Recovery Meditations: May 7th

SUBLIMATION

"People who are happy don't use food to
sublimate. Food is supposed to be good for
you - not make you feel good!"
Gary Null

All compulsive overeaters use food to sublimate. Sublimation in layman’s terms is any habit or technique we use to alter or change our reality - for better or worse! Sublimation methods of choice are a great gauge to measure mental and physical health. Poor choices are using food, gambling, television, alcohol, drugs, shopping, excessive sleep or too many passive activities. Healthy choices are meditation, visual imagery, prayer, journaling, yoga, physical exercise, relaxation exercises, deep breathing, etc. Anything from lawn mowing to vacuuming could be an act of sublimation - IF done with high level of awareness and concentration. A person who's high up the ladder spiritually sees Higher Power in all things at all times. Since we sublimate regardless, the trick is to make it a consciously controlled positive sublimation rather than subconscious negative sublimation.

One day at a time...
I will consciously incorporate positive, healthy methods of sublimation.

~ Rob R.

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Food is supposed to be good for you - not make you feel good.  Unfortunately, I've had that statement reversed for most of my life. Using excess food as a 'feel good' tool backfires.  The consequences of overeating are far worse than any temporary good feeling I may draw from it.

Food has the shortest lifespan of any addictive substance. The effects wear off as soon as it's swallowed, pretty much, and so I go back for more.

And then more.

If I take that first compulsive bite of sugary junk food, pretending it will be 'just a bite', I'm going to have a binge, period.  For me, the key is NOT to take that first bite, and to stick to my food plan which provides me with enough food to keep me healthy & nutritionally balanced.  Anything else is excessive and unnecessary. 

The lure of eating to sublimate is that I can escape my problems for awhile.  Putting myself into a carb coma shuts my brain down.  But there are other techniques to use to calm myself down that are far healthier with no negative consequences.  Praying is one of them.

For today, I pray to stay aware of what I'm doing at all times.  I can sit back & be an observer of my thoughts, rather than a slave TO them.