I used to joke that if someone could put me in a coma each night after 6pm, I’d be a size 0. 
Breakfast and lunch are beautifully automatic, and they have been for awhile now. But evenings? Still challenging. This is typically when I have my weak moments.
There are lots of reasons we go to when we decide to break our rules, or break our commitment or ditch our goal. I’ve had moments when I don’t even recall a particular line of thinking. I was suddenly diving into food after dinner. What followed were the “why’s” and the self-recrimination.
Eating Luminous has definitely quelled the physiological cravings for sugar and flour, and without that, I’d still be a size 20. What has gotten me through and back on track is recognizing the only time I won’t be successful is if I stop. The key to success is not stopping. I no longer expect to do this perfectly. The goal is to keep going, to be UNSTOPPABLE. We can all go unconscious. We can’t be vigilant or mindful 100% of the time. Weak moments will creep up on you, but they don’t have to defeat you.
Ask For Help
I believe we all have an inner guide, the source of love, passion and creativity. I ask the Universe/God/My Higher Power/Spirit for help. You don’t have to be spiritual or religious to ask for help. Think about the times when your instinct spoke to you, or when you had a deep warm feeling of love wash over you, or you were swept up in creative bliss, making something out of nothing. I believe the energy behind all of those experiences is our inner guide. When we recognize we need help and support, we embrace a monster power tool. The ask is simple, and I do it in a form that makes it more real, like I’ve already received the help:
“Spirit, thank you for supporting me this evening. I am grateful for your support and guidance as I release this weight. Thank you for helping me to reach my goal toward the highest good.”
Use a name for your inner guide that resonates with you. Identify where your weak moments are, and be proactive by asking for help in advance. When we ask for help, we are surrendering. When we surrender, we become instantly mindful. I often feel a calmness come over me. I feel less depleted. My mind moves into a quiet peaceful state. I manifest the feeling I have when I keep my promises and see fantastic results. I’m executing an emergency plan in advance. As a result, I feel much more confident I will power through. Expect miracles!
Here’s one example of how a mini-miracle manifested yesterday: My husband wanted to go see a movie in the afternoon, a 3:15pm show. Uh, hold on! That’s between meals and I’ve NEVER gone to the movies without food! When I began The Luminous, I would time my moviegoing to hit around lunch or dinner. If I wanted popcorn, I would use that as my starch allowance for the day and bring my own air-popped (don’t tell the theater!) or I chose a dine-in theater that had good food on the menu. I decided it was time to change this habit, rather than be at the mercy of my mealtimes. As I was ordering the tickets, I said, “Spirit, thank you for helping me to enjoy this time with my husband at the movies without food.”
I sat in the theater and had a brief moment of discomfort during the previews, but went through the whole film without even a drink of water, without one crunch of popcorn, and with lots of hand holding! This may sound like a trivial thing to some, but for me it was huge! I didn’t feel deprived, and the thoughts of food or snacks had completely left my mind.
Knowing what your patterns have been will help you during those times when you’re not even conscious of your behavior, when you “vague” out. When you wake up in the morning, take an inventory of what your day entails. Ask for support when you anticipate you’ll need it most. State it in a way that signals it has been received. Perhaps you’re going out for the evening to a cocktail party and feeling a little anxious about drinking or snacking. Maybe it’s feeling like it will be a stressful day and you’re feeling particularly vulnerable.
It’s OK to feel vulnerable.
You can use it to your advantage. Vulnerability can easily transform into surrender. When you surrender, you open the gates of support. You are signaling to the Universe you need reinforcements and if you do this with an open heart and mind for the highest good, I guarantee you will receive help.
If you feel called to share, leave a comment and declare where you need support or how this is manifesting for you!
This is so true! Funny because I experienced it myself this week too! My prayer this week has switched from demanding to asking for connection. Ie ‘ help me stay connected to my hp when I’m awake. Allow me to be mindful of your presence and your greater purpose for me.’ Totally different than ‘don’t let me eat’
Vania, yaaaas! ❤️ Way to go. The shift feels much more proactive. I’ve been using a little prayer/mantra each day “Where would you have me go? What would you have me do? What would you have me say? And to whom?” That’s from Gabby Bernstein’s book “Spirit Junkies” and it’s one powerful mantra.