SURPRISING BENEFITS: FOOD OBSESSION TO FOOD FREEDOM
Many facets of our life transform simultaneously when we move from food obsession into food freedom. For example, when we create an easy and uncomplicated relationship with food, it is not just our physical health that improves. There are surprising benefits in other parts of our lives. Personally, I was not aware how much my entire life would change. I will be honest, it is a wild ride working on our relationship with food. Some days are hard and you want to give up. Other days you are nailing it. Some days you feel like you are going backward. It is never linear. Despite being a journey with ups and downs, it is tremendously worthwhile. Read on, where I reveal these surprising benefits!
4 SURPRISING BENEFITS
1. Time
How much time do you spend thinking about food? Cooking and preparing food? Shopping for food? How much time do you spend contemplating when you will get more food and how? What about researching diets? Or researching how to stop binge eating? The energy you use to hide food or secretly eat food? All of this adds up! Ultimatly, once we rid ourselves of this worry, mental space and consequently time is generated. We then have the amazing opportunity to shift our focus to what, (on a soul level), is important to us. What makes you joyful and happy? What is important to you? How could you use this time and energy to create a more meaningful life?
Mental Space
For me, this mental space allowed me to start dance and yoga classes. Moreover, I launched Mindfoodness – Eating Psychology Clinic (my passion and mission in this life). So I want to ask you this question. If you were not thinking about food, what would you do with your time? What is obsessing over food holding you back from? What is the one thing you would do? We all have 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. But it is our choice what we decided to do with that time.
2. MONEY
Don’t we all want to have more money? I don’t know about you, but I love money. It gives me the freedom of choice. To live a life on my terms and choose how I spend my time. Apart from the obvious, (that consuming unhealthy foods is damaging to our physical body), we are actually throwing money down the drain. Essentially, if we calculate the extra money we spend on eating out unnecessarily or on binge sessions; there is a significant opportunity-cost here. A coffee here, a cupcake there. Weekly shopping sessions to calm cravings. For some, the cost is maybe hundreds of dollars per week that could be invested into something else!
A Beautiful Life
Where else could this money be spent to live a beautiful and more meaningful life filled with self-confidence and self-love? This is a choice we make. What is your priority? Ultimately, where your money goes is a choice. I am aware this is a triggering topic to some, but it is vitally important that we are honest with ourselves if we want transformation!
3. STRESS
For me, when I stopped binge eating, my stress levels plummeted. Of course, I have stressful moments (and you will too). But the stress around worrying about food and the emotions surrounding binging (like guilt and shame), can really consume our lives and psyche! And you do not need to live with this. Ultimately, when we go back to eating in a way that feels natural to us (the way we ate before we started crazy diets); we begin to eat more intuitively. For example, we eat when we were hungry, stop when we were full. (Read more about intuitive eating here).
Stress and Weight
When we experience stress, our body goes into flight or fight mode and our cortisol levels increase. When this occurs, the elevated cortisol causes our body to store body fat (in particular, around our belly). Sometimes we want to lose weight and become obsessive about calories, however, this alone can generate stress and might even cause us to gain weight! Essentially, lower cortisol levels in our body might contribute to weight loss. For me, my weight decreased when I stopped dieting and worked on my relationship with food (finding the driving forces to my binge eating and overeating). Of course, there are no guarantees of weight loss, however, many people who stop binge eating find they naturally lose weight.
4. QUALITY OF LIFE
This is a big one. Some of my clients say, ‘It is not about food anymore, it is about my life!” They no longer set food goals, they set life goals. The other day I spoke to a client who said ‘I no longer identify myself with my eating disorder or with food issues. I now focus on how I can help people and how can I have fun in my life.’ For me, when my focus changed, my quality of life dramatically improved. When we stop worrying about judgment and worries, we have time and capacity to create and innovate, help and heal, and be present in moments of beauty. We have more capacity to connect to our partner, family or children. Consequently, relationships improve.
SURPRISING BENEFITS
To conclude, finding freedom with food is worth it! We tend to hide, until the ‘perfect moment’ to be seen and start living our life appears. But it rarely (or never) comes, and we continue to withhold ourselves and our innate greatness beneath the veil of shameful emotions. But it does not have to be this way. Stop saying, ‘When I lose weight I will have fun’, ‘When I feel more confident I will go to the gym’. Life is a choice. Moreover, it is way too short! The world needs you!. You are worth it! Make the decision to choose you!
Finally, you are warmly welcome to join my FREE Facebook group Finding Freedom With Food Mindfoodness Community where we go live every week for 20 minutes Bite-Sized Lunch Breaks and download my FREE GUIDE to End Binge Eating in 6 Steps – See Below.
6 KEY STEPS TO
END BINGE EATING CYCLE &
RELEASE EMOTIONAL WEIGHT
Regain power over food!
Binge eating and emotional eating is not a food problem, it is an emotional problem.
We can’t rely on will-power to stop binge eating. In this e-book I am addressing the underlying reasons why we use food as a drug and what our body is trying to tell us.
