This is a short and sweet article to plant a tiny seed in your mind. Your happiness is not defined by your success with food or fasting. (FYI: your health is but you can be healthy & unhappy)
‘If food is your only source of Joy, you are unlikely to succeed in your battle against your behaviours with it’ On a side note, before I get into it: your happiness is not defined by anything external. Being a good Mother/sister/daughter/friend/lover, or having a successful career, running a shipshape household, having money in the bank etc etc, are all nice legacies but they do not synthesise lasting happiness. If your career went south and/or your relationships became sour, attaching your entire happiness to it, results in dis-ease. Happiness is an inside job. Your thoughts play the lead role in your peace and happiness. Your thoughts literally change your life.
Now back to the title…..this is a sensitive subject but it has to be said. It is very common to mistakenly rely on food for happiness. Food physically pleasures your brain and if you are not getting that from anywhere else of course you will reach for it from food. 1000’s of years of evolution will not die out just because you don’t prioritise doing things you like. Your body will use food as a source of joy in a bid to make you feel better. ‘if you are not getting Joy from anywhere else of course you will reach for it from food’.
Can I let you in on a little secret?
I was the unhealthiest I have ever been when I was training for the Brighton Marathon, whilst working full time & teaching quite a few classes out of my employed hours. I kept getting heavier, despite my amount of running and I felt like poop all the time.
I was eating really healthy meals and I couldn’t understand why I felt so bad. I had high expectations of myself and thought this was the way I would feel better. ‘Just tighten the grip a little more Michelle, be a little better, try a little harder and you will feel better’.
Looking back now, perfection was hindering my success. I would go to bed telling myself the distance I must run the next morning before work, regardless of how tired I was. I would get my healthy meals ready but not factor in real life and end up desperately scoffing 3 chocolate bars or 3 doughnuts in between, because I needed something that made me feel good.
Now I see it clear as day….I was never going to feel better adding more restriction, more load and more pressure. It is almost laughable that we think this is how we will feel better!
To help your success with any health endeavours, you need to be able to define what your happiness (away from food) looks like.
Stop right now and think about 3 super simple things that bring you joy?
Examples:
Reading
Spending time with a particular friend
Having a meal at the dinner table as a family or home unit
Listening to your favourite music
Dancing
Walking in nature
Having your morning cuppa in silence with just your breath
Listening to bird song
A long hot epsom salt bath
Time with furry friends
anything that makes you smile counts!
Make a conscious effort to do these 3 things as often as you can. Schedule them in. Follow through. The purpose of this article is to suggest living with more awareness. Be patient with yourself. It has taken me years to cultivate the strength I have in this area of my thoughts and I still have times when I really suck at it. I keep doing it regardless because without it…I feel bad. Turn down the negative internal ‘noise’ with simple awareness. FYI: The voice inside your head cannot always be trusted!! It often speaks nonsense. Your non-constructive food behaviours will feel so much easier to approach if your soul feels full.
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