As we transition into spring after January’s record setting rainfall, do you want to drop a few of those pounds of winter insulation, feel vibrant, and look radiant? How we approach dieting makes all the difference. We often think of weight loss as a task of drudgery. We associate dieting with sacrifice: suffering through our days hungry, while wanting food other than what’s on our diet.
Step One: Perspective
How we think of dieting can create the very struggle that we associate with it. Your perspective on everything profoundly influences your experience. Think of perspective like a seed. What “seed” do you want to grow? To explore this, first be aware of your resistance to dieting. To the extent that you resist, is to the extent that you’ll sabotage it.
Hell, even the word “diet” seems like a four-letter word. It carries with it a plethora of associations that are very weighty.
Let’s frame dieting differently. As you look upon this opportunity for greater health, vitality, self-esteem, and appearance, imagine yourself at your desired weight, engaged in an outdoor activity that you love. In this image, feel the warmth of the sun against your body. Feel the life force pumping through your veins, in through your breath. Feel your muscles strong and your body flexible. Now catch a glimpse of yourself in a reflective surface: a lake or a window. See the glow of aliveness that is you. The dreaded “diet” is now an adventure. Know that as you feel the dynamism and aliveness of this imagined you, that you are naturally rewiring brain synapses: you are creating a new way of seeing yourself.
As a hypnotherapist and counselor, I guide my clients through processes in support of them seeing and feeling how they have been sabotaging their well being. They are then given tools to access their vast inner resources that assist them in transitioning into a life aligned with what they want to experience.
Step Two: Setting Sail
As your “sails” fill with the anticipation of this new you, it’s now time to set your course. Your “course” being the food you eat, and the healthful activities you give yourself. The food that is best for you is simply the food that makes you feel most alive, while also tasting great. You notice a distinct spark when you eat food that enlivens you.
Remember a recent time when you ate food that was so enlivening that you felt more awake eating it. You felt your body receiving this food with joy. Aaaand the food tasted great. When you eat food that is aligned with your unique body, it will taste good while naturally providing you with your ideal weight.
Step Three: What is your body “telling you?”
In Eastern Mysticism there are “yamas” and “niyamas”. Niyamas are those quick fixes that momentarily satisfy us, but don’t serve us long term. Niyama foods have had the life force processed out of them, while they may taste yummy. Yet that immediate satisfaction is not your body truly enjoying the food. It’s the feeding of a sugar, and fat addiction. A yama is that which feeds us deeply. When we stop and really feel into our body, we feel the enlivening that this brings.
Step Four: The “Yes!”
We often start diets out of disgust or fear. Call this your “no”; the intention of pushing away. With this as your impetus, your momentum is likely to come to a crashing halt. The “wind” that fills your sails is your readiness, your anticipation to step into your new adventure. When you are considering this bodily makeover, wait for the moment when you feel a “yes.” At that moment, it’s Carpe Diem time.
If you want support in reframing your mindset and attitudes about weight loss (or another topic), I’m available for one-on-one sessions at Community Acupuncture of Marin and I also offer workshops for your existing group at your location.
~ Sahar
Contact me to get started here.
Step One: Perspective
How we think of dieting can create the very struggle that we associate with it. Your perspective on everything profoundly influences your experience. Think of perspective like a seed. What “seed” do you want to grow? To explore this, first be aware of your resistance to dieting. To the extent that you resist, is to the extent that you’ll sabotage it.
Hell, even the word “diet” seems like a four-letter word. It carries with it a plethora of associations that are very weighty.
Let’s frame dieting differently. As you look upon this opportunity for greater health, vitality, self-esteem, and appearance, imagine yourself at your desired weight, engaged in an outdoor activity that you love. In this image, feel the warmth of the sun against your body. Feel the life force pumping through your veins, in through your breath. Feel your muscles strong and your body flexible. Now catch a glimpse of yourself in a reflective surface: a lake or a window. See the glow of aliveness that is you. The dreaded “diet” is now an adventure. Know that as you feel the dynamism and aliveness of this imagined you, that you are naturally rewiring brain synapses: you are creating a new way of seeing yourself.
As a hypnotherapist and counselor, I guide my clients through processes in support of them seeing and feeling how they have been sabotaging their well being. They are then given tools to access their vast inner resources that assist them in transitioning into a life aligned with what they want to experience.
Step Two: Setting Sail
As your “sails” fill with the anticipation of this new you, it’s now time to set your course. Your “course” being the food you eat, and the healthful activities you give yourself. The food that is best for you is simply the food that makes you feel most alive, while also tasting great. You notice a distinct spark when you eat food that enlivens you.
Remember a recent time when you ate food that was so enlivening that you felt more awake eating it. You felt your body receiving this food with joy. Aaaand the food tasted great. When you eat food that is aligned with your unique body, it will taste good while naturally providing you with your ideal weight.
Step Three: What is your body “telling you?”
In Eastern Mysticism there are “yamas” and “niyamas”. Niyamas are those quick fixes that momentarily satisfy us, but don’t serve us long term. Niyama foods have had the life force processed out of them, while they may taste yummy. Yet that immediate satisfaction is not your body truly enjoying the food. It’s the feeding of a sugar, and fat addiction. A yama is that which feeds us deeply. When we stop and really feel into our body, we feel the enlivening that this brings.
Step Four: The “Yes!”
We often start diets out of disgust or fear. Call this your “no”; the intention of pushing away. With this as your impetus, your momentum is likely to come to a crashing halt. The “wind” that fills your sails is your readiness, your anticipation to step into your new adventure. When you are considering this bodily makeover, wait for the moment when you feel a “yes.” At that moment, it’s Carpe Diem time.
If you want support in reframing your mindset and attitudes about weight loss (or another topic), I’m available for one-on-one sessions at Community Acupuncture of Marin and I also offer workshops for your existing group at your location.
~ Sahar
Contact me to get started here.
Author: Sahar Eric Pinkham
I have worked as a counselor, life coach, and mentor for 30 years, guiding individuals and groups. I don't have any specific or canned process that I utilize for each session. Rather, I make available my "tool box" of gifts and skills in service to each client. It is my intention to distill what tools will best assist you in feeling deeply, gaining insight, and tapping your inner resources for a fulfilling life.
