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Obligated to Eat

Posted by Freeman Michaels on June 24th, 2010 at 09:31am

In almost every culture food is a gesture of goodwill. A person extends a plate of food – an offering of friendship or love. I can see the Italian grandma right now in my mind, “Eat! Manga! Manga!”

There is a restaurant that my wife and I used to go to regularly – we got to know the waiters and waitresses as well as the owner. At some point the owner began bringing us a complementary dessert – he never asked us if we wanted it, he simply plopped it down with a big smile claiming that this was his mother’s recipe suggesting that we were going to love it.

Although the gesture was really endearing my wife and I, we found ourselves eating out of obligation – not because we were still hungry.

I mention this story because it is important to be conscious of the choices we are making. Choosing when to eat and how much to eat is an important part of healthy living. Food is meant to be nutrition and sustenance for our bodies. It fuels us when we need energy and provides vital nutrients to help our bodies run at optimum capacity. Food should not be eaten out of obligation.

Below are a few tips to help you develop a positive relationship with food.

Listen to your body and stop eating when you have had enough food.
Before beginning a meal take 3 slow breaths to help remind you that your body is sacred. Remember that the meal in front of you is meant to nourish and fuel your body.
Have a plan. Before your first bite decide how much you want to eat – get a “to go” box at the very start of the meal and put the excess food into it.
Learn to say “no thank you” even at the risk of offending someone.

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Freeman Michaels is America’s #1 weight release expert and coach. He is the author of Weight Release: A Liberating Journey. His groundbreaking program uses personal development principles to end the “diet cycle” and help people release weight forever.

Before and After Obligated to Eat