I’ve had many patients tell me that they are overweight/obese because they “love to eat.” When I ask them which foods they love most, they usually have a quick answer – Italian food, Mexican food, chocolate, sweets, or (fill in the blank). But there’s always a question they can’t really answer.
What does the food you love to eat taste like. Describe in detail your favorite food.
Take a moment. Stop reading and answer that question for yourself.
Most people can’t answer this question because they don’t really taste the food. Food serves a purpose, but it is not just to titillate their taste buds. When a lovely chocolate mousse passes their lips, they’re not thinking about the rich, dark chocolate bitterness or the foamy, air filled texture or even, if they are so lucky to eat one, the molten lava of warm chocolate that overflows with the first spoonful. For most people, the food or dessert represents SOMETHING ELSE. Maybe it’s the forbidden “fruit” in their own personal Garden of Eden. They may have been told they should never eat ______ because it would make them fat. So, eating that forbidden food makes them feel rebellious or reckless or free. Fact #9: It’s not the food – it’s the feeling.
What feeling does food give you?
