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Thursday, February 3, 2011

Knowing When Enough is Enough

I have a hard time knowing when enough is enough when it comes to food. I often eat past the point of being full, which is no surprise since I'm morbidly obese. But recently I've been thinking about why this happens and how to curb it.

I've wondered if I couldn't stop eating because of genes, a troubled childhood or cultural influences. (Certainly there is something to blame besides myself!) Maybe the "off-switch" in my brain is broken?

After meditating on this issue (and a good discussion with my friend M.B.), I've decided that the issue really is about trust -- or my lack of it. I don't trust my stomach and brain to know when I am full. And, I don't trust that God gave my body the tools to make that decision. Instead, I've learned to trust external sources (i.e. diets) to provide that information. Despite the fact that diets don't work, I still trust them -- and am constantly seeking the perfect one that will relieve me from having to learn to trust myself and my perfectly designed body.

Whoa. It's been a major revelation for me. And I'm excited, too, to try to listen to my body and see where it takes me. I'll let you know how the journey goes!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Completely agree. Our bodies tell us when and how much we need to eat. If I'm not real hungry when meal-time rolls around, either I push back dinnertime until I'm hungry, or I just eat a light snack. And my food intake really varies day to day. Sometimes I eat twice as much as normal, if I'm hungry, or I may not eat much at all if I'm not hungry. Trust your body!