What Does Peace With Food Look Like?
/In the United States, Thanksgiving is upon us. Tomorrow is traditionally one of the biggest eating days of the year.
The approaching holiday season and all the energy around food got me thinking about what peace with food actually looks like.
Everyone has their own definition. What would that look like for you? Have you been able to achieve that? What gets in your way?
For me, peace with food is multi-layered. Here is what is included in my definition and in my current lived experience.
Peace with food means I don't fear the holidays. I don't fear Halloween candy and I don't fear all the food that is present between Halloween and New Year's.
Peace with food means I stay mindful of my choices.
Peace with food means I seek out foods that I know make my body feel good and I take steps to have them available.
Peace with food means I focus more on how I feel inside than what others think about what I am eating or not eating.
Peace with food means I stay present to what I am feeling and don't fall into a "fuck it" mentality with my food. And if I do, I get curious.
Peace with food means I don't routinely overeat or undereat.
Peace with food means if I do overeat, I don't beat myself up or vow to restrict myself.
Peace with food means if I undereat, I'll explore what I could have done to be better prepared next time.
Peace with food means all foods are available to me. I get to choose what I want to put into my body.
Peace with food means I don't get that Jekyll and Hyde feeling where I am "good" one day and "bad" the next. It's more even-tempered and consistent.
Peace with food means I don't have a compulsion to binge regularly.
Peace with food means I feed myself enough food to feel nourished and satisfied most of the time.
Peace with food means I don't numb out regularly with food as the only means of coping with stress, exhaustion, or low mood.
Peace with food means being aware of how food impacts my energy and my mood.
Peace with food means trusting that I will make choices that benefit my body and my health. It also means being willing to explore what those choices are if I don't know.
Peace with food means I have compassion for myself no matter what choices I make.
Peace with food means I don't think eating a certain way is going to take away all of life's challenges. There will still be times of discomfort.
Peace with food means I don't feel like I have to defend myself to anyone for what I do.
Peace with food means I feel good in my body most of the time. And when I don't, I have tools to help me explore what is going on.
Peace with food means I eat in a similar manner throughout the week, whether it's a weekday or a weekend or whether I am eating out or eating in.
Peace with food means I have breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that I love. They are satisfying and delicious and also make my body feel good.
Peace with food means I'm in harmony and alignment with how I want to feel, who I want to be and what I am eating.
Peace with food means I am full of curiosity and open to new ideas about what will serve me and my body the best.
Peace with food means I'm not always looking at food as a way to manage my weight. It means knowing there is so much more at play when it comes to my weight.
Peace with food means I'm aware of basic nutrition and knowledgeable about how my body works.
Peace with food means not falling for fad diets, 30-day transformation promises, or trendy ingredients to cure whatever is ailing me.
Peace with food means setting up experiments and observing the results when I want to change what I am eating or try something new.
Peace with food means not judging what I am doing. I assess and evaluate at times, but I don't judge.
Peace with food means food can be medicine, but it's administered with joy and love and not fear.
Peace with food means understanding why I do what I do or why I have done what I have done with food. It's understanding that my choices are always rooted in wisdom.
Peace with food means I don't have habits with food that I wish I didn't have. And if I notice one, I explore it with compassion.
Peace with food means being able to trust that my body and I are on the same team and working together and that it will let me know what it needs.
Peace with food means making a change when my body does tell me it needs something different.
Peace with food means taking 100% responsibility for my experience.
Peace with food means there are no stories of deprivation or restriction.
Peace with food means there is no shame or guilt.
Peace with food isn't about a number on the scale. It's about a feeling in my heart and in my body.
Peace with food is an internal sense of satisfaction that comes from my actions that match my desire for an overall state of well-being.
Peace with food is about sustainability and consistency. Not the kind of consistency we are used to. It's not about doing the same thing, the same way every day. It's about consistently showing up and tending to my needs even if that looks different every day.
Peace with food means my mind is calm and not always churning with stories about my body, my health, or my weight.
Peace with food allows me to use my life force energy to create a life I love.
Peace with food is fluid and flexible.
Peace with food is a practice.
Peace with food also occurs on a spectrum. None of these things that I listed are always true 100% of the time. There is no perfection. It's not black and white or right and wrong.
At the same time, peace with food means when some of the markers of my personal success start to fall, I take responsibility and address them.
How do you feel in your body? How do you want to feel? What does peace with food mean to you?
I look forward to bringing more content and serving more people in 2023. If you'd like to explore private food peace and wellness coaching starting in January, you can sign up for a free consult now using this link.
In the meantime, if you are in the states, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! And wherever you live, I wish you peace with food.
Live Free,
Elizabeth