A friend phones to ask you for a favour.
You’re already swamped and you don’t have the time or energy to help them out. Plus, this particular friend never seems to return any of the favours you do for them.
They wait expectantly for your answer.
A voice in your head is advising: “don’t agree to this. You have too much on already. Say no”.
Into the phone, you say with a smile:
“Yes, of course, I’ll do it – no problem”.
Why?
Continue reading “What’s the Price of People-pleasing?”
This post from 2018 explores why we often take responsibility for other people’s feelings, and the subsequent impact on us and our eating behaviour.
***
You’re about to send an email and you’re re-reading it for the tenth time to make absolutely sure there’s nothing in it that could be misconstrued and cause offence. Then you check it another ten times after you’ve sent it – just in case…
You bump into a friend in the street. As you walk away, you replay the conversation over and over in your head trying to work out if you said anything “wrong”. You’re still rerunning the conversation in your head as you lie in bed that night…
A work colleague seems a bit off with you. You instantly rack your brain to recall your most recent interactions with them. You spend the day desperately trying to work out what you did to upset them so you can apologise and make things right…
Sound familiar?
Continue reading “Summer Rewind: Why Do We Need To Let Other People Own Their Feelings?”
Here’s another post from the archives, this time exploring how it’s possible to find the same autonomy with movement, as it is with food. Hard to believe, I know, but true.
***
“I’m just one of those people who hates exercise”. That’s what I used to say. And I believed it. Man, did I hate exercise. I felt angry (and guilty and ashamed) at the mention of the word and, I have to confess, I’m worried some of you may stop reading this post for the very same reason, but I hope not.
In the past, if a slim person said to me “I’m just going to the gym” I’d think “why the hell are you doing that? You’re already thin! You don’t need to go to the gym”. It was my assumption you only exercised to lose weight. It didn’t occur to me that people might exercise because they enjoyed it.
After all, what was enjoyable about exercise? Nothing. All that pain and sweating and discomfort. It felt like punishment.
Continue reading “Summer Rewind: What’s The Big Deal About Exercise?”
As I’m now on holiday for two weeks, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a few posts you might have missed the first time. The aim of this one from July 2018 is to help you uncover any beliefs about food from childhood that may be having a negative impact on your eating today – a crucial step in the process to heal your relationship with food.
Happy August, everyone. Stay safe.
With very best wishes
Julie
***
Continue reading “Summer Rewind: What Did You Learn About Food Growing Up?”
Anyone who follows me on Instagram will know I’m not great at posting regularly on social media (I take my hat off to anyone who does – I just can’t seem to find the time!).
Nevertheless, that hasn’t deterred me from opening a Twitter account.
So please come and join me on Twitter – I’m sure you’ll inspire me to be less inept at social media (although I’m not promising anything).
Also, I’ve been published in the Eastern Daily Press this week. The EDP printed a version of my most recent blog post on Tuesday. The online article has been posted today and you can read it here:
“Why the Government is Getting It Wrong on Obesity and Coronavirus”.
The Guardian recently reported the UK Government is planning to launch an “emergency drive” to reduce obesity rates in anticipation of a second Covid-19 wave later this year.
There’s concern Coronavirus disproportionately affects overweight and obese people. According to the article, the Government programme will be “based on encouraging people to reduce their calorific intake and lose weight rapidly”.
If accurate, the UK Government is acting on a dangerously incorrect assumption – that obesity is purely a physiological, rather than a psychological, issue.
It’s a mistake that’s made often.
Continue reading “Why the UK Government is Getting it Wrong on Obesity”
