RECOVERY IS NOT A RACE BUT IF IT WAS "SLOW AND STEADY" WOULD WIN

As an Aries, I am no stranger to a lack of patience.

To want to just hurry up and be at my destination already- whatever it is (a skill, an emotion, a location, an income level or some place other than where I am currently at).

I want things to be like a light switch- quickly going from On to Off with the flick of my finger. But most things in life are not like that.

They take time. They're a process.

You know... "it's about the journey, not the destination."

And this desire to rush things or to lack patience with ourselves in the healing process is something I encounter all the time with my clients who are working towards Food Freedom & Intuitive Eating.

They are frustrated that they aren't *there* yet.

They want to just hurry up and be recovered already without having to actually do the work.

They are upset that they still struggle with certain fear foods.

That thoughts of foods haven't completely gone away.

That they don't have the level of trust with themselves and their body that they think they "should".

Or they still have bad body image days.

But here is the thing, Micheal Jordan didn't just decide to become one of the best basketball players we've ever seen and then the next moment he was the best. No.

He started to practice, got cut from his high school team, and kept practicing. He refined and learned from his mistakes. He strength trained. He put in the work consistently, over time and eventually became the player we all know him to be.

Recovery is a process of practicing, messing up, learning from your mistakes, practicing more, refining your skills, strengthening your mindset, practicing some more, and putting in the work consistently, over time and eventually you have food freedom and become an intuitive eater.

It's not something you can bypass.

Its something you have to work through.

It's a process that requires practice, patience and time.

So take a deep breath, and remember slow and steady.

xo Cara

THANK YOU FOOD. A POEM FROM AN EMOTIONAL EATER

"Thank you food, for all your support over the years,

for being something I could attempt to control when I felt the world around me crumble.

Thank you food, for being something to take my mind off of life,

for letting me numb the pain I wasn't ready to face.

Thank you food, for helping me cope,

supporting me through all the dark times when I had no hope.

Thank you food, for adding sweetness to the sour circumstances,

and the bland ones, too.

Thank you food, for alerting me to the deep inner work I had to do."

-C/O Cara at age 22.

____

When we strip away all of our judgement for eating emotionally, and stop thinking it's a problem we need to fix, we finally have the space to see it for what it is:

A signal that an area of our life needs our attention...., that likely has little to do with food or weight.

xo C

Binge Eating Recovery Resources

• To learn more about the non-diet approach to healing your relationship with food, check out my free video training series HERE.

• You can also check out my podcast, Love Your Bod Pod, on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

• Lastly, you can also check out my books, or online course.

FEAR FOODS: "I CAN'T KEEP THAT IN THE HOUSE"

There seems to be a reoccurring theme on coaching calls this week around foods that we are afraid to have in the house.

Foods that we fear we will lose control around.

Foods that never seem to last more than a day.

That whole, "once I pop, I can't stop" thing.

One bite turns into the whole box/carton/bag.

Maybe it's cookies, peanut butter, ice cream, chips, chocolate covered coconut cashews from Trader Joe's. Whatever.

But here is the thing, we don't end up feeling "out of control" around a certain food unless we are actively trying to be in control of it in the first place.

Our fear of the food is reflective of our level of restriction around it.

That means, to some degree you are shaming, guilt tripping, calling it bad or forbidden, judging or limiting yourself and that food. You wished you didn't want it or you're afraid you will gain weight.

Whenever we say we can't or shouldn't have something, we create a charge around it. And that charge creates a magnetism.

So..., we want it even more. Sometimes we even *feel addicted* and powerless to that food. That only happens when we fear & restrict it.

On the contrary, when you give yourself unlimited access to a food you don't feel crazy around it. No shame, no guilt, no fear, no conditions..., that food is simply no big deal because it's allowed to be a part of your life.

The only way to decrease the charge, and thus the fear of being out of control around these foods is access and permission. Not just physical access but deep emotional access as well.

Fear of a food leads to feeling out of control around that food, which means you are restricting so binge eating is around the corner.

Let your fear be your mirror, reflecting back where you need to go a level deeper with your access.

xo C

And PS. I know this can be easier said than done, so I'd love to help you if you are feeling really stuck.

CLICK HERE to learn about coaching opportunities.