Losing Weight with Self-Mastery, Part II Insights April 2003
I'm down forty pounds and counting.
My goal is not weight loss; my goal is becoming a naturally slim person. If weight loss isn't an issue for you, these tools can be applied to other changes.
In the previous article I discussed retraining your body to accept comfort from other things besides food. It's important to understand that this behavior modification works because self-mastery tools enable change. If you’ve learned something about your subconscious, you’ve probably discovered survival issues are at the root of every issue. Food is no exception.
Let me introduce this example by explaining that years of meditation have enabled me to converse with my subconscious in a way that others can learn. One day I had an appointment at a mini-mall that spanned the lunch hour. I ate a granola bar with a bottle of water and felt full and satisfied. I noticed the aroma from a nearby fast food place. An inner voice from my subconscious demanded 'get a hamburger.' I know my body would take exception to that kind of food, and the results would not be comfortable, so I explained I didn't want a hamburger, and I wasn't even hungry. Again the clear voice: 'what if the ice comes in and there's no food.'
A little backstory: I grew up in Newfoundland, where many years ago remote coastal villages were accessed by boat. If a family didn't stock sufficient supplies before ice blocked the passage of the boats, they might not make it through the winter. I never lived this. My parents never lived this. I was amazed to discover I'd been genetically imprinted with fear of starvation.
Many people have similar inherited imprinting stemming from depression era, the old country, or single disasters. Safety and security issues manifest in many areas of life. Consider unconscious behaviors you may have, such as never letting the gas go below a quarter tank, or buying more than you actually need. How do you know this is imprinted fear, as opposed to being organized? The difference is in motivation. If you're keeping the gas tank high because you're afraid of running out of gas, then it's imprinted fear.
The key to healing is to change your motivation, rather than letting your gas get low. Here are some examples of work I did around food.
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1. Before eating anything I checked to make sure my intent was clear. My intent is that this food fuel my body only until my next meal. I discovered I didn't want as much food, because I wasn't storing fuel to satisfy my fear of deprivation.
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2. Reassure your body that what you do eat is enough to maintain a healthy state.
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3. Tell your body to use your fat for fuel, and to reduce your food needs appropriately. Don't get carried away with this. A pound or two a week is a reasonable rate of reduction.
I discovered that eating more than I needed repulsed me. This was a new experience. It's not dieting, it's wanting less. Once my body felt safe, I didn't want more food. The pounds melted away, literally lightening the load on my body. I discovered other changes besides eating. I stopped carrying lot of keys just in case, and only carry my house and car keys. Suddenly the clutter in the basement became unnecessary junk, and it's being purged.
Next time I'll continue the saga of my healing journey, as I become a naturally slim person.
This research has evolved to become the Mind Over Weight Weekend Workshop.
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