I think it’s safe to say that almost all of us are familiar with eating our feelings or absolutely losing all willpower at social events. Stress. Sadness. Depression. Late dinners at the office. Unexpected deadlines. Parties. Weddings. Work functions. All of these things can create the perfect atmosphere to make us crave a bag of Oreos or whatever else we can dream up. But, it doesn’t always have to end with you face-down into a bag of Oreos, inhaling the crumbs. Instead, you can try pressing the pause button first to see if you can regain control over your spiraling thoughts and feelings, or that ever-present feeling of “f*ck it!”
Through all of this, the biggest thing you need to remember is that you have control over all of the choices that you make, including your choices about what you eat.
You are stronger than any food you choose to put into your mouth.
PRESSING THE PAUSE BUTTON
“Pressing the pause button” on emotions is a great tool to have in your nutrition toolbox. When you’re feeling like your emotions, stress, utter exhaustion, or cravings are getting the best of you, try doing the following:
HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON!
Emotions only last about 90 seconds — whether it’s fear, anger, frustration, happiness, utter joy, or whatever. It feels like they last for an eternity, I know, but in reality they only last an average of 1.5 minutes. Crazy, right? Of course, if you’re like me, you can do some serious damage to a package of Oreos in 90 seconds, but I’m trying to not have us get to that point, okay? So, hit the pause button!
When you hit the pause button, ask yourself:
Am I truly hungry?
Or, am I stressed, angry, exhausted, bored, etc.?
Why am I craving this?
Would this meal make me feel good after eating it?
Does this meal help me reach my goals?
If you’ve determined your reasons are emotional:
Step away from the meal or craved food for at least 2 minutes.
Seriously; set a timer on your phone or something and step away.
I mean it: step away. Don’t touch the food or even look at it.
AFTER 2 MINUTES, ASK YOURSELF THE SAME QUESTIONS, AGAIN.
Am I truly hungry?
Or, am I stressed, angry, exhausted, bored, etc.?
Why am I craving this?
Would this meal make me feel good after eating it?
Does this meal help me reach my goals?
If you’ve decided that you really, really, really want the food you’re about to eat, regardless of emotions, ask yourself:
Does this fit into my day’s eating plan, or can I make it fit if I make some adjustments to my remaining meals?
Ask yourself (one more time):
Does this meal help me reach my goals?
Through all of this, the biggest thing you need to remember is that YOU HAVE CONTROL over all of the choices that you make, including your choices about what you eat. You are stronger than any food you choose to put into your mouth.
Remind yourself that you have control over your decisions — they do not have control over you.
BASIC SUMMARY:
Pause.
Reflect on and inquire about your emotions and/or craving.
Step away for at least 2 minutes.
Remind and ask yourself about your goals.
Return to the initial emotion and/or craving to see if it is still present.
If you do ultimately decide to eat the food, don’t beat yourself up over it, because that won’t get you anywhere or be productive in any way. That feeling of guilt does nothing for you to meet your goals, so try your best to let it go and not let it open the doors to you spiraling out of control into a big case of the “f*ck its.”
Remind yourself that you have control over your decisions — they do not have control over you.
Have you previously had to address any emotional or stressful eating habits? If so, how did you go about addressing them? If you have any ideas, please add them in the comments, below!
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?
Interested in learning more about flexible eating and how to eat a balanced nutrition plan to tell your feelings of guilt to shove it? Comment below or email me, and I’d be more than happy to help you make sense of it all.
If you’re interested in having your macronutrients personally calculated for you to meet your goals, or having a customized nutrition plan built just for you and paired with attentive coaching, then check-out my Services page first to see what I offer. Message me and we can arrange a time to chat for a free consultation.