Many of us say we love food. And what’s not to love?…It’s tasty, and it fuels our body.
But many times I hear women say that they love food too much!
I hear many moms talk about how their relationship with food is fraught with struggle, that instead of being in the joy of food, they are in their own private food-jail.
Here’s a short quiz for you to get clear if you are really in a loving relationship with food, or if you are imprisoned by your relationship with food.
- Are you eating your food quickly and barely tasting it?
- Do you regularly bypass your body’s “I’m full” signal and keep eating ’til you are past full.
- Do you eat and then give yourself a hard time about what you ate and/or how much you ate?
- Do you end up feeling uncomfortable after you eat?
- Do you ever sneak food or eat certain food on the sly, so the kids won’t see you?
- Do you look at the world of food in terms of ‘good’ food or ‘bad’ food and then judge yourself if you ate any ‘bad’ food?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re in food jail and I bet you want to get out!
Absolutely! food jail is no fun and you totally deserve to have a fantastic, joyful relationship with your body and with your food!
Food and body are two of the most sensual, pleasurable spheres of life, and yet for so many women the pleasure part is out of reach.
Here are three techniques to help you walk out of that food and body jail and into the joy and pleasure of a healthy relationship with food.
1. Love the food that loves you back
Be sure that you are in a reciprocal relationship with your food.
It feels crummy to love someone but not have them love you back…well it’s the same with food.
If you are having a love affair with ice cream or chips, but then you just end up feeling bad about yourself, that food is just not loving you back. It’s time to break up with those foods that are just undermining your self-worth.
I know, breaking up is hard to do, sometimes you need some support to make the leap – that’s why you need a good coach – call me…I can help!
2. Be kind to yourself.
If you’ve been in food jail, you may have picked up some mean-girl habits like being really critical of yourself. To really get out of food and body jail, it’s vital to shift the negative self-talk and replace it with deep kindness and compassion.
3. Get support
You know how you want your kids to hang out with other kids who are a positive influence? The same holds true for you. Being influenced and guided by others who have busted out of food jail gives you the support to stay out of jail and step into the joy and pleasure of your food and your body. And that is Smokin’ Hot!
Food jail has become the norm in our culture but it doesn’t have to be your normal. From someone who has spent many years in food jail and made a great get-away, I say to you: “It’s really nice out here!” I invite you to love the food that loves you back, be kind to yourself, and get support. Imagine how that freedom would feel in your life!
P.S. Keep your eyes open ’cause I’ve got a totally Smokin’ Hot Detox coming in May (Just after Mother’s Day) that will get you out of food jail and into food joy. If you just can’t wait another moment to get out of food jail please contact me, I can help.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nina Manolson, MA, CHC, LMT is the Smokin’ Hot Mom Mentor and Family Wellness Expert. She’s the founder of SmokinHotMom.com and HealthyYummyKids.com. She helps busy moms look and feel their best, and helps them feed their kids well in a world that doesn’t.
Nina Manolson, MA, is the founder of Body-Peace®.She helps women end the war with food and body and finally feel truly at home in their body—as it is.
She is known for her deeply feminist, anti-diet, body-peace® approach. She brings her 30 years of experience as a therapist, Body-Trust® Guide and Psychology of Eating Teacher to helping women create a respectful and trusting relationship with their food and body.
Nina’s Body-Peace® work is all in service of helping people get off the diet roller-coaster, and into a compassionate and powerful way of eating & living which creates a positive long-lasting change in and with their bodies. Her courses, coaching, poems and Body-Peace APP positively change the conversation that women are having with their body.
Start your Body-Peace® journey with this free masterclass that will help you understand and shift your relationship with your body.
