The Eating Guidelines by Geneen Roth

These guidelines are not so different from the wisdom you know already to be true. Also not so different from the Beck program, using Cognitive Behavioral Techniques to alter your relationship to food. But Geneen's book is simply thrilling. Check it out.

1. Eat when you are hungry.
2. Eat sitting down in a calm environment. This does not include the car.
3. Eat without distractions. Distractions include radio, television, newspapers, books, intense or anxiety-producing conversations or music.
4. Eat what your body wants.
5. Eat until you are satisfied.
6. Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.
7. Eat with enjoyment, gusto and pleasure.

Geneen suggests we do the following as a path out of the suffering around food:

• Remember the food guidelines as you eat
• Sense your body - your hunger, your fullness, your sensations of pain, need, wants
• Quiet time each morning for 30 minutes
• Disengage from The Voice - the harsh inner critic that we all listen to all day long
• Learn/Practice Inquiry (as taught by Geneen and derived from the Diamond Approach)

I'm working right now with "Disengagement from The Voice" - click here for more thoughts on this topic, both Geneen's and mine.

Another favorite suggestion from Geneen: ask yourself, 20 minutes after a meal, whether you feel good, and if you want to feel this way again. Hugely helps with discernment, right?