COMFORT FOOD
Food is not for comfort, stress relief or reward. Eat what fuels you.
We can all relate to comfort food, having a drink to “take the edge off”, or treating yourself at the end of a tough day.
When we use food for emotional support,
- We don’t get the emotional support from where we really need it
- It breeds shame and guilt, that has us take the same action for the short-term fix, and makes the original problem worse.
We can’t cover up a heartbreak with a boston cream donut. We can’t fix a hard day by drowning our problems with a glass of wine. We don’t actually get rewarded when we binge because it’s associated with so much self-loathing. When we use these quick fixes to make ourselves feel better short-term, it ends up compounding the problem. Kindof like putting whipcream & a cherry on top of a pile of shit! The underlying emotion is still waiting for us, and it’ll take more & more & more to cover it up.
Clean up that shitty problem, feel the hurt and get the support that you need. When it comes time that you are ready for your family pizza night or girls weekend, it won’t be associated with the guilt and shame you punish yourself with.
For the next 6 weeks, ask yourself if you’re eating for fuel or eating for comfort? Stick to an 80/20 diet to create a balance in your life-style; 80% of the time be proud of your food & beverage choices, 20% of the time allow yourself a guilt-free indulgence. Timing is key, the earlier you enjoy, the better you’ll recover. Yes, that means Suzanna enjoys cold pizza for breakfast, and I’ll have a piece of chocolate after lunch)!
Plan ahead for your social / family events, and enjoy every second of that delicious…
4 STEPS TO END EMOTIONAL EATING: SELF-LOVE
Identify the need that is being met through emotional eating and practice learning how to meet that need (start with writing it out, listen to a guided meditation, step into a cold shower, call up someone you trust)
- AWARENESS: what’s going on in my life that’s causing me to over-eat or over-indulge?
- IDENTIFY THE EMOTION: what’s the feeling that’s creating the desire?
- GET CURIOUS: why do I have this desire? Don’t judge the behaviour, observe it. What does this feel like? What is this providing for me?
- PREPARE: How can I prepare for this? How else can I give myself the comfort, stress-relief, or reward.
DIG DEEP — QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION
- Think of the last time when you ate or drank something that had you feel guilt afterwards, write down what you were feeling? Why am I reaching for _____? (distract, reward?). What else is going on in my life?
- Use the emotional wheel below to dig deeper. Start at the centre, pick a word, and use the corresponding terms to define your feelings. Your own word wheel will help you interpret your emotions.
- What else helps you manage this emotion other than my food choice?
