There are so many people who eat sometimes because it is simply “THE ONLY solution to the issue which you can do at the moment”.
Why does it happen? Well there are a lot of people discussing why and how it happens from the chemical point of view.
I would prefer to focus on one KEY “simple” thing – you need to feel in LOVE with yourself and try to be kind not only to people around you, but to yourself too.
Easier said than done, right?
There are a few strategies which might be useful for overeating.
BEFORE
Trigger feeling: Sadness about…/Loneliness/Boredom/
You feel like: Need to have to eat this cookie/chocolate/5 apples/cereal pack/chips…(insert your variant)
Your thoughts: “I must eat now”
Your body reactions: Heart rate goes up/Hands shaking/Irregular breathing/Any other change from normal, calm you…
Goal: Calm down
Actions to help you out at this stage:
1) OBSERVE what is happening in the body (don’t judge). Simply observe, like a scientist, like an observer, a very interested journalist – When you can notice how you are feeling (in which part of the body there is a change from normal), the chemical reactions in your brain changes and it calms down the urge to eat.
2)Deep breath 5 times (3 count in-3 count out)
2) Stretching (Hands up and on the sides/close your eyes and stretch the neck)
3) say loud WHAT do you feel (if you are in the office maybe a good idea to go to the meeting room not to freak out your colleagues 🙂 ) – “I feel angry that they did this”/ “I feel bored and thats stupid to waste my time like that”/” I feel lonely”…
4) Look at the mirror and just try to smile at yourself! try again, until you actually smile.
5) Relax the muscles of your face. Yep! Each muscle on the face needs to feel relaxed and without any tension.
DURING
You feel like: NOTHING (you usually don’t feel anything at this time, as you are concentrated on the process of eating)
Your thoughts: “why am I doing this?”
Your body reactions: eating “like a rabbit”/ very fast, no chewing
Goal: “Wake up” your unconscious brain
Actions to help you out at this stage:
1) Slow down!!! Yep, slow down the speed at which you are eating. Try to chew slower and sower and slower.2)Put your feet on the ground and FEEL the ground under your feet (if you are standing already, concentrate on the FEELING of the ground, feel your soles, feel the fingers touching the ground)
3) Say out loud ” I love myself”/”I accept myself”/ “I am strong”
4) Look outside to the street/ think about how each tree looks like, how fast cars are passing by/ just focus on something that is happening outside
AFTER
You feel like: low/upset/frustrated
Your thoughts: “Why did I do this???”
Your body reactions: feel like a bubble/ lay on a couch and can’t move/ feel like hiding under the blanket
Goal: Help your body to feel better and help your mind to move on
Actions to help you out at this stage:
1) Drink hot water with ginger. Continue with warm water with some lemon squeezed in. It should help your digestion.
2) Take a shower if possible – it will help you to “freshen up”, so you don’t lay on a couch feeling like “a big jelly fish”
3) Do some EASY stretching (as its to hard to run/jump around/ do weights when you feel really super full
4) Raise your arm and quickly move it down and say “F..k it, it happened” 🙂 Just accept that it happened and MOVE ON. You will try your best next time, and next time again and you know what? Eventually you will stop at the point “before BEFORE” 😉
Have a fab journey x
OMGsoTasty 