It was a watershed moment on the beach years ago when I realized that living in constant misery about the shape of my body was, in fact, far worse and life depleting than any number on the scale ever could be. It was a flash of insight when it became clear that I would continue … Continue reading
Filed under Presence …
Tight Pants
She lives within. That tiny, sometimes scared, sometimes hurt little girl. When she arrives she demands to be seen. She wants the world to stop and to be noticed, to be held. She reaches to be soothed in the old familiar ways, thus a return of some of the old patterns. You know the ones; … Continue reading
Thin – Pretty – Nice
“Thin”, “Pretty”, “Nice”. According to Brene Brown these are the 3 adjectives that top the list when research participants are asked to describe what makes for a feminine woman. As a young overweight child I was pretty convinced that I couldn’t ever attain the attribute of ‘thin’, and as I watched Charlie’s Angels and played … Continue reading
What else is lost in the ‘Biggest Loser’?
I’ve been hearing about ‘Biggest Loser’ competitions, inspired by the popular reality show, popping up all over the place, at fitness centers, schools and workplaces and I can’t help but think that these competitions offered under the guise of motivation and support just take us another step away from what most of us really crave; … Continue reading
The More You Crave, The More You Crave
There is a common expression in therapy circles “what you resist persists” and never have I found that more true than in the realm of food. This is why, for me, dieting is so dangerous and so ineffective. The constant restriction keeps us locked in a constant battle with the object of our obsession…food. We move between periods … Continue reading
I’ll take a side of compassion & trust with my M&Ms please
There was my hand reaching (for the fifth time) into the bag of M&Ms that was leftover from decorating my son’s birthday cake. It was that same mindless emotional eating experience that I have had many times before where the food feels like both an alluring comfort and an all-powerful adversary …and I don’t even … Continue reading
Swallowing Boredom
It’s an itchy sensation…boredom. We don’t like it, we resist it, we want more, we feel we deserve MORE…sometimes this leads, quite frankly, to more in the way of calories…calories our body isn’t asking for in the moment…but there can be something very powerful about learning to allow ourselves to sit with the experience of boredom … Continue reading
Mindfulness: 5 Treasures That Transform Your Eating
Most of us have been there. We find ourselves standing in front of an open refrigerator, late at night in search of the next snack to fill the void…only we aren’t physically hungry. We are hungry however, but it is a different sort of hunger. We are hungry for validation, procrastination, approval, excitement, companionship and … Continue reading
Wrestling with the “I WANT”STER MONSTER
Recently a friend brought me to her gym to do a Zumba class with her on a guest pass. As part of the pass a young fitness trainer did an obligatory sales pitch which involved asking me about my goals, the areas I most want to change and eagerly inviting me to step on the scale. … Continue reading
Seven Spoonfuls of Love
At our youngest age we are fed solely by others in every way. We rely on others to nourish us, feed us, love us, guide us. As adults this role falls primarily on us but so often our focus is pulled to how we can love and nourish everyone around us that we forget to … Continue reading