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A question that is a cornerstone of full freedom from weight and food concerns revolves around what is full permission to eat and how do I get there?

Before we get into the how, let’s talk about the how come.  How come it is important to have full permission to eat?

Full permission to eat is VITAL to ending the anxiety –driven cycle of constantly thinking about food, how food might affect your weight or health or connecting your eating to your self-worth.

In short, it is a BIG DEAL if you desire a peaceful relationship with food.

Do if you desire to be able to eat with full permission so food is just food again, here are 3 things to think about and put into action right now.

1)      Start with Attuned Eating to check in with your body for the “truth”.  How hungry or full am I?  Use your hunger and fullness scale from your guide you downloaded when you signed up for this blog.  If you don’t have it, get your free copy here.

If you are not sure if you are hungry or full, inquire, when was the last time that I ate?   Was I satisfied?  IHow do I feel?  Tired, food focused, weak, dull thinking, overwhelmed?   If you are feeling these things  and it has been over 5 hours since you last ate, you might be hungry but waited too long.  Consider doing some “mechanical eating” of not going more than 4 hours between meals until you are eating enough to feel hunger and fullness.

Without judgement, also check in with any “I feel fat” or “I gotta eat” feelings or food talk and remember that those phrases are not feelings and can be separated out from actual physical hunger.

2)       Think about the big picture.  If you watch toddlers eat if they are given access to a wide variety of foods, over the course of a month, they will have probably met their nutrient requirements but it won’t look like a food guide pyramid on a plate.   Adults can do the same thing.  Remember that full permission doesn’t mean a free-for-all, but it means being willing to allow the body to direct the desire for certain foods more or less than others and trusting that in the long run, you will even out any days of higher or lower calorie foods.

3)       Separate your worth from what you eat or weigh.  I know this is much easier said than done.   You deserve to get your  food needs met and connecting your body size to health is actually sabotaging your health.   I have never seen anyone accomplish eating  “well”  while having the intent to change their body.   Sounds strange but this way of eating is disconnected from the wholistic listening of body, appetite and proximity to food that help us make the best eating decision for the moment.

Practice this exercise this week:  Suspend your desire to change your weight just one day this week.  Remember, I am not forcing you to want to like your body or stop wanting to lose weight.  Let’s just get curious about what would happen if you ate from hunger and fullness what you really wanted and see what happened overnight.  No need to fix anything (ie restrict the next day) just notice if you want the same food over and over again.

Ask yourself this as well.  Would I feel worse or better if I ate what I really wanted?  Most people tell me deep down they feel resentful, defeated and isolated when they abandon their true desires for food, or for anything else for that matter.

This is such a huge topic that a whole hour session could be devoted to it, maybe more!  I decided to create a lesson for you so you could listen to it over and over as you learn to eat from full permission.   Learn more about Eating With Full Permission.

With much Love

Tracy

Again,  here are the details about  Eating with Full Permission .  Share this on social media for those you know might need help giving themselves permission to eat too!