Ultimately everyone is on their own when it comes to behavior change.
The good news is you can be.
You can stop, you can get help, you can explore, you can investigate exactly what’s going on with your individual life and experience.
Eating Peace: When You’re Craving and Nervous About Darkness, Do This
I am sooooooo happy to be back home after traveling for three weeks.
I missed sharing with you all and creating videos, but today I was inspired to consider “home”.
The feeling of being home used to be completely foreign to me when it came to food and eating.
You might have felt this, too.
But there’s a way to pause (and it may require less effort than you ever thought) and picture what’s light about the moment, rather than dark, scary or sad.
Watch here to see what I mean, and leave a comment to let me know what you think.
Lots of peace,
Grace
P.S. Eating Peace is coming! A three day immersion in freedom from eating wars. October 9-11, 2015 north Seattle or November 13-15 near San Francisco. We begin Friday morning at 9:00 am. $347. Register HERE. If you need accommodation, there are 3 bedrooms in our retreat lodge.
Eating Peace: Why Would Being Happy About Yourself Right Now Be BAD For You?
There are a lot of ideas out there about how you should love yourself and be kind to yourself and care well for yourself, in order to be happy.
But rarely do we deeply consider why we would have this idea that being unhappy with oneself is a good thing.
What if you were happy with yourself as you are, at this weight, with your kind of eating patterns (no matter how terrible they’ve felt)?
What if the way you have been with food has been the best you can do, the best you’ve known how to do, until now?
What if instead of kicking yourself for eating, you could ask yourself why being happy right now would be bad for you?
Then really answer the question from the bottom of your heart, explore, notice what you believe, give yourself some patient consideration.
Eating Peace: It Only Takes One Day
When you feel really discouraged about your progress, or your healing with food, here’s what you can remember:
This is a process.
There is no “end” to the learning.
You can stop the violence, the binge-eating, for just one day, and you will feel better.
See if you can slow down and relax, only for 24 hours, shifting out of your usual behavior of eating or obsessing about food….
….and notice….
….this is not hopeless. You have just as much right to heal as anyone else.
Much love,
Grace
Eating Peace: You May Have To Make This Decision
I’ve gotten emails lately from people who are discouraged and saying “this isn’t working, I just binged again” or “I’m not staying on track” or “can I just work on my eating troubles…later?”
I get a little serious with you today in my video.
Because if your Voice talks at you and doesn’t care if you fail, or says things like “you’re a loser” or “you’ll never get this” or “keeping a journal of my eating and feelings doesn’t work” or “fuck it, just eat”….
….then this way of deep recovery and peace may not be for you.
If you want to keep feeding the self-hate Voice, the terrified Voice, the mean Voice….then find a special diet program or join a gym.
Nothing wrong with doing either of those.
In fact, I encourage people to do these things when its done in self-love and self-respect (I go to the gym almost every day in fact, I love my gym).
But this awareness approach….the one called Self Love….a voice of compassion, gentleness and peace….
….that’s the only way I ever found permanent care for myself, and the end of eating craziness.
The. Only. Way.
You get to choose.
Lots of peace,
Grace
Eating Peace: One Question You Can Ask Yourself….Just One
In the middle of the Eating Peace Online Course (which is underway right now) people almost always reach a moment after the initial period of hopefulness….
….the reality that they are right here, with themselves, and no one can really come in and fix their eating issues for them.
I mean, you can’t hire a bodyguard or a personal assistant, or me, to walk around with you 24/7.
You’ll run up into a moment again where you want to eat, where you’re overcome with the urge and craving to stuff your face, or start graze-eating at night, or simply keep eating when you are not hungry….or you’ll decide to starve yourself and skip eating altogether.
I don’t care if you have huge binge-eating episodes and your disordered eating or starving is extreme (that was me) or if you battle over nighttime snacking….
….the shadows will come to the surface and you’ll have to be with them.
Here’s something you can do that’s very very simple (but not so easy, I know) if you get super confused, hopeless, whiney or feel like a gigantic victim.
Watch here to see the question I ask. See if you can answer honestly.
You may be surprised.
Lots of peace,
Grace
P.S. Notice this is coming out Thursday, instead of Wednesday? For those of you who did….Technology broke down yesterday. All fixed now!
Eating Peace: A Crazy Tool You Have Within You But You May Not Know It
Are you someone who doesn’t really go for the woo-woo solutions to real life problems?
Well…this tool for changing your relationship with eating can sound a little cray-cray.
But believe me, I’m not that crazy (only crazy in a good way).
This tool is genuine, powerful, and used by many cultures, religions, therapeutic modalities and processes of emotional healing for centuries.
It’s in you already, you just may need to develop it a little, spending a little more time using your imagination for love, not hate (primarily for yourself).
See how I did it here. Leave a comment to let me know how this tool works for you–I love hearing from you and reading your comments.
Love, Grace
Eating Peace – Distorted Thinking, Distorted Eating
Whenever I start a new program, even if I’ve taught it many times before, I review the whole thing and often make little changes or notes.
Yesterday I was contemplating the way the Mind works when it comes to food and eating troubles as I reviewed the Eating Peace presentations, twelve 90 minute lectures with slides.
Beliefs, thoughts and views of the world sure do affect our lives in a deep way, including the way we eat.
Some of its conscious, some not so much.
The mind is quite remarkable, so busy, full, quick, and often–mistaken!
That Mind.
It’ll get things all twisted up and mixed around so you don’t know what’s up or down anymore.
It’s called making up stories based on past imprints or situations….worrying….anticipation….regret.
In the world of psychology, one term for the way thinking gets whacky when it comes to food (and other stressful stories) is….
….distorted thinking.
I talk today in this video about some of the ways we get distorted thinking when it comes to food….
….and the REAL origin or view of distortion (its not really about food).
I love how food is a reflection of how you feel about life.
Click here to listen, and leave a comment for me on my website, or on youtube after you watch–I love reading your impressions and feedback, and answering your questions.
Lots of peace,
Grace
P.S. Click HERE to read all about Eating Peace, the upcoming Online and Live Telecourse Program from February 22-May 31, 2015. Jam-packed with information and tools for healing the relationship with food, and with life.
Sign up here if you’re ready now (limited to 16, getting full):
full one-time payment 1st payment for 3-payment plan (now, 3/22 & 4/22)Once you register, I’ll personally send you all the information you’ll need via email.
Much love,
Grace
Eating Peace: Go Limp
Most people when they think about trying to stop overeating, or obsessing about food, or trying to be perfect when it comes to eating….
…are told that your solutions for this dilemma are to change your diet, study nutrition, or get into personal training.
Not that there’s anything wrong with these. They can make a HUGE difference, and sometimes completely change peoples’ lives.
But in my deep recovery….
….and what I mean by recovery is NEVER thinking about what I ate my last meal or what I “should” eat later, not making foods “good” or “bad” with moral values attached, and never ever weighing myself or caring….
….I found that real peace comes from slowing down, questioning your stressful beliefs, and being with yourself with the greatest unconditional love.
As I’ve mentioned before (I know, like 1000 times) if you’re wondering where to begin, the best place is to write.
Here’s the next video about what else you might write in this journal, to understand yourself better, and your own mind and feelings.
And my favorite fun message to contemplate when it comes to food and eating:
Go Limp!
Relax yourself, your mind, and all you’re thinking and believing.
Put down the books, scales, measuring devices and planners.
See what happens (it’s really good).
We’ll be starting the next 3 month online program on February 22nd to learn all the inner factors at play around eating issues of any kind, whether you just want to lose some weight, stop nighttime overeating, or quit having bulimic episodes (I did them all).
For more about this contemplative and full program, visit Eating Peace Online.
Much love,
Grace
Eating Peace: I Feel Like Eating Because….
How do some people heal from eating battles, concerns with food and weight, or thoughts and cravings for food?
What’s the difference between someone who gets over it once and for all, and someone who goes back to eating in a way that feels self-destructive, or who gains and loses weight over and over?
The most common attempt to solve the problem of compulsive behavior around food is diet and exercise.
This may help, but people often stop right there and don’t continue to explore all the elements that make the “storm” of off-balance eating.
For me, the only answer to true healing from eating troubles….
….to become someone who no longer has any need to overeat, binge, starve themselves on purpose, gain weight, or attempt to control themselves with diets….
….is a deep form of self-inquiry.
You might say “seriously?!”
Yes.
The place to begin is to see what you’re thinking, believing, and feeling about not just food, but life.
In the moments you feel worried, nervous, sad, enraged, furious or hurt….
….those are your moments for investigation.
Here’s where to begin this journey, and the great question to ask yourself when you feel like eating when you aren’t really hungry (or you’re completely stuffed).
Much love,
Grace