Overcoming Overeating

Now ask yourself this question: What would I do if I was not afraid? I’ve asked myself this question consistently for several weeks, and have been amazed at the answers. Many are connected to my overeating. I realized I was afraid of being beautiful. I was afraid of embracing my life purpose (it’s scary to share your heart with the world.) I was afraid of scarcity, of there not being enough to go around. What are your fears? I guarantee that your fears and your overeating are good friends.

6. Accept your limitations.
This was a toughie for me. When I was working on healing my overeating, I realized that I didn’t really want to stop overeating. What I really wanted was to be able to eat candy, pastries, ice cream, fried foods, and all sorts of junk and not gain weight. However, accepting myself – I’m sugar sensitive, which means that once I eat a bite of cake I will eat the whole thing - meant accepting that I couldn’t eat sugar.

I have spent several years going off and on sugar. I had to come to the point where I realized that abstaining from sugar isn’t depriving myself, but nurturing myself. What are your limitations? Support yourself by recognizing your triggers.

7. Plan for your success.
Here’s how I plan for my success:
I eat three meals a day, everyday. I do my best to get a good night’s sleep (it’s hard to make healthy food choices when you’re exhausted.) I make time for exercise. I plan my meals and grocery store outings. When I’m going out to dinner, I choose a restaurant that has something healthy for me to eat. At times, I’ve asked my family to hide certain foods from me, to not bring certain foods into the house, and to abstain from certain foods when I’m in the same room. I don’t buy Halloween candy or do Christmas baking. I bring healthy dishes to potlucks so that I know I'll have something there to eat. I carry food with me when I run errands or will be gone for the day.

Does my list sound too difficult? No, what’s difficult is looking in the mirror and not liking what I see; not being able to fit into my clothes because I’ve been diving into the tortilla chips; hiding myself from the world because I’m depressed. That is hard. Supporting myself is easy.

8. Start where you are.
You can start over, at any time.