No Emotional Eating Tool Kit

On Monday we talked about what emotional eating actually is.  (If you haven't checked it out, scroll back to that post.)  Today, we're going to build our "NO EMOTIONAL EATING TOOL KIT"!

Ideally, you'll want to find a small shoebox, or food storage box that you'll be able to put some times in to help you deal in times when you feel an emotional eating need coming on.  Inside this box, you will want to fill it with items that will keep you from trying to satisfy your needs with food.

First, I've found that by far the most beneficial tool in my tool box is an index card.  "An index card?" is probably what you're thinking.  But yes, that's what I said.  Don't worry, it's not a blank one.  On this card I want you to put the following...

• a positive affirmation (or 2 or 3), something that really speaks to you... for me "I believe in myself and my abilities" is one that really speaks to me, but you'll need to find one that works for you.
• phone numbers of 3 close friends - you'll want to make sure that these people are non-judgmental.  Often when we're looking for that "fix" from emotional eating the last thing we need to feel is judged as well.  These 3 people will listen to you, comfort and console you, and simply put, just be there for me.  (I'm blessed to have several people in my life who have been willing to text back and forth with me at all hours of the day and night when I've been in a really bad place.

There obviously won't just be an index card in your box.  But here's where you need to see what works for you.

• Does journaling help you purge your emotions?  If so, then buy a cheap notebook at the dollar store and keep that in there. 
• Do you need to keep your hands busy?  Remember those floss bracelets we made as kids?  Buy some floss and make a bracelet or two. 
• Do you know how to crochet or knit?  Put in a ball of yarn and your needles or crocket hook.  As an added bonus, you could wind up making scarves for everyone for Christmas this year (my boys still have their scarves I made for them before I decided that crocheting really just wasn't for me).
• Maybe you like to draw.  Keep a sketchpad in there.  Like to read, put in a couple magazines or a Chicken Soup type book filled with short, positive and uplifting stories.
• Then there's my favorite... Play-Doh!  Sometimes we just need to keep our hands busy.  When that's the case, squeezing and shaping a wad of this dough can keep your hands moving (and therefore unable to be used to eat) and it's a GREAT way to deal with frustration.

And don't forget, there's something that you can't put inside your tool box, but is a GREAT way to burn out those emotions - exercise.  Whether your doing a T25 workout, or going for a walk, either way you'll be able to clear out your head while doing something good for yourself... And who doesn't feel better once they've got that endorphin burst?

Until Next Time...

Emotional Eating

During my time at Renfrew I spent a LOT of time learning about some of the reasons that people have difficult relationships with food and their weight.  One reason is emotional eating.  Emotional eating is when a person eats for reasons other then hunger.  Some people celebrate with food - think about after a child hits a game winning home run and you go out for ice cream.  Other times people deal with painful emotions but trying to stuff them down with food.  Perhaps you might eat because your bored.  Whatever the reason, if you aren't eating because you're hungry, your eating because of your emotions. 

According to the University of Texas Counseling and Universal Health Center there are telltale signs of "emotional eating."

1.  Emotional hunger comes on suddenly, unlike physical hunger which comes on more gradually.

2.  When you are eating to fill a void in your life, only a specific food will meet your needs (for me, it's always been ice cream or fro-yo).  When you are actually hungry, you are more open to options because your eating to fill a physical need.

3.  Emotional hunger needs to be instantly filled (I once remember disconnecting my husband from a business call because I needed to go for something at that moment and I couldn't wait).  Physical hunger can wait.

4.  Even when you are full, emotional eating tends to continue.  When you are eating only from physical hunger you will stop when you are full.

5.  It's typically emotional hunger that will leave a person with guilty feelings, not physical hunger.

Comfort foods can also be included in emotional eating, though often eaten to maintain a positive mood. 

It's important to remember that when you're eating for reasons other then physical hunger, chances are your body doesn't need those calories - calories which get stored as fat and will often cause a weight gain, and with it potential health risks.

So what can you do to deal with emotional eating? 
Wednesday we'll take on the task of creating a "Tool Box" just for this!

Until Next Time...

Create Some Positive Self Talk!

Positive Self Talk: Learn How to Create a Positive Image of Yourself

Our actions depict our thoughts and our thoughts depict the way we interpret our self. How do we interpret our self? We talk to ourselves almost all the time and it is actually we who tell ourselves if the world around us is beautiful or if the things around us are ugly. It is we who tell us to see negativity in every matter and it is also we who sow seed of hope in ourselves.
Let’s see how we can develop a positive image of ourselves in front of us.

First - kill the negative chatter which lives inside you. Do not hear him.
Second - develop a habit of affirming positive thoughts. Say a big YES to each positive thought. Third - whenever possible narrate positive stories to yourself in detail. Repeat the stories and try to internalize the narrated dreams and goals.
Forth - replace every person and every object that may cause negative influence on your thinking pattern with someone and something pleasing and positive.
Fifth; -try to avoid the company of de-motivating and uninspiring people. Such people may cause you to engage in negative chat.
Sixth - make yourself to talk about present. Forget past and don’t think of future. Try to live in present.
Seventh - don’t fear of your fears. Try to confront them. Believe; worst case scenarios are never as bad as we think of them.
Eighth - remember life is a combination of disturbing and enjoyable moments. Talk more about enjoyable moments. Forget disturbing moments.
Ninth - develop a habit of gratitude. It can does wonders to your mental state.

In short replace every negative thought with a positive thought. Talk to yourself in positive way and don’t listen to your negative chatter.

Until Next Time...

How to Curtail those Nasty Binges

As many of you already may know, I'm a recovering bulimic.  I was bulimic for over 10 years before getting my shit together and entering into the frustrating and exciting world of recovery.  Never in a million years did I think that I could actually lose weight in a healthy way, yet here I stand before you, living proof that you can.  With that being said, I was an awful, awful, AWFUL binge eater.  Sometimes to the point where I wouldn't even remember what I had consumed except for the empty boxes and wrappers I'd find later.  I may be in recovery (262 days without purging baby!) but that doesn't mean I still don't struggle with a desire to binge.  So a few days ago, when an article was sent my way from an awesome blog Lift Like a Girl about how to break free from binge eating I started thinking about how I've been dealing with my desires to binge and thought I'd share my TOP 5
with you.

1.  There is NO SUCH THING as an off limits food.  This is something that I personally struggle with.  I call these foods "fear foods" because for me they were foods that often sent me into an awful binge.  However, rather then looking at foods as something dangerous, in my house I've begun to teach my children about "sometimes" and "everyday" foods.  Sometimes foods are treats, maybe processed, but things that we shouldn't eat everyday.  It doesn't mean we cannot have them, just in moderation and not all the time.  Everyday foods are those whole foods  (such as meats, veggies, fruits, etc.) that are perfect to eat on a daily basis.

2.  Do not let the scale dictate your life.  I used to allow myself to get so caught up in the number I saw when I weighed myself, that a slight fluctuation meant, "fuck it, I'll go eat whatever I want" or the other extreme, "time to starve."  All that number really means is your gravitational pull to the Earth.  It does not determine your beauty, value, or worth.  The same goes with clothing sizes.

3.  Forgive Yourself.  Have you really ever stopped and thought about the way you speak to yourself.  Would you want to be friends with someone who spoke that way to you?  If you slip up, (and hey, it happens) just let it go.  I once read about how you wouldn't smash your iPhone with a sledgehammer just because it fell.  Same goes true with your eating habits, don't let one overindulgence stick with you.  Forget about it, and just move on.

4.  Get rid of the scale.  I can't honestly do this one.  Since I compete in tournaments that create divisions based on weight (kickboxing and grappling tournaments) I've had to keep mine.  However, I do not allow myself to check my weight nearly as often as I used to.  And I no longer allow myself the scale for 2 days after a slip up.  There's no reason to beat yourself up.

5.  Find Support.  I have some amazing friends and family who I know I can go to when I'm dealing with "feeling bingy."  My husband has learned that he needs to let me go for a drive and get away from the temptation.  My friends are great to text with back and forth or even go for a drive with me if I need it.

***Help others - Post below in the comments section with some of your tried and true way to help curtail those nasty binges!

Until Next Time...