TWO LISTS TO CHANGE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD, PLUS A FREE PRINTABLE
Hiiii beautifuls!
I was recently listening to the lastest episode of The Him & Her Podcast from The Skinny Confidential. Each week Micheal and Lauryn share a tip of the week that are generally pretty useful. Lauryn's most recent tip was inspired by and adapted from Seth Godin and it was about making two lists.
Just two. That's it.
As I was listening to it I immediately knew that I wanted to make those lists for myself and create two new ones for those of you who are in the process of creating a healthy and balanced relationship with food and your body. Its a journey that takes time and practice, and these lists are a tool that you can add to your food freedom tool belt.
Before I dive into the lists about changing your relationship with food, lets take a look at the original idea incase you want to do both exercises.
Straight from Seths blog, he writes:
Make two lists
On one list identify the grievances, disrespects and bad breaks:
People who don't like you.
Deals that went wrong.
Unfair expectations.
Bad situations.
Unfortunate outcomes.
Unfairness.
It's all legitimate, it's all real. Don't hold back.
On the other list, write down the privileges, advantages and opportunities you have:
The places where you get the benefit of the doubt.
Your leverage and momentum.
The things you see that others don't.
What's working and what has worked.
The resources you can tap.
The things you know.
People who trust you.
Now, take one list and put it in a drawer. Take the other list and tape it up on your bathroom mirror. Read the list in the drawer once a month or once a year, just to remind you that it's safe and sound. Read the other list every day.
The daily list will determine what you notice, how you interpret what you see and the story you tell yourself about what's happening and what will happen.
You get to pick which list goes where.
Picking your list is possibly the most important thing you'll do all day.
realllllllllllly powerful, right?
I made my lists and taped the positive one up on my bathroom mirror. As Tony Robbins says "where focus goes, energy flows"
Then I created my own version of what the two lists could be if you are currently in recovery from an eating disorder or are an emotional binge eater and have a negative body image.
Here are your two Food Freedom Lists:
One list identifies where you currently are with your relationship with food.
Identify the set backs, the triggers, and the negative self talk that you repeat.
the situations that causes stress and lead to binges or mistreatment of your body with food
the negative feelings that contribute
the foods that you restrict
the foods that make you feel guilt and shame
It's all legitimate, it's all real.
Don't hold back.
On the other list, create what your optimal relationship with food and your body looks like.
Think about the relationship with food and your body that you want.
Imagine being free from food.
Who supports you and is there for you?
What are the loving things you say and feel about yourself and your body?
Write out positive affirmations that you need to hear.
How will you feel each day?
What is one thing you could do every day to improve your relationship with food?
What do you love about your body?
What do you love about your life?
What does it feel like fuel your body with nourishing food?
How does it feel to have no food off limits?
Don't hold back, Ii's all possible. You really can have it all.
You get to write what goes on each list. Your story and narrative.
Then you can choose which list influences you every day. Essentialy which one you want to live by. The reason why this is so important is because our thoughts effect our action and they create our world.
By writing out what your vision is for your relationship to food and reading it everyday you will start to see how our thoughts are the catalyst for self-perpetuating cycles.
Buddha says "what you think you become."
If you feel like you have no control around food, then you are going to act like you have no control, which reinforces your belief that you have no control.
But if you feel that your body is amazing and deserves to be nourished then you will start to see it as amazing and nourish it and then reinforce the belief that your body is amazing and deserves to be nourished.
Make sense right?
And just to reinforce this idea here are some wise words from Tim Ferris, “In 2018, I’m hopeful for you becoming the author of your own life because it’s never too late to replace the stories you tell yourself & the world. It’s never too late to begin a new chapter, add a surprise twist, or change genres entirely.”
Write a new story for your relationship with food. Then go bring this story to life. You got this.
Grab your printable Food Freedom Lists!
I loved the printable on The Skinny Confidential and it totally inspired me to make one for food freedom warriors.
xo,
C