I?m just pleased as punch (what does that mean, exactly?!) that last week?s blog post, with Confession #1 of 3 from a Vibrant Living Advocate, resonated for so many people.
Last week, I shared Confession #1: I gain weight, too. And I gain it easier now than ever before.
If you missed it, click to read about sausage casing pants, rigged scales, annoying sons, mohawks, and facing a fork in the road.
And now on to the next?
Confession #2: I have a never-ending relationship with ?avalanche foods.?
Dear GAWD, who?s the clown that invented potato chips?!? WHY did he or she do that terrible thing? And who decided to take bitter-tasting, ground-up cacao seeds from a fantabulous plant and mix in various amounts of sugar to create my version of heroin? And speaking of sugar, what about the genius that randomly gnawed on a sugar cane plant, and launched the addiction for all ages? Who WERE these people?!?
You may guess, from that rant, that you?re not alone. You?re not the only person who eats one chip and follows it with every remaining chip in the bag. You?re not the only person that can?t stop eating sweets. You?re not the only person that said ?hey, I?ll move to dark chocolate, that?s supposed to be better for me than milk chocolate? and now can?t stop eating THAT either.
Need I say more?
Yes, you?re not the only one. In fact, in decades of guiding folks around food, health & human-ness, I might have worked with like, two people who don?t have some form of food addiction/emotional eating/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. I like to call those foods ?avalanche foods,? meaning that a little most always leads to a lot. They also tend to be the same foods that we look to when we?ve had a lousy day, or when our kid is being a massive PITA (pain in the a**), and we really need a friend and the cookies really LOOK like friends right now.
I wish I had a magic wand, or secret clinical cure, for avalanche foods, but I don?t. I hear about some folks who have done hypnotherapy and were cured. If that?s true, I say rock on wit dat! But let?s talk about an inner approach, some Mind Savvy?, that you can start today. And please note that it?s ALWAYS about inner approach?life, and true change and success, are all about working with our inner game.
First, simply recognize that you?re human and some foods are just addictive for a whole lotta people. I?ve never had anyone confess to me that they sneak into the kitchen after everyone?s in bed and eat broccoli. But I?ve had lots of people make that confession around ice cream or cookies. Sugar is addictive (bio-chemically). Dairy is addictive (bio-chemically). And a lot of the ?snack foods? actually have ?appetite enhancers? added to them by food manufacturers so that we can?t stop eating them. Which I, personally, thing is just plain WRONG and should be illegal. Anyhoo.
Next, know that unless we break the cycle, the avalanche foods just keep increasingly haunting us. In my personal life, I call it a dance. There?s a dance I do with certain foods that I?ll likely do until my last breath. Here are my dance moves:
I clean them out of my life and feel really amazing. Then they start to slip back in, slowly at first, and then the avalanche gains steam. Then, I realize what?s happening, and I start to be more mindful around those foods. When I want to reach for them, I take a few deep breaths and then have a big glass of water. I ask myself WHY I want them. I relegate them to not being available in the house, or only on weekends, or some guideline that puts some ?banks on the river.? Sometimes this works to get me back on track, and sometimes I have to clean the avalanche foods out again, usually with a Body Sass? Cleanse. Et cetra.
Focus on your wins, and keep expanding them. As time went on, and I focused on the Food Sass? food lifestyle, I found that I actually DO crave avocado and arugula, and that I really enjoy health-building foods. A lot. So those are some big wins. And, I still continue my dance with avalanche foods, but they get less time on the dance floor, and I?m mindful of when they need to sit a few dances out. I COULD decide to never touch one again. But I?m resistant to that kind of rigidity around food. My experience is that it creates backlash for people.
So, instead of beating yourself up, love yourself and simply ENGAGE with yourself and your process. Mindfulness is key. Creating space (like deep breaths and a glass of water) is important. And my 80/20 rule (80% Food Sass? and 20% Fake Food) allow for reality, dancing, and vibrant health.
Again, two of the most important things we can be with ourselves are honest, and gentle.
Does this post resonate for you? Not? Share your insights with me below! I always love to hear from you.
Create Vibrant Health: BodyMindSpirit?!
With love & sassy dance moves,
Laurie
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