Cracking your Food Cravings PART 2

"Yes WE ARE OPEN" photo by Alexandre Godreau

In PART 1 of your Pain Free Way of Cracking Food Cravings, I invited you to set the intention of meeting yourself with kindness the next time a craving hits. I’d love to know if you gave it a shot and how it went if you did? And… if you need another gentle reminder, please know you don’t need to banish those cravings. They’re not maniacally planted in your way to sabotage you, although you may feel like that right now. Stay with me. Soft breaths.

Fast forward now to that moment when you get hooked into a food craving. What do you do? Start by inviting a pause to collect your thoughts and notice the sensations in your body. The type of pause that is accepting of what comes next but open to possibility.

When we pause and use mindfulness with the intent to stop a less than desired behaviour, it can get us caught in a loop of self-deprecating thoughts if it doesn’t ‘work’. Do you remember reading about self compassion versus self criticism? I'm talking about the kind of pause that inspires curiosity and gives you full permission to go ahead after some exploration. The intention is to be curious and stay in presence, not to eradicate the craving. The invitation for this wrinkle in time is a homecoming for your creative mind. It helps you build new possibility for your next actions helping you dull the blind magnetism of habit.

Now that you have some space away from the pull of your craving, what is it you need right now? Reflect and check in with your body. Is it food, excitement, comfort, a break?... *Note, if your craving is an 11/10 on the intensity scale, it may put unnecessary pressure on you. Perhaps wait for a time it’s more like a “4” or a “5” until you get the hang of it. Really, the most important part is to have faith YOU know what’s best for you.

These tips are not golden rules. Whatever ends up happening - pause or no pause; do your best to be kind to yourself. If you’re unable to take pause or you draw a blank with the deeper meaning of what it is you really need right now - that is OK! Offer yourself some grace for inviting in the space and try some gentle breaths in and out. I'd love to know… Has this sparked your curiosity enough to consider how your food cravings beyond physical hunger may indeed be clever code, ready to be uncovered?

If you're interested in knowing what happened after I did my internal inquiry, check out PART 3 of this mini blog series where I get super personal. I'll share what was revealed to me that had been trying to surface for a number of weeks.

If you liked this post and don’t want to miss powerful Intuitive Eating trainings, special offers and loads of encouragement, I'd love for you to Join My Circle for FREE right HERE.

You’ve got this. You always have.

Wishing you all great blessings,

Alida <3

#IntuitiveEating #HealthoverDiets #NonDietApproach #WeightNeutral

Catch this post's video below: