Food | Body | Weight: Keeping Things in Proportion
An AMP session to help discover balance related to food, your body, and your weight.
Peace Overtures Today is a weekly newsletter dedicated to guiding individuals on their personal quest for inner peace. Each week, I share a movie that helped me discover balance. It’s a process of awareness and healing that leads to sparks of joy. I’m sincerely grateful to have you here with me.
We have created this Alignment Movie Process (AMP) session to help all of us find balance with the significant emotional pattern related to food, body, and weight that exists on our planet.
Our journey in addressing beliefs about Food, our Bodies, and their impact on our Weight began in early January 2009. The inspiration came from Oprah's "Weight Loss Confession" episode, which many of you may remember from her radio show.
During that episode, Oprah shared her emotional journey with food, weight, and her self-image. She expressed that her money and fame meant nothing if she couldn't fit into her clothes. She felt that she had lost the battle with her weight and was mad at herself and embarrassed.
Watching that episode together in 2009, Sue-Anne and I decided to turn this experience into an AMP session. The relationship we have with our bodies and how we perceive ourselves are significant topics. We have been consistently working on aligning ourselves with these issues over the years and have created multiple AMP sessions to improve our relationship with food, bodies, and overall self-image.
Today, this AMP session represents the culmination of our fourteen-year journey on these patterns surrounding Food, our Bodies, and how they Affect our Weight.
As we discuss the key issues we have learned, remember that you will find relief when you watch our featured AMP film called "Forks Over Knives (2011).”
Before we delve into the movie, let's have a brief discussion about our approach and what we aim to achieve in this alignment session.
We do not advocate for a single "right" diet or eating approach. We are mindful of this point because we believe that it is part of the overall pattern that causes us so much strife and emotional turmoil. Food can become highly politicized and, at times, resemble a religious belief system.
Our AMP session has been created to provide the following:
Relief in your relationship with food.
Improvement in your relationship with your body.
Assistance in addressing judgments and frustrations about your current weight.
Help in maintaining balance and peace of mind in all the above areas.
We believe that by shifting the intensity of our beliefs and healing these patterns, what we eat will have a lesser impact on our bodies, self-image, and overall well-being. We genuinely believe that this is achievable. Remember, our beliefs shape the world we live in, and this includes our bodies.
Now, let's proceed with our AMP film, "Forks Over Knives (2011).” This documentary, released in 2011 and directed by Lee Fulkerson, presents extensive research suggesting that our food, particularly the western diet, is a significant cause of the health issues faced in our country and throughout the industrialized world. Prominent nutritional scientists have concluded that degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and several forms of cancer can be prevented and, in many cases, reversed by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet.
While we have explored various food documentaries released in recent years, our focus has been on examining belief systems and how they impact our relationship with Food, our bodies, and our weight.
Now let's begin with the topic of Food:
Food Affects Everything
It is widely accepted that what we eat, how much we eat, and the quality of our food choices affect our bodies. This statement is not up for debate.
Our food choices also have an impact on the environment, legal systems, and support a powerful industry with engaged political constituents.
In the context of this AMP session, the beliefs we worked on pertain to the type and quality of food we choose. Here's a quick summary as we see it:
Choose the highest quality food you can find and remember that food is the vibration that you'll be ingesting. So, if you can buy organics, do it. Buy from stores that care about where the food comes from and how the animals were treated.
"Forks Over Knives" suggests that the optimal diet is plant-based. However, the research discussed suggests that including 20% meat/dairy in the diet seems to be the level where disease is no longer apparent.
We understand that there are differing opinions on whether low-carb, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and other diets are the best. We just want you to pick the right diet for you and be okay with it.
Now, you might be wondering, "How do I pick the right diet for me?"
That leads us to our next key area.
Get in Touch With Your Body - It Knows What It Needs
If you've followed our work for any period of time, you know we encourage people to get out of their thinking and align with the power of the heart.
When it comes to what our bodies need, we need to reconnect and get back in touch with them.
It's our thinking that has created many erroneous beliefs and patterns about food and our bodies. To discover the balance that's right for you, it helps to listen to what your body needs in the moment.
How do you do that?
First, try asking your body what it wants. You might be surprised at what you find out. Then, follow these desires and try the foods you're craving.
Second, start noticing how you feel after eating certain meals. Do you have more energy or less? Do you feel sluggish and want to go to sleep, or are you energized and refreshed?
These are all easy indicators of what's working and what's not in terms of food and your body's needs.
Pay attention to the types of foods you're craving as an indicator of what's going on with your body.
I like this internet meme that's been going around, quoting Will Ferrell:
That's fun, AND there's some truth to this.
Craving sweets can be an indicator of the stress your body is feeling. It's a way of needing grounding so it feels safe again.
Throughout this AMP session, we addressed all of our tendencies to nurture ourselves with food. We took the energy off these beliefs so we can be more mindful of what our bodies really need.
At times, we all use food as a crutch.
Here's a quote from Oprah's Weight Gain Confession in 2009:
"I have known since my early years of working with Bob Greene that for me it is not a cosmetic issue. It is an emotional issue," she says. "When my engine runs down, my drug of choice is food. My drug of choice used to be potato chips. Now, this year, it was organic multigrain blue chips... but a bag of them. So you eat a bag of those a day, and see what happens if you're not working out."
Her trainer, Bob Greene, says,
"When Oprah gains weight, she says it means her life is out of balance. 'It's not about the food. It's about using food—abusing food,' she says. 'Too much work. Not enough play. Not enough time to come down. Not enough time to really relax.'"
We used her statements in this interview to help you shift these common emotional beliefs that we all experience from time to time.
If you want a deeper understanding of the emotional issues we addressed in this AMP session, click this link "Oprah's Weight Loss Confession" (2009) and watch what she says.
Now let's talk about weight.
Step Off the Scale and Let Go of Your Weight Fears
For many of us, the number on the scale drives a lot of frustration, fear, and erroneous beliefs about food and our bodies. It can also be a source of self-judgment and comparison, leading us to sometimes develop a dislike for our bodies.
Throughout this alignment process movie session, we have addressed the ways in which we can be too hard on ourselves. So while you're watching the movie, give yourself permission to let go and stop criticizing yourself based on what the scale says or how you feel in your favorite pair of jeans.
So, how do you get started? Take baby steps.
The first step is to have more compassion for how you see your body. Our belief patterns about food contribute to the overall issue of self-acceptance, which in turn perpetuates weight fluctuations. Our beliefs influence our ability to find a balance with our weight and how we feel about ourselves.
When you mentally and emotionally beat yourself up over gaining a few pounds, you're actually reinforcing a pattern that makes food and your weight a persistent problem. What many of us don't realize is that our beliefs and how we think food and drink affect our weight actually contribute to keeping the weight on.
Furthermore, this mindset steals your peace of mind and limits self-acceptance.
Our intention with this session is to provide relief from being too hard on ourselves when we feel we didn't get it right.
The next step is to stop being angry at your behavior and instead turn towards accepting yourself just as you are. Once you reach this place, taking the next steps will become much easier, and you'll have a better chance of discovering a new relationship with food and your body.
As we discussed earlier in this program, we have been working on these beliefs and ways of being around food, our bodies, and weight for over five years.
I can truthfully say that I no longer feel the intensity I used to feel about my weight, exercise requirements, and the normal changes with my body. The relief it has brought me is indescribable. And when I feel the churn begin again, I simply engage in this Food, Body, and Weight session. That's what we've called it since 2009.
So, you can watch the movie whenever you feel the need for some relief, and you'll experience the benefits.
For those of you who have already seen Forks Over Knives, you may be wondering why we chose that movie. Do we have an agenda we're trying to promote? Why a documentary for something that is so emotional?
First, we don't choose the movies; they choose us. We had several movies that we could have used, but both of us felt that this was the best distraction from our thinking.
Remember, we want you to start feeling what's right for you instead of trying to reach it solely through your thoughts. You've been doing that all your life, and as Dr. Phil would ask,
"How's that working out for you?"
So, let your brain absorb all the scientific facts about switching to more veggies, whole foods, and less meat, or for some, no meat at all. Leave the emotional work for behind the scenes.
Another reason this movie works is that you can see it as just another idea to try and see if it works for you. Our hope is that it will inspire you to try something different, even if it's just for one weekend.
This brings us to our final point in this alignment session:
Keep Things in Proportion
Throughout this AMP session, we have included statements to help you break free from rigid thinking that disrupts balance with our food, bodies, and weight. It is these intense beliefs that throw everything out of proportion.
Therefore, we encourage you to find your own sense of balance. As you watch Forks Over Knives and explore new ways of eating, pay attention to how you feel. Here are some thoughts to consider as you make this shift towards greater balance:
Try eating smaller portions at each meal.
Ease into any changes in your eating habits gradually.
Increase the variety of vegetables and whole foods in your diet and observe how your body responds.
Let go of rigid thoughts about how you should eat and instead focus on what feels best for you in the present moment.
Be open and willing to embrace change.
Release judgments about certain diets, other people's food choices, and the choices you have made regarding food.
Engage in physical activity every day, even if it's just a short walk.
Begin to let go of preconceived notions about how your body should look.
Cultivate compassion for your body and accept it as it is today.
Now let's explore the top ten benefits you can expect from watching this AMP session:
Acceptance of your body as it is right now.
Release of the anger and hatred you feel when you unexpectedly gain a few pounds.
Reduction in the need to use food as a means of self-soothing.
Rediscovery of the joy of eating, perceiving it as a celebration of life.
Liberation from the fear that you will always struggle with food, weight, and a negative self-image.
Diminishing emphasis on equating success with a tight and perfectly shaped body.
Desire to nourish yourself with quantities of food that truly support your well-being, including more vegetables and whole foods and fewer meat products.
Acceptance that your body will naturally change as it ages, and embracing that change.
Rekindling a positive and harmonious relationship with your body.
Instilling hope that you can find peace of mind regarding food, your body, and your self-image.
To get the resonance benefits from watching Forks Over Knives (2011) AMP session, remember to do the Intention Session below. It’s your way of telling your mind and body you’re in for the benefits on your terms, timing, and with grace and ease.
The Intention Session
Getting started on aligning with the movie sessions is easy. All you have to do is review these statements and do the modality at the end. Once you’ve completed these, you’re ready to benefit from any Alignment Movie Process (AMP) movie sessions you choose. This includes any movie referred to in our books and blogs.
Say These Statements Out Loud and Then Do Modalities At The End
I allow the changes in my timing and only integrate what I’m ready to.
I have faith that I’ll receive the benefits I desire.
I’m patient with myself as I make my changes.
I let go of feeling I’m too busy to take the time to read these books and watch these movies
I let go of having to understand how these Alignment Process movie sessions work, allowing me to get the full benefits on my terms and in my timing.
Modalities:
Please do all three of the following actions to integrate this intension session. All three activities are a good habit to embrace prior to beginning an AP movie session.
Nod your head up in down as you would when saying yes.
Drink some water
Slow rhythmic breathing through your nose
You’re now ready to watch your AMP film. Cheers!