Week 2: Thought Shifts For Food

This series purpose is to make you aware of the thoughts you have about food, challenge them, and then show you how you can change them. If the thoughts that you are having about food are not serving you...if they are not producing results in you; you and you alone have the power to change them.

So many of us have the thoughts that food is our WORST enemy and our FAVORITE reward. Really think about this. If this is your thought "Food is my WORST enemy", what feelings does that create in you? This thought makes me feel anxious, out of control, nervous, no power, at foods will. If these are the feelings I'm having my actions will reflect that. When I'm faced with decisions to make about food; I will give up, give in, and let food over take me. These actions give me negative results; I gain weight, I feel self-conscious, I'm embarrassed...And then I use these RESULTS as a way to confirm my original thought. Food is my WORST enemy...see what it does?

Lets examine this one "Food is my FAVORITE reward". This thought creates feelings of self-righteous, entitlement, pride, greed. When I take on this thought; I believe that I deserve it. I worked for this; I should get to have a reward. Those feelings often lead to actions of overeating, losing control, I get entitled, and self-righteous. These actions only create negative results of me not reaching my goals.

But look what happens if you switch the thought from "Food is my WORST enemy and my FAVORITE reward" to "Food is just food." It is not possible for food to be any thing other than food. There is no positive or negative on food. You might have thoughts about food that are negative or positive. But you are choosing to think those thoughts. That is your choice. And you have the choice to change those thoughts if they are not SERVING you!

When I think the thought "Food is just Food". I action have very manageable feelings. There are not many emotions that are attached with food is just food because there is no negative or positive aspect like in my previous thoughts. When I can look at food as just being food; I can use it like that in my life. I act in a way that allows food to be only that. Something to nourish my body; give me energy, and keep me healthy.

If you are having a hard time making this shift in your thinking; check out my post on Thought Modifiers. These are easy shifts in your think that you can make as you are doing the work of changing your thoughts.