Dieting is like walking a tightrope: One misstep and it’s all over! On the other hand, mindful eating is a wide path that’s nearly impossible to fall off.
With mindful eating you have the flexibility and options to make decisions based on what you want and need in any given situation. When you make a choice that doesn’t work out well, you simply observe the consequences, learn from your mistakes, and keep going.
It sounds simple—and it really is—once you’ve learned some new skills and had some practice.
The Diet Tightrope
The hardest part for most people who want to get off the diet tightrope is letting go of the long pole—the rules—that they’ve been clinging to for so long.
While they were walking the diet tightrope, those rules were essential for maintaining their balance: “What can I eat? When should I eat? How much am I allowed to have? How long will I have to exercise to burn it off?”
Before they actually learn how to eat mindfully, people find it really hard to believe it could “work” for them: “But you don’t understand. I am an emotional eater.” Or “I’m addicted to sugar.” Or “I’ll just lose control.” Or “How will I know when, what, or how much to eat?”
I get it! I fell off the diet tightrope repeatedly for over 20 years. And I know how difficult and scary it is to let go of the rules that were so crucial in your old way of eating. On the wide path of mindful eating, rules are simply unnecessary. In fact, they get in the way because those old rules keep you stuck in old patterns.
Picture trying to walk along a path with that long pole getting lodged between trees or buildings!
I can’t trust myself!
The issue usually comes down to trust: “I can’t trust myself around food.” In other words, “If I don’t have rules, I’ll fall off the tightrope.”
Haven’t you fallen off the tightrope over and over already? No wonder you’ve lost trust in your ability to manage your eating!
So come down off that diet tightrope and we’ll teach you how to walk along this beautiful wide path instead.In the video below, I’ll show you how to create a wide path you can follow for the rest of your life!
Create a Wide Path Using the Mindful Eating Cycle