“Once you realize that it’s possible to feel good by not eating certain things and that including others instead, the compulsion begins to fall away because you’ve found something better: Getting your life back. ——–Geneen Roth, Author, “Women, Food and God”

A recent discussion came up about how defeating it can feel when we think we will have these eating challenges forever. Thinking that we will have this “monkey on our back” for the rest of our lives can feel daunting. Somehow I don’t see it this way, but I was not sure how to respond or put it into words at the time because it IS a fine line. YES, our health is something we have to manage consistently, but NO, it doesn’t have to be a depressing, torturous process that we have to “endure”.——-So after a lot of thought and some reading, I came across this passage in Geneen Roth’s latest book and I thought it was the perfect answer or solution to anyone’s fear that this challenge will last forever. Yes, we have to manage what we eat and keep an eye on our thoughts about food but as we grow and evolve on this journey, it becomes more natural and more of a choice than something forced. We chose control because it feels good and we want to, not because we feel we have to. Remember that change of behavior and change of thought take time, so don’t feel discouraged. Just know that this is a process and you are in the midst of a healthy transformation. No change comes with out some discomfort and that is ok! To quote Gloria Gaynor’s famous song–“I Will Survive” and so will you!! Some days are easy and some are more difficult but we are shooting for “Terra’s 80/20 rule”…….Do your best as often as you can and let the other 20 percent go. Don’t worry about choices you wish you wouldn’t have made. Often those “poor choices” are the best learning experiences and allow us to choose something different next time. It’s all part of the process, the journey. “There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way”–Lao Tzu–