This is why I love what I do. Instead of only telling people to eat right, I provide ongoing coaching which is 2/3 of the battle – and the other 1/3 of the battle is when I work with people on both their mindset and their emotions that cause them to overeat, or eat a lot of unhealthy food.
Raw Emotions – we often drown our sorrows with “feel good” food, or when we are lonely, bored, upset, unhappy, etc. I work with the “why” of this and help people change these strategies and emotional eating habits, but here is a quick tip on if you feel yourself get an emotional eating (both women AND men). Do something else. Anything else. Go for a walk, a drive, go exercise, read a book, call a friend, call ME! Exercise is one of the best ways to deal with stress and emotions in a very positive way. Whether it’s a gentle walk, a heart pounding run, or a super-intense session of weights, it will all help!
KISS – Keep It Short and Simple – starting simple and don’t get overwhelmed – or let others overwhelm you. Small changes like taking half of your dinner/lunch out to go and having it as lunch another day both saves you money and also gives you a tasty lunch for another day! Start with short consistent walks, small but progressive changes to your eating habits, sports, hobbies, etc. Do you really get that much out of sitting around at work during lunch? Get out and go for a walk and get some sunshine! I guarantee you will feel better afterwards.
Eating because we are bored-many people eat mindlessly because we are bored, need to keep our hands busy, or are watching TV, which is one of the biggest reasons people overeat. First they are the food commercials, second there are the product basement spots during shows and movies, and thirdly watching TV/movies doesn’t stimulate your unconscious mind very much, so it is bored silly and wants something to do. Default: EAT.
Just do it – don’t even think about it or let you talk yourself out of it. I did that for years and years, and I am so happy that I finally took the first step..and then the second, and so on. But, I wished I had done it much earlier. Just do it – whatever that is for you – create a healthy eating plan, sign up for karate, join an active sport, see a nutritionist :-), decide to start eating healthier, start walking once a day on lunch/before breakfast/to wind down in the evening, join a gym, etc. Don’t do it tomorrow – do it today.
Overcoming Mental Obstacles – Many people don’t believe they can do it, or have been told they can’t do it. Our friends and family are often the biggest (but usually don’t even realize they are doing it) sabateurs. Magazines, TV comercials, product labels, etc. are often misleading and are not always “real” people, but if someone has a good friend or someone they know who they have actually watched slim up, they know it’s possible. It’s a great motivation to follow in someone’s footsteps who has been successful, or better yet, do it with a partner.
I can also get into the reasons for physical addiction, like candida yeast overgrowth, food sensitivities, and sugar addiction, but that’s another topic for another newsletter!
