Love Really Is the Answer

By: Louisa Latela, MSW, LCSW

Permanent healthy weight loss is the consequence of self love and respect, not the cause of it!

In order to make peace with your body and food there is no way of getting around it: you just gotta love and accept yourself just as your are right here, right now, in this very moment..and you have to be willing to hang in there with yourself when you are desperately trying to change a behavior from which you want more than anything to be free.

Life would be so simple if we would just get out of our own way!

But we have a tendency to make things so darn complicated!! And most of us have tons of ways that we get in our way of having fun and really enjoying life, we:

• worry about what other people think about us.
  
• always have to be the peace maker.
  
• can’t say “No” to people.
  
• are the “life of the party” in front of family and friends,but secretly feel stressed and depressed.
  
• spend a lot of time feeling regretful or angry about things that happened in the past.
  
• worry about the future.
  
• gossip.
  
• feel responsible for the happiness of others.
  
• forget to put tending to our needs on our “to do” list.
  *allow the actions of others, the number on the scale, or the size of our jeans to determine our mood and control how we feel.
  
• base our self worth on the things we have, the money we make, or the success of our spouse or children.
  
• don’t speak up for ourselves.
  
• can’t accept a compliment.
  
• over/under eat, smoke, drink a little too much, or depend on prescription meds to get through the day.
  

to name a few!!!

So, how do you get out of your own way???

You get out of your way by coming home to Yourself!!

You stop and take a deep breath and turn your attention inward.
You ask yourself, “What will support my Highest Good?”
You listen to and feel the answer that comes from within, then:
You act in accordance with the guidance you receive from you!!!

That’s it!! It really is that simple.

But sometimes it just feels so difficult.

To “get out of your way” where food is concerned do this:

Before you put anything in your mouth ask yourself:

“Am I physically hungry?”

If the answer is “Yes”:

Eat what it is that your body is truly hungry for. (It may take some time to cultivate an authentic awareness of you bodys hunger and fullness signals as well as your bodys needs and wants.) Eat mindfully with passion and presence, and stop eating when you are comfortable (not stuffed!).

If the answer “No” then don’t eat!!

That’s it! It is as simple as that And as difficult as that.

Making peace with your body and food requires that you allow yourself to feel your feelings when you want to eat when you are not physically hungry.

It requires that you allow yourself to “experience the experience” of not eating when you are not physically hungry.

It requires that you show up for yourself like you would show up for someone you loved dearly who was struggling to change a behavior.

It requires that you be willing to breathe into and embrace your feelings, especially the painful ones. They will lead you home to your Authentic Self.

I am offering a new Tele-class based on Live Your Highest Good Make Peace With Your Body and Food e-workbook * starting September 29, 2010. For details visit *http://liveyourhighestgood.com/LiveYourHighest_Good/Teleclass.html or contact me at [email protected] or 856.429.9799. www.liveyourhighestgood.com