You know how we all have a weak spot in our diet; that thing we cannot seem to control when the impulse arises.  Years ago mine was black licorice.  On weekends I’d often buy a box of my favorite and eat the whole thing in one sitting.

Merely thinking seriously about overeating licorice would trigger a kind of pre indulgence tension and anxiety.  You know that feeling when you get the first inkling to do something that you know is not really great for you?  I also found that during the actual eating, which was quite pleasurable in itself, there would be that same background anxiety and it would grow worse the more I ate. I’d become increasingly uncomfortable emotionally and the voice of guilt and shame would grow louder and louder.  By the time I’d finished the box my anxiety would shift into hoping I would not ever do this again or at least I’d only eat half a box.  Throughout the entire process from first urge to last bite anxiety and guilt gnawed away my peace.

Then one evening I decided to run an experiment.   I decided I would eat, overeat actually, an entire box of licorice and while indulging I would maintain a quality of self-talk that was highly respectful, even admiring and self-congratulatory.  While I knew I would harm myself to some small degree physiologically I vowed to protect, yes, even enhance my self-esteem.

Late one Saturday night I found myself sitting at the table munching one piece of licorice after another, at times 3, 4 or 5 pieces at once.  I could feel my body contracting and my mind generating such thoughts as: “ I don’t understand why you are doing this.  You know what this does to you.  This is stupid.  You are going to regret this.” Etc. etc.

I continued to chew and swallow licorice noticing how much my body enjoyed the flavor and texture.  I deliberately relaxed myself, sat with a posture of relaxed dignity, smiled inwardly and began speaking kindly to myself  “Charley Cropley, I love you.  You are a fine man. I admire the way you give yourself to the path of right action.  You have overcome scores of habits far more difficult than this one and I am fully confident you will succeed with this.  In fact you are succeeding in this very moment.”

“While in this moment I am eating licorice, I will not swallow one ounce of guilt or other negativity.  In fact I intend to grow healthier and happier through this very activity.  I intend to break free of this craving precisely by loving myself so strongly that I am impelled to leave licorice for something better.”

I continued like this speaking to myself anything I could that would make me feel good.  Often I would talk to myself out loud to keep my thoughts from drifting back into old patterns.  At one point I unexpectedly found that I no longer had the desire to eat any more licorice.  The urge had left me.  I was actually eager to put the box away but it occurred to me to not.  I wanted to continue eating not because I could not resist the yearning but because I was being so nourished by the quality of my own inner voice in circumstances where it was normally inaudible to me.  I had not anticipated this.

So here I was deliberately choosing to do something “bad” for me when I didn’t even feel drawn to do it.  My inner critic was perplexed.  “Whaaat?  I don’t get it.”  He said.  “You really are stupid; This is even stupider than you usually are.  You are flat out deliberately doing exactly what you know is bad for you.  I’m scared.  Why don’t you quit while you can?  Why needlessly feed this compulsion?  It will grow and you’ll regret it.” Blah, blah, blah.

As I noticed these thoughts and persisted in choosing words of self-admiration I found that my anxiety and guilt had completely vanished.  Somehow I had broken an fang or claw of this monster so that it could no longer hold me and force me to do its bidding.  

Previously I knew of no way to stop.  I felt out of control, compelled by irresistible urges that scared me… badly.  However in this moment, for the first time I felt a genuine confidence that was actually surprising to me.  I was in control and I knew it.  I knew I could and would win this battle and any like it.  It didn’t matter what the substance was.  I was more powerful.

What joy this brings me!  I could have never predicted that this relatively simple act of attention and compassion would carry such healing.  That it could liberate me from so much suffering.

This experience and others like it have have inspired me to want to learn how to treat myself with greater intelligence and kindness, not just in times of crisis but at all times.  I am daily thrilled and amazed that there actually exists this sweet Power, capable of freeing us from the demons that drag us into a living hell of sickness and anxiety.  I have fallen deeply in love with this new voice that I recognize to be none other than my own.

A Practical Exercise:

 Use your journal to engage in the following questions.

What amount and types of exercise do you presently do? What movements do you perform on a regular basis with the specific intention of promoting beauty, vitality, strength, flexibility, grace, endurance, etc.?

How might you further enrich your life (by your own standards of enrichment) through healing movement? What results might you be able to accomplish? What gifts, what good can you see would come to you if you were to really go for it with exercise and movement? How would it effect your weight, strength, shape, flexibility, endurance, energy level, digestion, bowel movements, skin, appetite, sex life, sleep, moods, concentration, memory, various symptoms and illnesses, relationships, career, income. Go for it! Be imaginative! The truth is: movement is a miracle which blesses and enriches every aspect of your life.

Design what you believe would be an optimal program of movement to bring about the body you want. To assist you, imagine exercise was available in a pill form. What pills would you want? 30 minutes of running daily? 15 minutes of Yoga? Weight training for what parts? Dance? Tennis? What? Go for it!! Have fun!

Now, give some thought to actually doing this. Watch all the reasons and rationalizations that surface to explain why you can’t really do this. Note down these thoughts and please note that these are just that – thoughts – you have never actually had this experience before so the truth is you do not know what it would be like.

If one of your thoughts is that too much exercise would harm you in any way please recall that is not exercise as we are defining it.

Too often in our culture exercise has been synonymous with mindlessness; it has been more like punishment. We are talking about love and caring given expression in motion.

Given all the beautiful gifts that await you through caring movement, are you willing to live your life without this gift? Is there any other means in the entire world by which you obtain the rewards of caring exercise?

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. What is the right first step for you to take this week? That is your homework. Enjoy it! If you are not inspired by it forget it and return to whatever joy you found in your previous movements.

 You will also be taught how to eat enjoyably and with integrity in ALL social situations, amid the busiest schedule, even when traveling.

It is essential but not sufficient that you learn WHAT to eat to correct your injured metabolism. You must also learn how to have these wholesome foods available to you in every situation of your life, at home, in the car, at work, at parties, family gatherings and while traveling. I will teach you how to be prepared so that you have the foods you need in every circumstance.

Beyond having wholesome, tasteful meals available. You must face the challenges of how to eat graciously in social situations. You will learn how to eat with family and friends and walk the line between making excellent food choices and celebrating with others without offending them.

I know of nobody else who trains you as thoroughly as I do because I know of almost nobody else who has wrestled with nutritional issues as much as I have. I know first hand what it takes to eat this way because I do it myself and I have trained thousands of others to do so.

]]> http://charleycropley.com/2011/12/cooking-food-preparation-and-eating-socially/feed/ 0 http://charleycropley.com/2011/12/what-really-determines-your-eating/ http://charleycropley.com/2011/12/what-really-determines-your-eating/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:28:56 +0000 Charley Cropley, N.D. http://charleycropley.com/wordpress/?p=365 Intellectually knowing what to eat is a necessary but very small part of actually eating well. There are other much more powerful influences on what you eat. The questions below will give you insight into the real obstacles you must overcome to achieve the success you desire. I offer you practical training in overcoming these obstacles.

Rate yourself from 1 to 10

1 means “never” or “hardly at all”. 10 means “always” or “to the maximum.”

Also circle the three biggest influences on your eating.

1. I eat in close alignment with my present understanding of what is best for me.

2. I often make poorer food choices because I feel rushed and in a hurry.

3. I eat when I am not hungry.

4. I overeat.

5. My cravings and addictions compel me to eat against my better judgment.

6. I make poorer food choices when I am pre-menstrual or during menopause.

7. I eat poorly at work.

8. I eat poorly when I travel.

9. When I eat in restaurants I generally give into temptation more.

10. I have wholesome, appealing meals available to me:

At home_____ work_____ car _____ traveling ______

11. I eat poorly after dinner or at the end of the day.

12. I feel I lack the time to prepare and eat wholesome meals.

13. Being tired causes me to give in to poor food choices.

14. I use food to block myself from feeling emotions. List the emotions you most avoid:

15. I eat when I am feeling troubled in my relationship.

16. I allow my friends or family to negatively effect my eating.

17. My eating often degenerates at social gatherings, parties and during holidays.

18. I have real doubts that I can overcome my obstacles to nourishing myself well.

19. I experience shame or guilt about what I eat.

20. I am critical and self-judgmental. I focus much more on what I have done wrong than what I have done right.

21. I know what specific foods I can eat to reduce my cravings in moments of temptation.

22. When my eating gets “out of control” I am usually able to get myself back on track in:

Minutes,    Hours,     Days,       Weeks,       Months,      Years

23. I am very afraid I will fail again in my attempts to improve my eating.

24. When I fail a few times I readily give up on myself and go back to my old ways of eating.

25. I have people who actively support me in eating well.

Uncontrollable cravings and feeling too tired to exercise are a RESULT of this metabolic injury, not the CAUSE of it.”

In other words…