Losing Weight and Fear of Food

Do you mix fear with food these days? Fear of eating at the wrong time, fear of over eating, fear of eating the wrong things, fear of being seen eating, fear of running out of food, fear of what’s in the food, fear of the calories or fat or sugar or carbs? Need I go on? Fear and eating should not be in the same sentence but they are for hundreds of thousands of people. We all have to eat to survive and thrive, so this is a serious matter.

The way out of fear of eating is through paying attention to your thoughts, your body and your surroundings.

Being mindful is another way of saying paying attention. When you are  paying attention while grocery shopping, preparing, eating or ordering  out, you are consciously engaged with what is occurring in real-time right then. Being present is what this means.

Mindful eating is based upon being in present time  with your mind, emotions and body,  with a curious, open, and non-judgmental mind as you grow your awareness of your unique relationship to food and eating.  It’s not about dieting, restrictions, and one plan fits all. You are in control so you might as well be aware of  how you are going about it. Being at the helm of your relationship to food, you can make changes you see. You’ve heard the old adage, “you can’t change what you don’t see.” So true!

Try a mindful mode the next time you want to eat something.  Being present,  notice the source of your desire to eat. Is it physical or emotional? Is it the time of day or a genuine hunger? Is boredom or avoidance behavior leading you to want to eat?  What is the source of your wanting to eat?

Notice if your desire is for food or a food in particular? If so, notice if you would like that food or crave it. Cravings have biological roots. Your body is talking to you. Craving a particular food isn’t as straightforward a desire as it appears. Your body needs something it’s not getting. Notice if you feel satisfied after eating the craved food? Notice if you feel better or worse, tired or energized. Notice if you are hungry soon after. Notice your mood afterward.

Write down or speak to record on your smartphone and translate later what you notice in your body and in your thoughts before, during and after eating. Don’t change a thing, just be aware of what is occurring in the moments you engage with food in some way.

After a week, look for patterns in your experiences with food at each stage; shopping, preparing, eating, ordering out, eating alone or with others, post-eating and everything that occurs when you engage with food and eating.

From here you can begin to realize more about your personal relationship with food, more about your motivations and habits. Becoming aware is necessary because without it you don’t know what to do that’s effective in reaching your desired healthy weight.

 WEIGHT LOSS MAP TO FREEDOM,  my coaching program for women who yearn to escape the pull and find peace with food.

I’ll help you build your mindful muscles and get to know your food self and  I’ll teach you  techniques to reduce stress around eating and food.  You’ll develop your own personalized MAP- Mindfully Applied Plan. Check out my FB page, and sign up for my blog. Or call me, 805-320-9361 to get started right away with private coaching.