IMAGINE you could eat whatever you want whenever you want.
Just think for a few moments about what would happen. Yes,
you probably would gain weight the first week or two,
because you were finally allowing yourself all the treats
you have forbidden yourself for so many years. Now, (work
with me here): if you can eat those cookies whenever you
want, do you really think you need to eat them all the time?
If you are willing to risk this, you may find that, over
time, food will lose its power over you. If you can have
that bowl of ice cream whenever you want, you won't want it
as often. You will find that when you do have it, you don't
need as much to fill your hunger. You will find that what
you have been hungry for is "the forbidden," which makes
you feel guilty. Once the food is no longer forbidden you
will no longer feel guilty, and you will be able to have
smaller portions. It will taste wonderful and you will be
satisfied. Try it.
This whole attitude came to me when I was in graduate
school. My friend Anna and I were walking around the golf
course. (I felt compelled to walk long distances then; I
was in the health field, for heaven's sake). We were
talking about a book entitled Fat is a Feminist Issue.
Part of the book discusses women and weight in detail.
The author suggests an idea that seemed crazy at the time
(the one discussed above): If you could eat whatever you
wanted whenever you wanted, food would eventually come to
lose its power over you, and it would assume a normal place
in your life-instead of being an obsessive, time-
consuming, guilt-producing activity.
Doesn't this seem outrageous? Scary? But, like I said
above, try thinking about it! After the first week or two
of letting go of this behavior, you will no longer need to
eat as much of those cookies, the ice cream, or the potato
chips. If you can eat them whenever you want, you will find
that suddenly you don't want them as much or as often. You
will find that these foods lose their power over you, they
no longer control you, and now you are able to control your
urges over them. These foods will now take a normal place
in your everyday life, as a treat you enjoy, and not as a
food that gives you guilt.
This food philosophy isn't for everyone, I know. Many
people crave structure, and it's risky to try and live this
way. It is difficult to trust yourself to make the correct
decisions about the foods your body needs and the foods you
want. It is scary to think you actually will be able to
have the correct balance of foods in your life.
But I tried it. I let go of my guilt over food about 25
years ago. I've lost 30 pounds since then and I have kept
it off-and I still eat chocolate and ice cream.
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