When you experience those "chaotic-stressful-heartbreaking-discombobulated" moments in life, you may find yourself mindlessly two-fisting junk food. And in the days following, it may be way too easy to "feel fat" or say, "Damn, I'm lookin' rough."
However counterintuitive it may be, it's important to take the focus off your body, because it's really not about the extra pounds you may pack on; it's about your experience in life at any given moment. It's about you. YOU! Where are you in the midst of all this chaos and heartbreak? How are you doing?
If you're already feeling down because of your life circumstances, negative self-talk simply propels you deeper into the doldrums. Try these tips to navigate the stormy waters and bring your eating back to peaceful shores:
Surrender
Sometimes it can be apparent that a hard time is going to have its way with you and in your heart of hearts you know you're going to engage in some deeply gluttonous behavior; you're going to get down with the get down.
So, let go. As the notable psychologist, Carl Jung, coined, "What you resist persists."
Let yourself be. Focus only on putting healthy, nutrient rich foods into your body, like leafy greens; getting a good night's sleep; getting hugs and kind words from loved ones; and reading inspiring books, for example.
If you also happen to eat a dozen donuts... well then, damn it, you also happen to eat a dozen donuts! The world will not fly off its axis and your butt won't actually expand to the size of the moon. And your health will not immediately deteriorate.
Just breathe. And as you show yourself tenderness, understanding and patience, you'll slowly begin to shift within yourself, empowering you to gradually make healthier choices.
Change your routine
When you're feeling bad, you're psychologically driven to find some way to feel better. And that's a very beautiful thing! Food is wonderfully pleasurable and accessible, so why wouldn't you seek it out to make yourself feel better?
Knowing this allows you to be both compassionate toward yourself and proactive. In knowing that you're hard wired to bring yourself back into balance, you can prepare to do so in ways that actually get you there, rather than by stuffing your face for a few feel-good moments.
In this endeavor, changing your routine can be particularly beneficial because most of us live our lives routinely, eating the same few foods, going to the same places, watching the same T.V. shows, etc. Similarly routine is our tendency to reach for food in hard times: we feel the pain and mindlessly reach for food.
Likely, you've engaged in this behavior a multitude of times. It's your MO, kind of like Pavlov's dog salivating at the ringing of the bell. Changing things up can not only inject feel-good momentum into your life in hard times, it can also help to break the momentum of your conditioned eating - which of course, is just another routine behavior in your otherwise routine life.
So, perhaps try eating outside for a change. Or stop on your way home from work and do something "outrageous," like visiting a park and taking a swing. Hell, climb the jungle gym! Whatever you do, get into the game with your whole self, rather than just going through the motions.
Deeply explore what's bothering you
When hard times arrive, it's easy to simply react. You can lose balance so easily. You know you're feeling bad, but you may be all over the place in terms of knowing precisely why you feel bad.
Pause. Take a deep breath. Assess the situation. For example, perhaps you recently lost your job. Obviously you're troubled by the thought of not having enough money to pay your bills. But what's underneath that? Guilt that you didn't prepare for a different career or that you didn't save more money? Fear that you may not be able to find a job that you love or that you're in the wrong career altogether? Do you feel stupid? Worthless? What's really going on with you? Set pen to paper and work it out. Write down all the thoughts and feelings you're having about your current situation. This clarity alone can help to end feelings of panic and overwhelm, as you'll now be better able resolve your problems.
Additionally, as you calm down and become more aware of your feelings, you naturally bring this same calmness and awareness to your eating.
So, I'm interested in hearing about any ideas you have for avoiding weight gain during hard times. Let me know! And if you need assistance in regaining your balance and health, get your FREE MP3, "Holistic Weight Release: A 7-Step Protocol for Slimming Down with Joy" at http://www.healthysuccesswithlela.com/ Lela Juarez, J.D., M.S., C.H.T.
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