This month in The Love Club, with Christine Arylo, we focused on Self Acceptance… and loving a part of ourselves that’s hard to love.
I knew instinctively what I was being called to accept and shine love onto this month. I knew it in my heart, but my mind wasn’t so sure it wanted to EXPOSE my truth.
Because the truth was scary.
Because I was not only ashamed of this part of me… I was ashamed that I hated this part of me.
This is my year for only love!
And now I was being asked to out myself – to share the part of me that’s hardest to love.
It was scary.
And I did it anyway.
Because the HEALING far outweighed the fear.
It always does.
And so, I told the beautiful Love Club community my truth…
The part of me that’s hard to love (the part of me that I chose to love back) was my food (sugar & flour) addiction.
And then I vowed to love on this part of me all month long.
The truth is, I hated being addicted to sugar and flour. I hated that food addiction was a chronic and progressive disease. I hated that I had not stopped eating sugar and flour decades ago. And I hated feeling powerless over these triggering foods.
So I spent this month loving on my food addiction. I spent the month being in mindful moments with my food addiction and ACCEPTING that this is part of who I am. This is part of me… and I can choose to hate it or I can choose to shower love onto it.
And that’s what I did. I choose love over self-hate, shame, judgement, and fear. As part of my process, I wrote the following love poem to my food addiction.
I am sharing this poem with only love, hoping my story and this poem may help someone… in some way.
Ode to My Food Addiction
by Stacey Hoffer
Oh Food Addiction
How do I love you?
I love you dear food addiction
I’m here to cradle you
just like I love and cradle my children.
I see your pain.
I feel your discomfort.
I witness your dis-ease.
Oh Food Addiction
How do I appreciate you?
I appreciate how you guide me
towards food that nourishes my body, mind, and soul.
Thank you for shouting out in pain
when I fill my body with sugar and flour.
Thank you for reminding me
to take better care of my body temple.
Thank you for saying
NO MORE
to food that no longer serves me.
Oh Food Addiction
How do I acknowledge
your presence in my life?
I acknowledge my
DESIRE TO HEAL
myself from this addiction.
I acknowledge my
DESIRE TO QUIET
my obsessive thinking over food.
I accept you for what you are. A disease.
I accept myself for what I am. A food addict.
Oh Food Addiction
How do I adore you?
I adore my inner child
who wants to be able to eat
anything and everything she wants…
Just like I would adore a little girl
who walks into a candy store for the first time.
In amazement.
Mouthwatering.
Such an innocent little girl.
Oh Food Addiction
I must admit…
It is challenging to adore you.
Because you bring me such internal struggle.
You bring me so much dis-ease.
And still…
I appreciate you showing
me the way towards
FREEDOM
Showing me the way towards
Eating and nourishing my body with grace and ease.
Thank you for showing me how to slow down.
Thank you for showing me how to mindfully eat.
Thank You
Food Addiction.
I love you.
