Food peace through self-compassion gives you what you desire – freedom and accountability to be peaceful with food.
Committing to changing your relationship with food takes a different focus. It’s more connected to what you want while at the same time giving you both grace and limits that are in alignment with your needs.
Self-compassion is holding yourself accountable without judgment. When you take stock of your relationship with food with neutrality, push yourself when you need to do more and acknowledge your accomplishments when they happen, you’re on the path of food peace.
To be at peace with food, you need self-compassion most when you…
- are tired of solutions that have you running in circles.
- know what you want, to stop emotional eating, but it happened again.
- question if you even know what you want.
- adjust your goals to fit what you want - not what “they” want.
- doubt leads you to question your choices.
While you adjust to this new form of accountability, you’ll have many opportunities to slip back into self-criticism, skepticism and negative thinking about your state.
You’ll probably have a chance to practice self-compassion many times a day!
The good news is that these opportunities push you to become even more transparent and assertive in your resolve to change your relationship with food and your body.
And, as you practice, you’ll develop habits that support your changes and self-compassion makes it all easier.
Self-compassion helps you keep your focus on moving forward.
Being at peace with food through self-compassion reshapes how you work with yourself so you know when to push and ease up.
You don’t need to look for balance when you have your internal barometer to guide you. You adjust as you develop a refined internal awareness of your emotional states.
Here are three steps to be at peace with food through self-compassion:
1. Assess what is enough for you.
When I ask people this question, what is enough? They usually think in terms of minimums. “Don’t take too much” vs. “Take what you think you need, and you can always have more.”
Are you in a place with enough love, money, friendship, work challenges and fulfillment, food you enjoy, and movement that feels good?
If you know there’s more you need in life; the first step is to get specific and identify what it is so you can develop a plan.
2. Utilize self-compassion and strive for satisfaction.
Satisfaction isn’t an endpoint. It’s a way of being that is your baseline of contentment.
Life satisfaction can only come when how you live your life matches up with your values. Satisfaction is part of feeling like you’re doing what you must do. You feel good about your life and yourself.
If you feel incomplete, like there’s something that you want or need in your life, use self-compassion to encourage you to ask the hard questions of yourself so you get out of the endless cycle of stress eating to fill a void it can’t possibly fill.
3. Question what you’re moving toward and ensure you want it.
Is it what you convinced yourself of to meet others’ expectations, or is it what you know in your heart you want?
Many well-meaning people make suggestions, assuming you’re on the same page. But are you? Just because your friend is on a diet, she might assume that everyone is on the hunt for the perfect way to eat, too. Maybe you are, but your way of getting there is very different.
Self-compassion is a commitment to yourself to figure out your needs. Figure out what nourishes you in mind, body and heart. Self-compassion keeps you accountable to yourself and at peace with food.
What does being at peace with food do for you?
Recognize that if your relationship with food isn’t serving you in the way you had hoped, it can change at any point in your life.
Being at peace with food transforms your relationship with food. It is dynamic, so tomorrow is closer to where you need to be.
Keep moving forward no matter what because your relationship with yourself matters most!
Sometimes, you need to push yourself when you’re scared and unsure if the outcome will be better than your current situation. But, when you’re backing yourself with self-compassion and accountability, you have what you need to take a risk.
Self-compassion allows you to take care of yourself as you change.
Pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, no matter how content you are at the moment and stepping into the next best thing in your life is what transforming your relationship with yourself is like.
Conclusion
When you say “yes” to yourself, you are already creating the space to be at peace with food. Thoughtfully, mindfully, making decisions from your heart, bit by bit, with self-compassion leading you where you need to be!