Loving yourself requires taking responsibility for your own needs with the same dedication you demonstrate in your responsibilities to others.

If you are like a lot of women, you may be giving too much of your good energy to others while neglecting yourself–especially your need for energizing food throughout the day.  Physical deprivation at the end of the day is a major contributor to nighttime binging and grazing.

You can reduce the likelihood of emotional eating in the afternoon and evening by eating more during the day.  And, if you’ve spent too many years not listening to the real needs of your body, you may need to eat more than you think to properly fuel your body during the day.  Instead of  eating “diet” portions during the day, experiment with eating more heartily during the day and see how that impacts your relationship with food at night.

Simple shifts to eliminate deprivation include:

Eat breakfast and lunch.
Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Eat energizing snacks.
Eat nutritious food when hungry.

Take loving action on your own behalf by saying “yes” to other basic needs too:

Forgive yourself when you fail.
Enjoy time with people you love.
Go to bed early enough to get a solid eight hours of sleep.

Loving yourself  isn’t complicated. You already know how to help others thrive—now it is your turn!  If you aren’t sound of body, mind and spirit, then nobody gets your best self.  And that is a huge loss for everyone!

One of the young clinicians I mentor told me she wants to study with me because “You have something to say and I want to have something to say too.”

Writing teacher Brenda Ueland learned through years of experience that “everyone is talented, original and has something important to say” (If You Want to Write).

I do have something to say.  My students and mentees have important things to say.  And you have something important to say.

Sometimes what we say is profound.  Sometimes it’s ordinary.

I prefer to be profound. But my experience tells me that the ordinary is just as helpful and necessary as the profound.

This is a space where I share insights gained on the journey to loving and enjoying my body, just as I am.  Some of it is profound—like how God used a mastectomy at age thirty to heal years of shame and disconnection from my body.  Some of it is ordinary—like how drinking caffeine after 3 p.m. can disrupt my sleep.

I want to hear the important things you have to say about loving and enjoying your body.  I hope you will be bold, access your profound or ordinary voice, and share what you have to say too.

And, if you have something to say about that, I’d love to hear it.