| If you're a woman struggling with emotional | | | | As a Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic |
| eating, you probably often feel like you have no | | | | Programming, I encourage you to learn by giving |
| control around food. Because you've probably | | | | you the opportunity to enjoy contrast. I believe |
| used food for so long to medicate your emotions, | | | | that choices are essential to being happy and in |
| it's become second nature. You don't have an | | | | order to create new habits effortlessly, you have |
| accurate picture of it anymore. This is why you | | | | to feel really good about what you choose. You'll |
| probably swear that you can't live without | | | | notice in this exercise, I'll ask you to eat slowly |
| M&Ms, your favorite cheesy puffs or Mom's | | | | and then I'll encourage you to eat at your normal |
| homemade lasagna. But it's not the food that's | | | | pace, whatever that may be and then alternate |
| hitting your happy spots, it's the connection to | | | | between the two speeds. That is done so that |
| those memories. Right now you're linking extreme | | | | your brain can reorganize itself and find an |
| pleasure to eating the food and the consequence | | | | intermediate speed that will become a new |
| of that is that you can't seem to ever get | | | | comfort level for you. To prepare you to do the |
| enough. The truth is you can't get enough of it, | | | | exercise, please do the following 5 intermediary |
| because it's not what you really want. You're | | | | steps, A-E. |
| really seeking the opportunity to re-experience | | | | You may choose to eat anything that you want. |
| the positive memories that come with eating the | | | | The choice is up to you. This exercise is done to |
| food. However in order to extract those feel | | | | consciously slow you down. You may find it a |
| good feelings, you don't have to overeat the | | | | challenge at first, later it will become a great joy. |
| food. | | | | A. Find five emotional food connections in your life |
| The following method is to be used in conjunction | | | | that have in the past compelled you to eat when |
| with a permission based eating approach to food | | | | you were not hungry. |
| called Intuitive Eating. If you are dieting or | | | | B. What has that food meant to you? |
| restricting the foods you eat, you will have a | | | | C. What memories rise to the surface when you |
| much harder time with this exercise. This is | | | | think about it? |
| because as a dieter, you will always want what | | | | D. Go out and get one of those foods or all of |
| you think you can't have. If you believe that you | | | | them, bring it home or prepare it. (For best |
| can't or shouldn't eat chocolate, then it will be | | | | results, you'll practice this exercise each time with |
| extremely difficult for you to feel the level of | | | | each of the individual foods you've chosen) |
| safety intended in this exercise that comes with | | | | E. Before you are ready to sit down and eat your |
| knowing that you can eat what you want | | | | chosen food, set your place with the appropriate |
| whenever you get hungry.in order to fully | | | | silverware and a napkin (even if you are eating a |
| overcome emotional eating, it is essential that you | | | | pint of ice cream, make sure that you have a |
| find resourceful ways of dealing with the often | | | | napkin) You don't have to serve it in a bowl |
| uncomfortable emotions that drive you to eat. It | | | | unless you choose to do so. Now you're ready to |
| is also important to be able to neutralize these | | | | begin. |
| emotions and deal with them so that they do not | | | | Mindful and Gentle Eating Process |
| trigger the desire to overeat. For this, I heartily | | | | 1. Bring your journal to the table |
| recommend the use of doing whatever you have | | | | 2. Have your silverware and optional plate or bowl |
| to do to cope aggressively with the stress in | | | | ready along with your napkin |
| your life. I teach my clients a variety of | | | | 3. Place the food on the table |
| techniques listed under the umbrella category of | | | | 4. Sit down facing it |
| energy psychology tools or energy therapy. They | | | | 5. Look at it |
| function to eliminate painful emotional and physical | | | | 6. Smell it |
| blockages in the body. One of my favorite | | | | 7. Be present with your feelings as they surface |
| processes is based on the science of acupuncture. | | | | 8. Notice those feelings |
| It's called Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT. | | | | 9. Sit for a few moments and write down your |
| I've created the following exercise for my Say | | | | observations of the food and your feelings |
| Goodbye to Dieting Program. I recommend that | | | | connected to it |
| you use this Mindful and Gentle Eating Exercise to | | | | 10. Close your journal |
| become more conscious of your eating, slow | | | | 11. Pause and think for a moment, offering thanks |
| yourself down and refocus on how the food | | | | for this food |
| makes you feel and notice how it feels in your | | | | 12. Pick up your utensil |
| body in the moment and over time. | | | | 13. Take a small bite or spoonful. |
| The intention of the exercise is to begin to | | | | 14. Place the food in your mouth and allow it to |
| reawaken your sense of how to eat more | | | | rest on the tip of your tongue. |
| mindfully, in full conscious awareness of your | | | | 15. Swirl it around in your mouth for about 3 to 7 |
| thoughts and feelings as you eat. If you're inclined | | | | seconds |
| to be a fast eater like me, I know how hard it is | | | | 16. Notice the sensations that come up for you |
| for you to consider eating more slowly. Eating | | | | 17. Slowly chew it or allow it to gently glide down |
| fast is a sign of compulsion, that stems from fear | | | | your throat. |
| of lack. Many non diet weight loss programs only | | | | 18. Put down your fork or spoon and resist |
| advocate eating slowly as a means of breaking | | | | picking it up for a moment. If you have to sit on |
| the habit of compulsion that drives the speed | | | | your hands, then do it |
| eating. I don't agree with that. As a gal who has | | | | 19. Just sit with those feelings for about 10 -15 |
| always eaten very fast, I resented it when | | | | seconds |
| anyone told me to eat slowly. The resistance you | | | | 20. Repeat the process from stage 12-19 until |
| feel is that little survival part of you that refuses | | | | you are satisfied. Notice the degree of that |
| to be made to feel unsafe ever again. I promise I | | | | satisfaction. Do this at least 3 times during the |
| won't ever take anything away from you. My | | | | week. The rest of the times eat at your normal |
| only desire is to add to what you already have. | | | | pace. See what you discover. |