Do you know the feeling you get when you accomplish something? It can be as small as a day of chores, a puzzle, or even something bigger like an exercise or hitting a weight loss goal. Maybe it was even an emotional accomplishment like having a difficult conversation with your boss or a loved one. Regardless, you crossed the finish line and it feels good!
Your feelings may go beyond just the sense of completion and you find yourself full of joy, excitement, and even relief. You celebrate, tell others (maybe even write a book) pat yourself on the back, and feel excited to think about what’s next because you can tackle the world.
Ok, maybe finishing a puzzle doesn’t exude those feelings but you get what I am talking about, right?
Seeing Rainbows and Unicorns
When I came up with the title of my book, From Fat to Free, How to End Your Toxic Relationship with Food I spent time trying to explain to others what the emotions were that I was feeling since I lost 100 lbs. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I felt free.
I remember describing being at the top of a mountain, able to see far out into the future and it all was beautiful. I remember feeling like a heavy weight had been lifted off of me, not just the physical weight of the shed pounds but an emotional weight as well. I felt full of energy, less fearful, excited to try new things, wear different clothes, and see life as all rainbows and unicorns.
And, it was. It still is.
Owning My Truth
Since the book was released, I started teaching others how to end their toxic relationship with food and having a great time sharing my tips, tricks, and tools with you. But please know, it was not all rainbows and unicorns. I ran into new life challenges (shocker!) and my toxic relationship with food continued to present itself. Yes, the scale has gone up and down. I had to own the fact that I am not free from my addiction to food and my battle showed up at different times and in different ways.
I have had moments of imposter syndrome and questioning what on earth am I doing. Am I a fraud? Why are people listening to me? I declared that I am free, but I am not. Well, not in the way I implied anyway.
These thoughts are what led me to step back and look a bit closer to my description of being “free” and what I learned is that while every day might not be a picturesque mountaintop overlook with nothing but rainbows on the horizon, I am still free, of so much.
- Free from food having control.
- Free from hiding a food addiction.
- Free of the embarrassment of a toxic relationship with food.
- Free of walking into a room and wondering who is staring.
- Free of letting a scale number determine my self-worth.
- Free of diabetes, painful feet, and other painful physical ailments.
Keep Choosing You
The list can go on for pages. But that is not the point. The point is that this scenario is just another example of what life is and that you (and I) have the choice on how to respond to it. The tips, tricks, and skills from my book — they work. You can take the control back from food. You can end your toxic relationship with food. You can expect to feel free. You can expect to keep working on it and at it every day, but that’s life! And we keep going.
Join me on September 20 for my next 5-day workshop. We will deep dive into your relationship with food and continue to build a strong tool belt that will support your desire to have a healthy mind, body, and soul.