How Are You Perpetuating Deprivation?

Where are you depriving yourself?

Take a look at places where you’re being cheap, stingy, or witholding the good stuff with yourself. I find that there is a powerful connection between overeating and other ways you are keeping yourself in deprivation and lack. I see so many of my clients (and my women friends) being incredibly generous and nurturing to virtually everyone… but themselves.

Are you overly focused on saving money? Do you think things like “it’s stupid to spend money on flowers, they’ll only die in a few days”? Are you always saving the nice dishes, pretty outfits, etc for some future moment? Do you eat frozen dinners in front of the television?

Stop it, I’m begging you.  Seriously, if you keep doing this, not only is your life going to be colorless and flat, but food is going to be way too important to you.

One of my favorite friends used to be morbidly obese- she’s kept over 100 lbs off of her beautiful body for over 10 years- pretty impressive given overall stats on maintaining any weight loss, right? Part of what keeps her in smaller body is the way she nourishes herself in other ways. For example- every day she puts on something beautiful. She says it’s kind of a way she makes amends to herself and her body for the way she used to treat herself.

Finding pleasure in adorning yourself feels good- I don’t care how much you weigh, you will absolutely feel better in something that expresses who you are than you will in ugly baggy black clothes. Eating pretty food on a nice plate with maybe even a cloth (gasp) napkin is lovely. Even if you don’t want to spend money on flowers, if it’s summer where you are, go pick a few little things from your garden and put them next to your bed, or on your desk, or on your dining table.

It’s amazing what a difference these little acts of sensual connection provide. They connect you with your spiritual self- the part of you that wants more life, more gorgeousity, more of what’s good.

…As opposed to more twinkies.

It really is essential to offset any sense of deprivation in your daily life so that you’re not playing it out in the food wars. Food and eating are only one source of nourishment- if you begin to fill up and find pleasure through your senses and other channels regularly, you will not need food to be the main event.

Fill yourself up- with beauty, with pleasure, with loving acts of generosity towards yourself. When this becomes a foundational daily practice, your issues with food and weight can move towards balance in ways that feel really good.

I want that for you.

Sending you love and every blessing-

xox

Lisa