sensual and you will eat less and discover truly enjoying food.
• This takes courage because it's fun and easy. Dieting is the opposite. Break the habit of diet-induced fear. Decide to stop denying what feels good. It feels good to respect your whole body - including your heart.
• Look at the big picture. See each meal as your next step along the path to permanent weight maintenance. Unless you are running for your life - another meal is just a few hours away. Eat less. Enjoy the freedom of not being bogged down with food. Listen to your heart.
• You inner voice is not judgmental and will always be protective. Thinking about eating strictly in terms of calories or rigid diets keeps you in your head which misses the point eating with your heart. Sometimes your inner voice feels like common sense. Sometimes it will surprise you. There are no rules in Life except to honor yourself. Your body always lets you know what you actually need. 
• Take 3 deep breaths if you are unsure about whether you are still hungry. Look at what you've had and notice what you notice. Ignoring what you notice doesn't change what you see. Listen to your eyes. You will know.

• Talk more when during mealtime. Hunger is emotional, social and physical. With conversation, you feed social hunger. Words, laughter and camaraderie are surprisingly satisfying.
• You will discover some of your eating habits annoying to you! It's your choice to let go of them. Don't let food get in front of personal satisfaction or long-term goals for your health. By socializing, we learn that sharing moments with others is liberating. Use this sense of freedom to eat with your heart.

Tenacity is the intuitive commitment to yourself that creates opportunities for success. Use it to take some tiny steps and trust that they are safe. Depend on your common sense. There is a fact about human nature, that until we believe we are doing the right thing, there is the chance we will draw back. Don't take that chance. It's new year! Step forward into the magic of 2014!

Make a commitment to eat with common sense and listen to your heart. 

Don't trust anything that doesn't feel right to you!

Get practical intuitive solutions that are common sense for maintaining a your healthy weight, Download: Am I Really Hungry? 6th Sense Diet : Intuitive Eating

and overcome eating challenges.

"If you can't solve a problem, it's because you're playing by the rules." P. Arden