This week I gained a deeper understanding of the distinction that Am I Hungry?® makes between guilt and regret. When I first read about it in Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, I appreciated the message about how feeling guilty can drive the Overeating Cycle, and how feeling regretful can help us not miss the lesson and make better choices in the future. Making that shift is truly an act of self-compassion.
What is really sinking in for me is the next layer of comprehension that guilt is fundamentally an act of self-punishment because of the elements of self-blame and shame that are entwined with it. It can only be an obstacle to our progress. Regret, however, is not cyclical. It is a series of occurrences of observation, awareness, self-forgiveness, and wisdom with each of these being clean, clear steps of self-love and self-improvement.
I’m adding this to my list of learnings that not only help me in my mindful eating exercises, but my mindful living practices as well. I’m again grateful for how this program enriches my life every single day!