Changing habits

[Sian]

Hi Gillian
I have had quite a good week thinking through everything and iimplementing some of the suggestions and I’ve been feeling a lot healthier. Today I reverted to my usual snacking almost wanting to feel uncomfortable. I’m not sure it’s a self esteem thing, it feels more like the fact that it’s a familiar and comfortable feeling for me. What can I do about this? It’s almost like I’m choosing the negative impact of overeating.
Does anyone else feel like that?
Thanks Sian

[Sophia G.]

Hi Sian, I’m having a good week too. I’m genuinely hopeful, think I’m getting a handle on it now. And I’ve done it before, before completely falling off the wagon. Then started having another go a few weeks ago using the Eating Less book, before joining the Course. I think it’s coming together now for me, that I have a much clearer handle on what to do, what to talk to myself about and how strongly. I suspect that what you are relating … “…. a familiar and comfortable feeling for me..’ is all about Habits, as you say in the title of your post. I find Habits extremely powerful, often EXTREMELY HUGELY Powerful really, and that is what we are working with here. No other suggestions really apart from, if this rings a bell with you too, to just look and recognise that for what it basically is. If it is. And habits are relaxing and familiar and comfortable, even the unhelpful ones often. I find, anyway. Also we’re not going to be 100% successful of course, so if you can watch some of Gillian’s videos again to remind you of the finer points, hopefully your snacking today won’t carry on too long. ! I’m going to go watch the videos again myself, now. Immerse myself. It’s so easy to forget the new ways when we’ve been implementing our unhelpful ways for so many years. God I know all about that.

[Sian]

Thank you Sophia, this is very true. I don’t want to continue with my unhelpful and unhealthy familiar feelings, but I think it will take time and I need to be patient! Will rewatch videos too

[Gillian]

Sian,

One way to express what we’re aiming for here, is to be making more choices that we don’t later regret, that brings us into a peaceful and empowering relationship with food. Yes?

So, you say you make choices to eat in a way that leaves you feeling “familiar and comfortable” – and you can choose that! But, you ask, “What can I do about this?” which implies you’re not completely happy with choices such as these.

This is all part of the learning process: “if or when I revert to my usual snacking, I’ll get this familiarity but I also get dissatisfied in some way.”

So you learn how to make more clear and well-informed and complete choices that you’ll be happy to live with. Any choice, of course, isn’t all bad or all good; there can be pros and cons to any alternative you consider.

[Sian]

That’s exactly it! Thanks. I realise that this will be a gradual process and patience is needed after years of dieting

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