Happy, Sad, Angry, Confused, Stressed, Tired, Bored...Where Do You Turn???
Food...our society is so accustomed to having food nonstop and at our fingertips 24/7. Yes, I will say we are blessed to have the food we do but it's a matter of how to view it because that is where our country has fallen into a deep struggle....EMOTIONAL EATING!
We are rewarded with food when we do well, we are comforted with food when we have failed, food when we are bored, a bucket of heartbreak ice cream is where the girls go, giving kids candy as a reward for good behavior or going potty, happy eating, sad eating, stressed eating...do you see the pattern? We can give anything in life an emotional attachment and where do we turn to satisfy it? FOOD! And generally it's not veggies and fruit haha it's your typical high fat, high calorie take out food or processed foods that are what we give our bodies. I am here to share that you don't have to be succumb to this, you aren't governed by food, it DOES NOT own you, it has no authority over you UNLESS you let it!
"So what do I do" you say?...
1.) Change the emotional attachment
When you limit your mind to only thinking of food as a means of satisfying you, you will definitely get no where good. This is the biggest sticking point for most people. Allow your mind the freedom to explore other exciting aspects of our world! This is where you get to think of other things you may enjoy or not get to do as often. Getting your nails done, going for a walk to have some "you" time away from the kids or demands of life, buy a new book and get lost in it, pray and ask God for direction when you are feeling lost or stressed, call a friend or family member, do your nails, sip tea and have some dark chocolate, journal, make a favorites playlist and jam out to it and get lost in being silly, buy a new outfit, plan a mini getaway close to home, paint a room a fun color that makes you happy, go sit by the lake/ocean and just get lost in it's beauty, try something new you never have before, etc., etc., etc. My list could go on and on so you fill in the blanks. No matter the emotion you can counteract it with something positive that isn't always food. Yes, it's fun to celebrate the baseball game win by going out to ice cream...every time??? NO! So, go ahead, make a list :) Have fun with it, make it yours.
2.) Learn to pick up on what triggers you to eat
Stop giving in to the excuses. You have to train your mind to pick up on this habit and shift it to whatever you came up with on your list from above. The power of the mind is CRAZY! Dedication, Determination, and Discipline are what athletes and successful people of the world have worked hard towards. Runners don't keep running because their legs tell them yes keep going I love this feeling, NO that's silly, the mind of the runner is in a constant battle of stop or keep going?!?! When you discipline your mind to say this is not forever, I came so far, why stop now, just keep going, one step at a time, I will regret this if I give up...you can do amazing things! Make a list now of the reasons why you eat, what triggers it, is it sometimes by unconscious habit? Post it on your fridge and pantry and if that emotional trigger is written on there then go find something on your list you made from above to counteract that urge to eat. Make it visible to yourself EVERY SINGLE DAY! Successful people write these kinds of things out daily, focus on them, meditate on them, they post their goals, they post their visions in plain daylight so they never give up!
3.) Learn to choose the right food
Food can be a wonderful reward or celebration to enjoy! And believe me I love to enjoy my food! The key to this is choosing the right ones that your body will be thankful for. We have the holiday seasons approaching soon and that means 50 million gatherings with FOOD FOOD and MORE FOOD! This is your time to shine my friend...pick one or two events and enjoy them fully. Let yourself have those seasonal treats (within moderation, not 5 slices of pie) and at the other events maybe eat a little before hand so you are less likely to dive in and then only allow yourself to eat the proteins, veggies, and fruits. Steer clear of white breads, refined sugars, high fat and high sugar snacks. Focus on healthy, use Pinterest and find creative healthy treats with natural ingredients, skip the soda and transition to la croix, hold the mayo, dressing on the side. Have a burger but ask for no bun and extra lettuce. It's OK to be the picky one, bc honestly your body will thank you and forget about how anyone might view you. Focus on you and your nutrition and no one else.
There are so many more great tidbits I have to share with you but I will save those for another time. Or maybe I need to just write a book ;)(maybe someday!) I hope this was helpful and encouraging!
Be Well My Friends!