3 STEPS TO OVERCOME OVER-EATING
Every day I talk with women who feel out of control around food & use food as comfort in times of:
Stress
Boredom
Sadness
Celebration
Anxiety
Reward
If you reach for food at any flux in your emotional status... you very much are NOT alone.
Food is meant to be both enjoyable and nourishing, & the key to a better relationship with food starts with making the switch from mindLESS to mindFUL & retraining the habitual response that’s been created in each scenario.
When you think about it, all behavior is driven by the desire to solve a problem. Sometimes the problem is that you notice something good (a goal) & you want to obtain it and sometimes the problem is that you are experiencing pain or discomfort & you want to relieve it. Either way any habit we create is with the purpose to solve the problems you face.
Here’s are 3 steps to help you start to regain control around food:
1. PAUSE.
Each time you go to eat, literally ask yourself, am I hungry? Am I eating this out of hunger or because I’m feeling ______? This is one way to start listening to your body again. Eating is not going to make the underlying feelings go away, it’s just a temporary way to numb & comfort yourself.
2. BECOME AWARE.
Being aware IN the moment can help shift your response to an emotion. Do you really need______? In what way would eating right now actually benefit you?
3. CREATE A NEW RESPONSE.
In order to create a new response, we need to be aware that the emotion is triggering an unwanted behavior & put in place a new response that creates the same reward. Make a list of what you could do in times of stress, boredom, or reward so that when you are triggered by an emotion, you have a new way to respond to the feelings you need satisfied.
This is a big part around what we do with our coaching clients.
If you’re looking to make changes in your body or health - I highly encourage starting with your habits.
If you need help, let’s chat!