Women Food & God

I was excited to watch Wednesday's show on the book Women Food & God. I had read an excerpt of Geneen's book in O magazine, but it didn't quite click with me. After watching the show, a lot of the principles made sense to me and were similar to what I've heard in the past regarding issues with food. You have to change your internal beliefs if you want to see a permanent or lasting change on the outside. Women who have struggled with binge eating and yo-yo dieting in the past were on the show. Their weight fluctuated sometimes by 100 pounds or more. My weight usually fluctuates within a 10 pound range, and I am forever trying to lose the same 10 pounds. According to Geneen, a lot of people eat because they can't deal with something that's uncomfortable in their life. They are experiencing pain or anxiety and they think by eating something it will make them feel better. I have been known to crave chocolate when my daughter has taken me over the edge. I've never been a food binger or marathon dieter, but I notice a tendency in me to turn to food during stressful times or when I'm bored. I struggled with my weight as a child and to this day have a passion for baked goods. My brother likes to send me an old photo every once in awhile as a reminder.

Geneen struggled with binge eating in the past and says, "dieting leads to self hatred and self loathing." One of the messages Oprah learned from reading the book is that you need to treat yourself with kindness. We think if we loathe and shame ourselves enough it will lead to change. I could relate to that thought and tend to be hard on myself at times. Negative reinforcement tends to run in my blood. It takes a lot of work to change those behaviors. Oprah had an interesting observation to share. She has learned over the years from interviewing celebrities to child molesters that there is a common core belief among people that questions, Am I Good Enough?

Oprah says she had an epiphany after reading the book. The issue isn't food, but it's your disconnection with the center of yourself. I believe that is when God comes into play. If you are centered and strong in your faith you don't need physical food to handle difficult situations. You need spiritual food. Geneen says she isn't referring to God in the religious sense, but all that is God- possibility, miracles, wonder, mystery and the goodness that you feel in nature. I believe in God, so my interpretation is from a religious point of view. I haven't read the book, but her interview intrigued me enough to want to work on my own core beliefs. I realize there are other factors that come into play for people with weight issues such as hormones, lifestyle, etc. Geneen shared the following guidelines from her book:
1. Eat when you're hungry
2. Eat sitting down in a calm environment
3. Eat without distractions
4. Eat what your body wants
5. Eat until you are satisfied
6. Eat with the intention of being in full view of others
7. Eat with enjoyment, gusto and pleasure (this is my favorite one)

Geneen left a disclaimer: Keep in mind these guidelines don't mean anything unless you are able to do some soul searching. Amen!