Introduction
Have you ever thought to yourself – on a day you were genuinely happy – that life could be oh-so wonderful if only you had a better body? If you’re like most women, and even many men, your thoughts might sound something like this:
If you’re like most women, and even many men, your thoughts might sound something like this:
- “I’m so fat!”
- “Look at all of this disgusting flab.”
- “My stomach is huge.”
- “The cellulite on my thighs makes me want to throw up.”
- “I’m so ugly!”
- “If only I could change _____ [insert name of body part].”
- “I’m gross and worthless!”
If these words seem harsh to you, then maybe you don’t struggle with your own body image, and that’s fantastic. On the other hand, if these phrases are all too familiar and you find yourself feeling this way often, you’re not alone, and this book is meant for you!
About the author
Brooke Parker, RD is a registered dietitian at Utah State University where she specializes in eating disorders. She is a member of the Utah State University’s Eating Disorder Treatment Team and collaborates with therapists, physicians and other professionals to offer the best care possible for her clients.
She has developed a body positivity curriculum for secondary schools and loves to promote self-acceptance in her community. She and her husband live in northern Utah with their three incredible kids and two adorable dogs.
What if thinking is an often catastrophic and unrealistic way of thinking. We envision life in a way that we do not want it to happen. Common what if statements I hear are:
What if I get fat today?
What if I fail this test?
What if others are thinking negative things about me?
What if I get sick?
What if I never find love?
I challenge you to FLIP your what if statements to a positive outcome like this:
What if I don’t get fat today?
What if I don’t fail this test?
What if they are not thinking about me?
What if I don’t get sick?
What if I do find love?
Then take a look at what is most probable, the negative or the positive happening. Many times the positive is way more probable and the likelihood of the negative happening is not worth your time.
Example -When my kids were all little, I used to wake up every morning to the thought “What if my kids get sick today?” One day I realized I had wasted hundreds of healthy days in fear of the much smaller portion of our life. I learned to wake up to “What if my kids don’t get sick today?” and found a tremendous amount of peace.
Don’t waste your time in unproductive circular thinking that fuels anxiety. Instead, learn to jump out and take your mind somewhere else until a peaceful, logic brain can gain control again.
Jump into:
conversations with an uplifting person,
hobbies
good music,
books,
movement,
time in nature or with animals,
artistic activities,
meditation or spiritual habits
researching a bucket list trip for the future, etc.
Recognize that circular thinking does not promote progress, answers, resolution or safety when anxious feelings are involved. These anxiety circles do not protect, they simply create exhaustion. Practice jumping out into more healthy brain spaces.
#mindfuleating #circularthinking #intuitiveeating #anxiety #findpeacewithfood #fyp
Don’t let the unreasonable “What If” thoughts ruin your day. Use this simple flipping technique to shut many of them down.
#mindfuleating #intuitiveeating #anxiety #fyp#findpeacewithfood
Leaving our favorite foods can feel so overwhelming. The let down is just too big. Try these awesome techniques to gain more confidence with food.
1 - Choose a realistic, satisfying portion.
2 - Remove the rest from sight.
3 - Before the 1st bite, decide what pleasant activity you will move on to before transitioning back to life.
Analogy - Letting a child blow bubbles as you are leaving a favorite park, in order to avoid a tantrum.
3 simple tips will make the transition so much easier.
#healthyeating #intuitiveeating #mindfuleating #findpeacewithfood #bodypositivity #bodypositivity
Learn how to effectively “Move On” from your favorite foods.
#intuitiveeating #mindfulleating #eathealthy #healthyeating #findpeacewithfood #loveyourself
Try some of these techniques if you have a hard time managing how often and how much you eat of certain foods.
Common techniques for storing food out of sight.
Place on highest or lowest shelves
Place behind other items
Store in opaque containers
Common techniques for putting effort between yourself and food.
*Disclaimer - This technique is not about deprivation. It is a way to put some distance between yourself and a favorite food. I encourage my clients to take a moderate portion of the food and then use an effort technique to make it difficult to get more.
Storing food high enough you need a chair to get to it
Storing a food in the garage or inconvenient room
Buying foods that require some preparation instead of quick snacks
Store food in the trunk of the car, especially during the cold months (My college students love to use this one)
**If your situation is different and you have a hard time eating enough, you would benefit from doing the opposite and have food very visual and easy to access
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Reader Reviews
"I love how Brooke not only teaches information about dieting and disordered eating, but also gives activities to help actively fight diet culture. As a dietitian who works in the eating disorder field, I would definitely recommend this book to my clients."
"The title Find Peace With Food: And Learn To Love Your Body does not do this book justice. It is a survival guide to being a human-being in a diet culture/social media world and learning to love yourself for who you are! I wish I would have been lucky enough to have this book by my side when I was in college. I highly recommend this book for those struggling with obsessive thoughts about their body to discover how to undo years of diet culture manipulation."
"Diet culture is so pervasive in our society. Food rules, disordered eating (whether or not we realize it's disordered) and body dissatisfaction seem to be the norm. This book is a nice, conversational read that gives practical strategies for navigating real life. The activities help me evaluate and revise my thought processes and mental dialogues to help me move past unhelpful ones, as well as practice things like monitoring my hunger and fullness and really enjoying my food. I love the section about body image! Societal messages teach us to (consciously or unconsciously) bash our appearance...this book promotes gratitude, reframing our thoughts, and recognizing that our appearance is only one aspect of who we are and what makes us great."