Last week I was trying to write an article that just wouldn’t flow. Over the course of the afternoon I must have looked in the fridge at least a dozen times, and I’m not exaggerating.

Because I’m working on changing my eating habits, I was acutely aware of what I was doing, so the last time I opened the fridge door, I finally closed my eyes, took a deep breath and asked myself, “What am I feeling right now?”

The answer hit me right in the heart. I realized I wasn’t trying to numb out or fill an empty, emotional hole – but rather, I was trying to drown out a feeling of expansiveness; an inner voice telling me I am capable of everything I dare to imagine for myself and so much more.

THE THOUGHT THAT SOMETIMES I EAT BECAUSE IT DROWNS OUT THAT VOICE I’VE FINALLY TUNED INTO – SO I COULD STAY IN MY COMFORT ZONE – BROUGHT ME TO MY KNEES, RIGHT THERE ON THE KITCHEN FLOOR.

For so long I believed all my issues with my body and food were because there was something wrong with me. We live in a world that constantly tells us we need to be fixed. There are books and courses and diets and programs and lists of things we can do to become smaller and smarter. I’ve spent my life feeling as though I’m always falling short.

There’s nothing wrong with me. And there’s nothing wrong with you, either. Yes, people do eat to numb out negative emotions and experiences – and I will never forget how that feels. Sometimes I still do that. But how about considering that there are also times when you eat because it feels safer and more comfortable than daring to shine your light?

The Pro-Body Project is published fortnightly. You can read the first entry here or the next entry, “Do You Weigh Yourself?” here. 

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