Hello fellow seekers,
I hope this day finds you well. If you’re struggling with food and body image issues, it’s hard to predict how your moods might swing from day to day. Typically a weight problem is NOT about the food. The excess food you eat (or the lack of it if you’re an under-eater) is a symptom. The real question you
have to ask yourself is WHY you try to control your food, and what does food do for you?
My eating problem started long before I was overweight. I remember that I started using food to comfort me as a small child. My Dad physically and mentally abused my Mom which really stressed me out as a kid. The tension was always worse at night when my Dad was around (note that I am not blaming my Dad–our relationship is now fine). So I would eat food, especially junk food like chips and dip, and life seemed more tolerable.
I also realize that one of my triggers is to overeat at night. I think it might have to do with my childhood, and I see eating a little larger portions at dinner compared to my other meals as a reward for working all day. It helps to comfort me and to feel safe and relaxed. Can you relate to this?
What this tells me is that I need food to feel safe in the world. At an early age (maybe from the time I was born), I saw my protector (Dad) harm my other protector (Mom). If I didn’t feel safe in my household, I certainly wouldn’t feel safe “out there” in the big world. So I turned to food for safety and comfort. Problem is—the food only provided a false sense of safety. It did serve a very useful purpose though—to help me cope and survive when I didn’t have a better way. Therefore, I’m not going to criticize and berate myself for using food to cope with life because I did the best I could at the time. I was only a child with limited resources and tools. To this day, food is still important to me. I enjoy preparing and eating it.
However, I don’t use it as a crutch to avoid life or my feelings. My hope is that we can all learn to rely on our inner strength and wisdom and less on the food. We can begin to create our destiny and let go of limiting beliefs and fears. I know we can do this!
I hope you are starting to feel the slightest glimmer of hope…
PS: If you’re really serious about creating your most magnificent life, click on the attached to see if you qualify for a discovery session: https://www.harmonyharbor.com/discovery-session
PSS: Do you have friends and family that are also interested in creating their own destinies of joy and freedom? Send them to: https://www.harmonyharbor.com/news-register
Peace & Blessings,
Angie Monko
