Alongside nutritional goals and creating support for them, we may also need emotional rules. It’s essential to find the emotional component of comfort or stress eating, and that often begins with identifying how we actually perpetuate our “stuff.”
Two “Stuff Perpetuating” Habits
Creep: We know carb creep, but what about what we say to or about ourselves? We often say things to ourselves that we wouldn’t say to an enemy. How does that help us? Beating yourself up hasn’t yet worked long term, has it? The beating up only activates the need for comfort, so clean up the creep. Be kind to your heart. Recognize where you stumble, work to make different choices next time, and let it go.
Conversations: Consider the stories you tell. What’s the purpose of them? If they shift your focus to what you’ve done wrong or what you think is wrong with you, consider losing those stories. Life stories that help you connect or illustrate learning and growth are useful, but avoid retelling stories that only really commiserate or leave you feeling bad. It helped me tremendously when I decided to only tell stories from my past to benefit someone else. It stopped reinforcing the negative and focused on growth – either mine or theirs. When we feel better, we don’t need so much comfort.
What ways do you perpetuate rather than face your stuff? Want to share?
Renée Jones is a counselor and coach specializing in overcoming emotional eating. After 40 years on the Diet Yo-Yo, she struggled to find what worked for her while emotional eating sabotaged every attempt. When she finally overcame that emotional eating to lose her weight, maintenance on a low-fat diet left her tired, hungry, and cranky. In April of 2015, she found the ketogenic lifestyle and later Carrie Brown’s recipes, which freed her from the Diet Yo-Yo and dark mood swings.
Now she helps others get free of their emotional eating and other baggage so their hearts can heal along with their bodies. She has a Master’s degree in Counseling with certifications in both traditional and contemporary models as well as Horse-Assisted and relaxation methods. She has an international counseling and coaching practice.
Author of What’s Really Eating You: Overcome the Triggers of Comfort Eating
Connect with Renée!
www.packyourownbag.com
Eliz~Thank You Renee, that is so true!- “When we feel better, we don’t need so much comfort.” I thought I deserved a tongue lashing from myself, feeling it was justified. But feeling worse leads to giving up doesn’t it! From now on I will be watchful and kinder to myself.