Throw Away Your Diet Book!

If you’re like I was, your body, feelings and thoughts have probably been screwed up by being on diets for too long. Most of the students that come into this program are at the point in their developmental process where they realize that diets aren’t the way. They’ve been there, done that, and know that that doesn’t work. What they may not know, however, is that diets are not just not the way, but that most low-calorie diets, are in fact destructive! It has been proven that diets work—for weight gain! You’ve given away your power, your wisdom and your ability to perceive what is right for you. It’s time for you to take that all back! On the other hand, in your determination to give up dieting you may have gotten involved in a “eat what you want whenever you want it” program! And you may have panicked when the scales began to climb. Why? Because you weren’t really honoring your body either. You were eating everything you couldn’t eat when you were dieting. Another recipe for failure! You’re probably sick and tired of struggling with food. You’ve tried every diet-trick in the book, with little success. You may feel out-of-control, desperate and almost out of hope. Therapy may be helpful but your therapist may not fully understand the scope of your eating issues. Twelve-Step programs may or may not be helpful. It works for alcoholics, but it’s not quite working for you. If you tried the “eat anything you want” approach, too, you may have become more scared as the pounds on the scale began to climb. You’re at your wit’s end. Why isn’t anything working? What’s wrong with me? Will I ever find my way out of this struggle? I understand you because I was once struggling with food, too. My struggle was not an easy one. From the age of eleven, I found myself out-of-control with food. My disorder went through phases and encompassed periods of compulsive overeating, excessive exercise, restricting and purging. I tried every diet in the book, 12-step and alternative healing programs. The diets never worked—they only served to exacerbate the problem. My 12-step program worked in the beginning, but frustrated with the notion that I’d always be a compulsive eater, I left to find my own solution. Eventually, after many years of trial and error, I was able to completely break free from emotional eating. At this writing, I’ve been free of food compulsion and obsession for over twenty-five years. Through years of seeking, exploring, discovering and growing, I learned that although it’s not about food at all, food has to be addressed. I learned that biochemistry plays an important part in how well I feel and how successful I am with staying on the program. I learned that my cravings aren’t just for food, they are biochemical, emotional and spiritual cravings for nurturance and nourishment on all levels. And as I learned to fulfill those cravings—physically, emotionally and spiritually—my food issues began to disappear! But best of all, not only did my food issues disappear, my life became joyful, purposeful and abundantly fulfilling.