As I write it's about an hour before supper. And I want to eat. No, that's not entirely accurate. I want to binge. I'd like nothing better than to mindlessly eat and eat.
But, I'm choosing not to eat.
Instead, I asked myself, "Am I REALLY hungry? Or are my emotions driving me to eat?"
It's been a long day. My big boys chose to take all day to do their school work instead of the single hour that it should have taken. My 3 year old refused to nap. Finally, while grocery shopping my kids kept wrestling and acting silly with each other. Taking 4 kids into a store always attracts attention, let them act like normal kids and then I really receive stares and "the looks."
So, I'm tired, frustrated, and embarrassed. All those emotions make me want to eat.
But, I'm choosing not to eat.
Instead, I'm naming my emotions, writing this post, and sipping a cup of blueberry herbal tea (without sugar). Hopefully, I'll react like this the next time I feel like eating when I'm not really hungry.
Are you also an emotional eater? How do you resist mindlessly eating?
5 comments:
Good post and great reminder! (Time to re-read Made to Crave maybe? My copy was smoked out and I was considering replacing. That book was a good lecture.)
Good for you on your blueberry tea. Having a bit of a stressful time around these parts as well and so I'm going to have to be telling myself not to eat all day long!
I probably should re-read Made to Crave. I love Celestial Seasonings True Blueberry herbal tea. Calorie and caffeine free but plenty of flavor to curb my cravings!
I am an emotional eater. Just as I think I've gotten it under control, I'll go on another binge. And then it's a snowball effect...I do it again the next day. But today I woke up with renewed resolve to eat healthy foods and not eat just because I want to eat. Oh, and I will have to give the Blueberry tea a try! Right now I'm enjoying Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice :)
Megan, changing why you eat can be as difficult as changing what you eat. For me it's a daily (often minute-by-minute) choice. I love Celestial Seasonings because they are caffeine free and w/o sugar calorie free. I've never tried Bengal Spice. I also like Peppermint and Sleepytime Vanilla.
What a wonderful way to really pay attention to what drives you to eat - I think being aware is half the problem. Good for you for taking that step.
Emotional eating can be so easy and feel so good at the moment. If only it came with no residual weight gain life would be so much easier!!!
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