31. July 2008 by Patricia.

Most of the diets I’ve tried in my “past life” as a yoyo dieter and binge eater restricted the number of calories I could eat, but gave me one loop hole: I could eat all the so-called “free foods” I wanted - cucumber, celery, carrots, sugar-free candy, popsicles and chewing gum. And I took full advantage!

Looking at these “free” foods from a strictly caloric perspective, this idea makes sense. Most diets are based on a reduced calorie intake. Once you’ve eaten your quota for the day, and you still want to put food into your mouth, what do you do? Eat calorie “free” foods of course!

I would like to propose to you that these “free” foods are not as innocuous as they might seem.

For any of us who have an issue with overeating or bingeing and who want to break free of these behaviors, we need to be curious every time we put an item of food in our mouth – even if it is calorie-free. Some questions to ask are: “What am I feeling?” “What’s going on right now?” “Am I truly hungry?” “What do I really need?”

I have given up eating chewing gum on a regular basis and now chew it very infrequently as a breath freshener. I realized that most of the time I pulled out a stick of gum, unwrapped it and shoved it into my mouth, I was suppressing a feeling I did not want to acknowledge. I began to understand that chewing gum soothed and calmed me down and helped me center myself temporarily. After finding other ways to get back to center, I now don’t need this crutch.

Whenever you reach for food – even the calorie-free variety – and you know it is not out of hunger, see if you can get to what’s really going on. I have found journaling, meditating and movement practices such as yoga all helpful.

Diet programs and advertisers often advise eating all the calorie-free foods you want. Go ahead, they say, it’s only chewing gum. But is it?

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1. July 2008 by Patricia.

I came across a worn book in our library, “Whitefoot the Wood Mouse” by Thornton W. Burgess written in 1976. I read from the first page:

“Whitefoot believes in getting the most from the present. The things which are past are past, and that is all there is to it. As for the things of the future, it will be time enough to think about them when they happen. If you and I had as many things to worry about as does Whitefoot the Wood Mouse, we probably never would be happy at all. But Whitefoot is happy whenever he has a chance to be, and in this he is wiser than most human beings.”

I could immediately relate these words to my life as I cycled on our hike and bike trail. I couldn’t have wished for a more beautiful day. With a robin’s egg blue sky, the sun gently shining and a soft, sweet breeze caressing my face - where was my mind? Thinking about a conference presentation, making lists in my head of all the things I needed to do, going over a conversation that felt unfinished. You get my drift!

After riding for twenty minutes, I caught myself not being present. How to shift out of my mind? I began to say out loud – I see the trees, I see the ripples on the water, I hear the plop of a fish – and finally I was able to hear and see the beauty all around me.

Staying in the present is not easy and for me it is a life’s work, but I’ve found, like Whitefoot, true happiness comes from being right here right now. My goal is to be curious when I am not present and gently guide myself back to the present moment.

Will you join me in living like Whitefoot and attempt to stay in the present, moment to moment?

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