13th May 2015
I'm thankful for my struggles because without them I
wouldn't have stumbled across my strengths.
Alex Elle
Why food is
always my answer! But never solves my problems.
That was the first sentence I read this morning on Facebook! The million dollar question for sure isn't
it, I was going to try and sit and explain why we turn to food when we have
problems, then I decided it's really not a subject that can be covered in a
single blog.
Finally I thought to myself knowing the reasons WHY we do it
doesn't stop us from doing it at all, acknowledging and accepting we do it is a
fantastic place to start though. I'm not
really a big believer in focusing on the past, the why's make for interesting
reading if you're studying a subject and trust me I have studied this subject
in depth. From the moment we're born
food is used as a feel good/show love thing, moms use food as a reward system giving
us a chocolate bar or a lolly pop when we've been good or to make us feel
better if we've fallen over and hurt ourselves.
It all starts there.
I've still not got the 'CURE' by the way if that's what
you're hoping to find in this blog!
Our relationship with food is emotionally charged and we
rarely eat for nourishment alone that I know for sure. For example, we eat chocolate because it
tastes nice but also because it increases serotonin, the body's natural feel
good chemicals.
Still got no 'CURE' sorry!
Everyone's "ISSUE", let's call it that, is
different and how you deal with it will be too.
The only thing that we all share is that food won't solve any of those
issues, unless it's physical hunger of course, but there are few of us who are
ever truly hungry.
Writing it down might help, keep a mood food diary, when you
feel like you're about to eat something that wasn't planned, stop and identify
how you're feeling, talk yourself through your feelings. The main thing you're doing when you comfort
eat is trying to eat your emotions rather than face the situation and feel those
emotions.
If you don't know what to write, start with finishing this
sentence;
Overeating right now will help me to...
If you can, wait a minute or two before actually overeating,
give yourself a moment to think, in that minute tune into your thoughts and
feelings, what are you trying to distract yourself from, what don't you want to
address?
Are bored,
angry, anxious, sad, frustrated... In that moment, label those emotions
and experience them instead of distracting yourself with food, it might feel uncomfortable
but it will pass. What's it like to feel
bored? Do you even know, have you
actually stayed with it long enough to experience it before going to find
something to eat! Is it so bad to be
sad, wouldn't it be better to sit and cry for a bit instead of going and eating
a packet of custard creams then really crying when you step on the scales that
week! What about anger, what does it
feel like to seethe with anger or grind your teeth in frustration? It's okay to be angry you know as long as you
don't actually attack someone! Feel
those emotions, then release them.
The next
time you get that "I NEED TO EAT NOW!" feeling and it will be for
emotional reasons because hunger creeps up on you it doesn't just arrive,
DON'T, stop, wait and really feel the discomfort of not eating when every bone and
fibre in your body wants to? REALLY FEEL
IT, that uncomfortable-ness, no matter how twitchy you might get, stay with
it. Trust me just as you'll get to the
bottom of a packet of crisps or the end of a chocolate bar, those feelings will
eventually finish, no feeling will last forever. It will end. And maybe then you can actually address the
real issue/s you're trying to ignore.
And you know what, if you still end up eating anyway, it's all good, it's ok, there's always next time, you can try again next time. As long as you don't give up and give into doing your best to get healthy and happy.
And you know what, if you still end up eating anyway, it's all good, it's ok, there's always next time, you can try again next time. As long as you don't give up and give into doing your best to get healthy and happy.
In my meetings I see so many
people rushing through their life, everyone's busy and stressed and no one ever
seems to stop! That doesn't help at all,
so maybe today find 5 minutes, don't tell me you don't have 5 minutes, find
them - no excuses, no bull, find 5 minutes to just sit and stare into space and
do NOTHING!
Do it for me BeYOUtiful, just
sit and feel what it's like to be you, still and calm and quiet. Have a good day. xx
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