How Easy Emotional Eating Can Be
I was in Trader Joe’s the other day, standing in the checkout line. Next to the register, there was a display of dark chocolate-covered graham cookies. I looked at it longingly, thinking how lovely it would be to purchase one and eat the contents on the way home.
I was feeling stressed and tired. I had less than 6 hours of unrestful sleep the night before, and felt overwhelmed by all of the items on my to-do list. I wasn’t hungry, exactly, because this competition diet is keeping me satiated, although never full. However, I was looking for something to quiet my mind and to give me a cheap rush of energy. But this time, it was easy to say no. I pictured myself working my butt off the last few weeks, and remembered I only have a few weeks to go in preparing for the figure competition. I couldn’t sabotage all of the sacrifice I had already made, and so I determined to forget the chocolate.
I realized how easy it would have been in the past for me to make excuses to eat the chocolate–I would promise not to eat much else the rest of the day, I would work out more, or simply, I would tell myself that I deserve a treat. But now, without the crutch of food, I knew I would have to figure out another way to deal with the fatigue and low energy. And so I did a very sensible thing–took a nap when I got home! I felt great afterwards.
I know a nap is not always a possibility in the middle of the day for everyone. But perhaps the next time you reach for something you shouldn’t, think about why you are doing so. Are you really hungry? Are you tired, stressed, annoyed, or fatigued? What would really help eliminate the root of the problem? Most importantly, how could you prevent such a problem to begin with? This is why ongoing self care is extremely important: go to bed earlier to ensure plenty of rest, cancel unnecessary meetings and obligations, practice meditation, eat well and exercise.
Engaging in coaching sessions can be a great way to begin to implement some self care techniques. Every week, you would identify a handful of goals…”I will be in bed by 10:30 5 nights this week”, or “I will exercise at least 20 minutes on 4 days this week.” Such exercises in behavior modifcation are small steps toward a giant improvement in your health. Please let me know if you would like a free, 30-minute coaching session with no obligation!
