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Latest Update:
Moving Through Disorderly Eating
By Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, SRN, CPH
September 2003 -- When Karen came into my office, she didn't look disorderly, but her mind certainly was ! Karen found it difficult to understand how she could run a business and not manage her very own body.
Most people are lost in mind confusion when it comes to get- ting started and then persisting through any weight loss prog- ram. The reasons for this have been discussed over and over again, but the question that needs to be addressed is "how does one "wake up to this recognition and then move through it."
First we need to develop the proper mindset, for nothing will happen without it. Mindsets are very powerful, but in order to develop one, one must begin by being very quiet and focused on the problem, as well as on the desired outcomes. In this instance we are discussing maintaining a healthy weight. This could include weight loss, but it doesn't have to. Many people are not overweight, but have disordered eating that is interfering with their goal achievements, both in their body and in their mind.
Begin by setting aside the time to develop your mindset for healthy weight management. Take at least 30 minutes in the beginning work. You might expand this later, but don't cheat yourself by setting aside too little time to do this correctly. Make certain you won't be disturbed and have a journal at hand for writing your thoughts, feelings and plans. Imagine that you are meeting with a trusted mentor and so we can now begin.
Progress begins one step at a time. When learning to manage weight, either for loss or maintenance, the very first step is spend sufficient time in fully understanding and be- lieving in the specific eating discipline you have decided to follow. This means going beyond just reading a book or following someone else's lead. Keep in mind that everyone is different and comes to their current moment of awakening from a different family and personal medical history and from different life experiences. Along the way we have developed both talents and negative programs. We all have specific strengths and weaknesses, as well as beliefs about ourselves. And so, we live in a completely different world from our office mates and even from our family members. While it may appear that we are much the same, this is only a surface view and a far cry from what is our true nature and reality. Of course we can listen and learn from others, but it is im- portant to learn to trust one's own intuition and inner guidance system.
It's simply not enough to know that you must lose weight or even to want to lose weight. You must truly believe this in the core of your being. It's important to know that one's convictions and hot desire to achieve is the primary in- ner motivator that takes one through any and all obstacles go hand in hand. Without deep belief and hot desire in place, the self is easily persuaded to wander off track and to look elsewhere, window shopping in the world of weight loss and management, like roaming the mall of life.
This is twirling behavior and it is easily observed in our culture. Twirling is a compulsive behavior and is actually part of disordered eating. Twirlers move from one program to another, looking for the problems to be solved easily and outwardly. There is usually lack of total engagement, often right from the beginning and excuses are easy to come by. The time spent in the new program closely follows those of the past. Some twirlers simply purchase the program and never engage at all, as if the program was going to do some- thing all by itself to bring forth the needed change.
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I find twirlers in my private hypnosis practice. They present themselves by resisting to take part in the process. They believe that all they have to do is to close their eyes and go to sleep. All changes will be in place as they open their eyes. Wow ! Now while that might sound good, it truly isn't good at all for all disordered eaters have underlying issues that are best brought forward and self- managed. This is the self-esteem connection and the actual eating issues become catalysts for major change in all areas. Think about what would be missed if I were a hyp- notic magician?
Once you have planted your beliefs and convictions, it's time to get on with the specifics of your eating discipline program. I suggest that you read and underline all pertinent information in whatever material you are utilizing and then work it into a very specific plan before beginning to weave it into the fabric of your life. Be simplistic here. Write it down. Know exactly what you will be eating and when you will be eating it. Also be clear about what you will not be doing. This is the time to get very specific, but do stick to the bigger problematic issues. If night eating is big for you, be sure to address it, but if it only happens occasionally, let it go for now. Even if you fall into that hole, you'll still be right with the major parts of your program.
Now you are ready to begin some etching. It's quite easy to do this. Take some time for yourself, making certain you will not be interrupted. Have your writing work on your lap. Relax deeply and enjoy just be still, both inside and out. Now close your eyes gently and tilt them up about twenty degrees. Right in front of you is your programming mind screen. Just as if you were playing a movie, take yourself slowly through your day as you observe yourself implement the changes that you have outlined.
The programming mind screen enables you to see, hear and feel the scenes as they play out. Practice noticing what it's like as you wake up in the morning and review your day with the new changes. Keep an eye out for any resistance or inner child negative thought remarks. Don't turn your back on these! These are gifts from your subconscious mind who is showing you clear obstructions that need to be tamed and re-programmed. Take your time as you explore your new changes in different scenes. The more you review, the better your mind programs will be etched. Image yourself as the writer, director, producer of this "day in your life" pro- gram. Design it as you want it to be and energize it with hot desire. Truly see it and sense it. A good way to do this is to pretend that you are telling someone about this great moment in time. Tell your story with great enthusiasm and ex- citement. This is true inner motivation and very powerful. As you become better at defining your inner thoughts and pic- tures, you will be able to greatly enhance the levels of your beliefs and plug into high energy..
Next, write down exactly what you have to do to activate your new plan and when you will do these. Confirm a date for the launching. You are now ready to plant both the program and the detailed planning very deeply into the subconscious mind. The goal is to etch it very deeply into the inner library, so it will play on cue like a powerful inner CD. As before, take quiet time for yourself and have your writ- ten work on your lap. Breathe deeply and allow your body to sink into the chair where you are resting and bring the mind screen into place behind your closed and slightly tilted eye- lids. Actively image yourself experiencing the plans AS IF they had been in place for a good period of time. In other words, they are not imaged as being new, with rough spots. This is not to say that you will not notice resistance, be- cause you might. Once again, these are gifts and so go ahead as the writer, director and producer and work out the kinks here. Take yourself through the variety of plans even if they involve activities that occur on different days such as shopping, picking up the kids, bridge games, etc. These are all part of the major plan for long term success.
It's not uncommon for many people to miss these first steps and by doing so to set themselves up for failure either right in the beginning or somewhere down the road. When you know what needs to be done and you can examine it subconsciously, the answers will present themselves to you. There is little, if any struggle. Remember that even when following one of the popular weight loss programs, it's simply not enough to read the book. Books are filled with details that need to be implemented over a long period of time. These details need to be introduced and then organized into the cur- rent "programmed" lifestyle. Old habits and behaviors may need to be revised or even deleted. Keep in mind that some of the changes will effect other family members, some in ways that aren't even clear because they are harbored down in the subconscious mind. So it truly helpful to work out some of these snags before they occur. This will allow for smoother transitions and hopefully avoid triggering other snags. Good etching provides the gateway to long term success.
The reasons for this are many. For a start, human beings tend to gravitate towards immediate gratification and of course in weight loss this is not only unrealistic, but is an unhealthy goal to be planting. Remember, we are planting goals in our subconscious mind continuously. Each thought constitutes an inner goal program. As we learn to look at these thought goals more frequently in our practice of Awareness Meditation and Thought Management, we can see how we actually work against ourselves in so many moments. An in- teresting exercise is to observe your free-flowing thoughts for five minutes or so. For each thought that is helpful or skillful to your weight management program, tap your right knee. For each thought that is unhelpful or unskillful, tap your left knee. This simple awareness practice wakes us up to how we are utilizing the power of our mind in relation to this particular goal area.
Every moment holds value for us and can be applied to any goal whatsoever. This holds true with each and every thought that scurries through the mind vault. Our job is to observe or catch the thoughts. Once caught, just like a fish, they are ours to prepare in whatever way we choose. In active, or awake Interactive Self-Hypnosis we have many options. Unskillful, or negative thoughts can be particularly useful. They hold lots of information that can help us on our journey. It is all there for the asking. I like to work with mine just as soon as I spot them if at all possible. If not, I like to make a note in my daytimer to remind me about them. Thoughts are very related to negative emotional states, and it is easy to notice the emotion hanging around about the time those thoughts were planted. In your very next meditation, take some time to interview the presenting emotion and the thought. Find out what motivated them and what they need to feel better. You can do this exercise out loud if you are alone, in your mind or even in a journal. Become your own inner investigator.
Remember, adopt the pace of nature. The secret is in the development of patience. Your house of success will be built one brick at a time.
Elizabeth Bohorquez, RN, SRN, CPH is a Workplace Health Educator, President and Program Designer, Sarasota Medical and Sports Hypnosis Institute located in Sarasota, FL and online at www.hypnosis-audio.com and www.sugar-addiction.com. She specializes in stress management, high level health and achievement for adults, children, executives and athletes. Her sites are inter-active and offer more that 350 CD programs to enhance self-development. She is the author of "Sugar the Hidden Eating Disorder and How to Lick It."
All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician or health practitioner before starting a new treatment program. Please see our full disclaimer.