Food is not
love…ooommm…
Food is not
comfort…ooommm…
Food is not
joy…ooommm…
Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there! I was just in the
middle of my meditation. Every day in every way…I need to keep reminding myself
that food is just nourishment; nothing more, nothing less.
Let me tell you a secret. You’ll have to get close to the
screen for this one…
I’M AN EMOTIONAL EATER!!!!
Did I scare you? I’m sorry…mwahaha.
I’m certain I didn’t at least shock you. Most overweight/obese
people aren’t eating because they are unusually hungry (though it’s possible,
and you might have a tapeworm or a disease, so go see a doctor, would you? But
not until after you finish reading this post, K?),
and the more I focus on clean eating through my Isagenix program, the more I recognize that I’m eating passed the hungry on days I slip up.
I know that I’m eating to fill a void(s) in my life. Food
isn’t a punishment. I enjoy food because it is a treat to me. I reward myself
for getting through a bad day, or for holding back saying something so that I maintain
a status quo that may not even work for me anymore (the latter being related to
my former job most of all). I treat myself to ice cream, Starbucks, greasy
burgers and Taco Bell (not all of these at the same time…usually) because I’m
trying to fill a hole in my life where a boyfriend and/or a better career might
fit better.
And unfortunately, this kind of eating gives instant gratification
that doesn’t last very long, especially if you eat until you bloat.
I’m like the crazy cat lady of fast food, constantly
collecting and filling my home (or in this case, my belly) with junk
food…and if you’ve seen my Vines and photos, you already know that I also
have 4 crazy cats (thanks Mom and Dad). So, I’m doubly trying to fill that
void.
So, since it’s unhealthy to eat ourselves to 400+ pounds,
hoard animals, and have constant one-night stands (though I’m sure that last
one is much more fun, and barring STDs/STIs, a nice, healthy workout), what can
we do to prevent ourselves from emotional eating?
To me, the answer is two-fold.
The first part is inspired by Jillian Michaels and her
podcast. If you haven’t listened to any of her episodes, I highly recommend it. I like
to listen to them in my car, while doing dishes and laundry, working out, or
any other time where using my ears is better than watching TV.
Jillian says that in order to control her food intake, she
has made her eating habits as routine as possible. Most days, she knows what she'll be eating ahead of time and when. If you have a plan, it’s harder to make the decision to break away from it.
It also makes you look at food as nourishment instead of as a treat to have
whenever and wherever.
Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean making food boring. Never
be afraid to use spices, especially hot peppery stuff that’s good for your
metabolism. But establishing a basic routine for what you eat in a day can make
it easy to track your calories, and eventually, the more you do it, the less
you’ll have to write down because it will be in your head.
This simplicity is why I like my Isagenix plan. It’s a basic
routine, and I only have to worry about a minimum amount of calorie counting. For example,
I have a delicious shake or bar for breakfast and at dinner, a snack around 200
calories mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and lunch is a full meal between
400-600 calories.
To prevent me from going overboard, I give myself just a few
choices. I switch between either boneless chicken breast, eggs or fish
(sometimes eggs and fish to fill in calories), some sort of carb (either brown rice
or whole grain wheat toast) with a serving of Smart Balance low sodium butter,
and a side of Steam Fresh veggies (my favorites are the Brussels sprouts and the
garlic cauliflower). I’ll also mix in my veggie of choice, baby spinach, while
cooking the main protein dish. And maybe a piece of Babybel if there is calorie
room.
There are also supplements to take, and I like to add
non-caffeinated tea to the end of my day. And ALWAYS drink plenty of water
water water!
So, part one deals with how we view food, but what about that
void? Whatever it is that we can’t fill, or aren’t ready to fill yet?
Well, this is where part two comes in, and it is inspired by
me, me, selfish little old me!
I have a pretty good idea what is missing from my life that
makes me eat so much, and it’s not something I can just go buy in a store…so
while I’m not spending money on eating out all the time, I think I’m going to save
this $$$ and put it toward treats that help me fulfill other goals and get the other things I want out
of life that are currently more in reach.
Feel free to peruse my personal goal/reward list/timeline:
Which leads me
to your BUDDY TOPIC OF THE WEEK. How can you, or do you, reward yourself for
good health behavior? Feel free to leave your treat ideas in the comments [I’m
always looking for new suggestions for myself ;) ].
OK workout buds,
I’ll see you next week!
Your Workout
Buddy,
Roxy
