Food for Thought for Over Eaters Anonymous

[MajestyJo]

Thought for the Day
Sunday MAR 5

From the book: Food for Thought

Old Tapes

In the recesses of our minds, each of us has old tapes stored away which tend to be played over and over again. These tapes may have been recorded so long ago that they have little if anything to do with our present situation.

The tapes, which are recordings of positive thoughts and experiences, can be helpful when replayed. Unfortunately, we each possess many tapes which are negative and self-destructive. They include resentments, fears, and hates. When one of these negative tapes begins to play, we may find ourselves opening the refrigerator or going out to buy food which we should not have. Often the tapes continue to play while we are eating.

Taking an inventory each day makes us increasingly aware of our negative emotions: anger, envy, irrational anxiety. Admitting mistakes and making amends relieves us of the guilt associated with our character defects.

By giving our lives to God and staying in contact with Him, we are able to turn off the negative tapes. We receive new thoughts and positive feelings: hope, faith, love.

I pray that my thoughts and feelings may be purified.

We often think of street drugs when we hear about getting clean. We don't think about cleansing our body, mind, and spirit, and that it applies to food, which can be a mind altering substance.

Old Tapes are killers, no matter where they are rooted and where they come from. They often start with family, pastors/priests, and the sages of old who are suppose to be in the know. They don't understand about addiction and they don't see it in every day things like food, work, computers, etc.

I need to erase those old tapes and make new ones. I must remember that I am the one who pushes the play button. I have freedom of choice. I do have other options, like erase, reject, stop, instead of listening to same old messages that keep me sick and stops me from healing and moving forward with my life.

I have to remember it isn't always about what I am eating, it is about what is eating me. Relationships can be killers. I can eat myself into oblivion. Some say they are binge eaters! What does binge taste like?