Feeling and Feeding is okay!

Sunday 8th August 2021 

Because the next few months will go by, no matter what you do!

I woke up Friday knowing I was feeling myself again, I hadn't felt 100% since the Sunday before, wasn't sure why or what had caused the shift but I listen to what's going on in my head, instead of trying to pretend everything is okay.  The thing is, ignoring stuff doesn't work, feel the feelings but don't become the emotion, witness it, allow it then release it, or as I like to say, it's okay to have a pity party when you need one, just don't unpack and live there!  Don't get me wrong I've been okay this week, there were just emotions and thoughts going on that came from nowhere, but just like that, they went away again.

What I don't do anymore is make everything about my weight!  The next time you get really angry/upset/sulky because you didn't lose weight on the scales, ask yourself what's really going on, what else could be going on in your life that's making you feel this way?   Weight gain / loss is usually the symptom of something else going on, we're more than the numbers on the scales - NEVER FORGET THAT!  Having said that, it's still important to take care of your mind, body and soul, so don't think it's okay to ignore taking care of yourself. 

Another favourite saying of mine is, 'if you don't like where you are - move - you're not a tree!  Now, hold on, before you go off on me, I know we have situations where we can't move, we are stuck, like me when I was caring for mom, well actually even then I still had choices, I could've put mom in a care home or had carers in, I chose not to, never forget you always have a choice and there is always something we are getting from the choices we make - ALWAYS!  

We can choice how we react to situations and people if they aren't were we want to be, we can't change how other behave but we can change how we react. 

This is one reason why it's so important to have a strong community / tribe / village / family whatever you want to call it.  I'm blessed to be surrounded by a solid tribe, whether they're related by blood or by fortune of finding them in my life at some point, I know I have people who have my back and care about me, that's so much more important than the numbers on a set of scales. 

If you're struggling with the scales right now, put things into perspective, don't pretend the last 18 months hasn't happened.  It's been a stressful time for everyone, there's a list of the 10 most stressful things that can happen in a persons life, erm PANDEMIC isn't on it because it's not the norm, but death of a loved one is up there at number 1 and I think everyone has lost someone or knows someone who has.  Also on that list is new job / work stressors / financial problems, erm yeah tick, tick, tick!  

Yeah, give yourself a break, remind yourself nothing worth having comes easy and work on things one at a time, one tweak a week, are you drinking your water?  Eating your five a day?  Aiming for xxxx steps on your fit bit?  

If you're struggling to do it full stop, maybe start with tracking everything, writing it in a pad (not on your phone) just so you can see your eating habits, notice where your calories go, then in a week or two you can look at making a few tweaks.  As I said above, the next few months will go by, no matter what you do!

Calories in - calories out = weight loss!  I could punch people when they say that lol, even though I've heard those words come out of my mouth too, to explain the simple equation but ultimately, we are not machines with batteries, we are emotional, human beings!  This is why we want our members to become their own experts - every book on the diet shelves worked for the person who wrote it after all!

Like me, you've probably spent years over weight so what's another few weeks to get to know yourself and your eating habits a little better?   You don't need any special form, just a blank pad will do, but if you feel the need for one, here's a link 1766_Food and Mood diary_A4 landscape_HC_V6.pdf (diabetes.org.uk) but google will help you find lots of options. 

  

As long as you have; time of day, what you're eating, who your eating with, how you feel, hunger scale 0-10, was it planned, what triggered it.  These kind of things, ask yourself what do you want to find out about your eating habits, make your own questions!  Be your own expert...

On that note, I'm contemplating a trip over the Co-op I fancy a cooked breakfast, thanks to seeing a couple of photos on Facebook, see that's a trigger for me, that would go in my food/mood diary, I LOVE food, I like the taste, the presentation, the connection it gives me to my sister because we share the same passion, the memories.  Here's a daft one for you, black pudding brings to mind me and Alfie in the car driving back from Essington Fruit Farm sharing a stick of black pudding, we've done that more than once - they do the best black pudding by the way.  That memory makes me smile and who doesn't want to smile!  Don't even get me started on memories of being out with mom eating cake, thankfully in those memories she is the only one eating the cake, I'm usually sat watching her and smiling.  

Have a wonderful day, don't treat food like the enemy, learn to make it your friend, stop fighting a battle with yourself, be your own best friend. x

Mwah, luv ya 

Love me xx