You may have noticed, but people are not entirely logical beings. We love taking in studies, and we can know what’s good for us and what isn’t, but there’s a big difference between knowing and doing. We eat for many different reasons besides just health.
There’s a lot going on in the world right now. It’s winter, which means it’s darker and colder than usual, the weather might not be the best, and we’re still dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These circumstances lead people to seek comfort, and many of them look to food to bring them that feeling.
In this episode, we talk about emotional eating and cravings before giving you five concrete, non woo-woo, strategies for combating these complicated issues.
The first one is, “bite size.” This is related to the concept of mindful or intentional eating. Typically, when we’re eating based on emotion, we’re not paying attention to what we’re doing. We’re not conscious of why we’re eating at all. By bringing our attention to the act and taking small, slow, deliberate bites, we can enjoy both the temporary emotional satisfaction and give ourselves enough time to decide whether or not this is a behavior we really want to engage in.
Our second tip is called, “four feedings.” This concept refers to giving yourself four specific times of the day to eat and keeping a closed kitchen between those windows. This can help to deter grazing throughout the day.
The next tip is called, “point out the payoff.” We suggest using three words or three positive outcomes to help you recognize the reasons you’re doing all of this in the first place. Remember those words and keep them close when things get hard.
Our fourth tip is, “feel it to heal it.” While that does sound a bit woo-woo, it’s concrete. Our emotions make their way into our eating without us realizing it. If we’re going to eat without letting our emotions drive the act, we need to know what those emotions are. Labeling our feelings tends to dampen them and helps us to move on.
The last tip is, “no bolting.” There’s a dizzying amount of info out there about mindful and intuitive eating, but doing the work is not easy. Don’t underestimate your desire to run or give up when we approach difficult work. Stay in there, you’re not doing it alone.
We can (emotionally) eat through any plan we have. These tools are essential for digging deeper and addressing the true causes that might be keeping you from sticking with yours. Try one or two of the tactics on this list and see how they work for you!
Resources:
- Bite Size – Foodtrainers®
- Hoffman Institute List of Emotions: Feelings List
- Read: Women Food and God
- Listen: Social Studies with Jena Kingsley
- Learn more at foodtrainers.com
- Instagram: @foodtrainers
- Facebook: facebook.com/Foodtrainers
- Twitter: @foodtrainers
- Read: The Little Book of Thin: Foodtrainers Plan-It-to-Lose-It Solutions for Every Diet Dilemma
