“Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered; it is something molded.” ~Antoine De Saint-Exupery
“Seeking blessings from outsiders is not right. Your life is on your own shoulders. Blind faith is not healthy.” ~Dalai Lama
Many of us believe we are heavier than we should be, and because of this, we think we should not be eating. If we “give in” and eat anyway, we think we should only eat a little bit. And certainly, if we have chosen to “indulge” ourselves by eating, we should not enjoy our food. Having decided our basic needs and wants are unnecessary, when we respond to them, we inevitably judge ourselves.
Fearing that others will also judge us, we begin to hide our eating. “Since I really should not be eating this, I will make sure no one sees me.” Eating one way in public and another in private, we begin to hide ourselves. When we live this way, [private_membership circle]we devalue and disconnect from our needs and wants; we diminish and disconnect from ourselves; and we feel undeserving and unsatisfied.
To break this cycle, we need to know that we are allowed! We are allowed to eat, to nourish our bodies. We are allowed to care for ourselves, recognizing that it is not only essential but also that we are deserving of that care.
We are allowed to decide when and how much we will eat. When and how much we will sleep, talk, and be physically active. We are allowed to take up space in this world. We are allowed to eat.
When we know that we are allowed, we can confidently attend to our needs and wants, experiencing true satisfaction and pleasure from our favorite foods, a good nap, an energizing walk. No longer hiding, we show up in the company of others as we are, eating what we eat, nourished by our choices.
Affirming Statement: ”Knowing, of course, that I am allowed, I take good care of myself.”
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Nutrition therapists Amy Tuttle, RD, LCSW and Karin Kratina, RD, PhD provide no-diet articles and resources including “Stay Attuned: The E-zine for Nourishing Connections” at their Nourishing Connections website. www.nourishingconnections.com
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