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    LDRICHEL
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So, yeah. I guess I had a breakthrough today. Or something.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Today was just...well...instead of boring you with all the details, let's do something fun and I'll tell my story in pictures.

Yesterday, work rocked and I felt on top of the world and I was all...

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Today, work was really rough and I felt like...

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At lunch, which was an hour and half later than usual because things had been SO busy, I really wanted to go to a buffet and eat...a LOT.

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But, I knew in my heart that I should have this instead:

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And do you know what happened THEN???? Sitting at my desk...this literally happened....

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That's when I realized...there has never been a more CLEAR example of the fact that I am an emotional eater and that my trigger is stress.

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So, I had an entire inner dialogue with myself. "OK, I want to eat because I'm upset. I feel....???"

Stressed
Overwhelmed
Not Good Enough
Pathetic
Out of Control

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And I chose the salad. It was delicious. But I still didn't feel better. So, the breakthrough was that I recognized, in the moment, what exactly was happening and I did the right thing.

But I'm still left with this icky, frustrated, anxious, jittery feeling. It's like...now how do I actually HANDLE all these yucky emotions if I can't just eat and stuff them down?

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  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

FRESKA 3/22/2012 6:36AM

    wow, cute way to do the blog. i wanna try that sometime! :) i think actually crying was a great way to get your mind and emotions releasing that stress. and not associating the comfort food with relief. by grabbing a quick fix. i think you got a lot of good advise already :) and of course i will say, get a massage and a chiropractic adjustment! get help releasing all that stress in your bones and muscles!
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ADJQUILTER 3/17/2012 9:24AM

    When I'm faced with a situation like that, I pull out my book "Made to Crave" and read over the Healthy Eating Go-To Scripts, like "I was made for more than to be stuck in a vicious cycle of defeat." You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north. Deuteronomy 2:3
-or "When I am considering a compromise, I will think past this moment and ask myself, How will I feel about this choice tomorrow morning?"
-or "When tempted, I either remove the temptation or remove myself from the temptation."
The other ladies have also given some excellent advice-do something to distract yourself.
Don't let it become a pity party. Turn over the controls of your eating to the Lord.
Pray to Him that you're just not strong enough in yourself to handle all of these feelings and situations, but He is all powerful, and there to help get you through it.
I know I could never hope to do this on my own. Turning over control is one of the hardest things for me to do, but it is so empowering and freeing. God is strong, you are not. Turn to Him in faith, and you will achieve victory.
Your team mates are praying for you too! I am praying that God will strengthen and guide you into making good choices. Remember, it is always a choice. You can choose to have the healthy and fit life that you want to have.
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MARVEEME 3/17/2012 6:22AM

    Suggestions:

Take a walk to clear your head...yes, even at work. Go to your car for that "forgotten" item that fell out of your purse. Change up your surroundings if even for just a few minutes. It will make a difference.

Breathing exercises along with chair exercises right at your desk can help too. Move the darn chair to the opposite side of the desk for a few minutes too....don't just sit in the chairs that are there, move them around for awhile....blame it on the need to stretch your back or legs, but switch it up.

Create a focus on a hobby or neglected task when these moments hit you at home. Keep a list of neglected tasks (like cleaning out your makeup drawer or organizing your linen closet). Something that will take more than a minute for you to complete will change your focus and will create new habits that will help you to re-prioritize stress.

While implementing the important "If it wasn't food 100 years ago, it still isn't, so don't eat it" philosophy, ask yourself one question about those non-food related stressful situations: Will what I do now matter in 5 years? Ahhhhhhhhh........it's not as important as you thought, eh?

Blessings!

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EXPAT_EMMA 3/17/2012 4:31AM

    Sorry work was rough. I know someone who lost a lot of weight and she was an emotional eater. I asked her how she did it. She told she learnt to not let the emotions fester inside of her - she wrote them down, told a friend, exercised them away. She also realised that not everything is her fault.
So why not try writing a journal (doing this blog is great as well). It is a good way to see if there are any patterns or triggers to the way you feel.
I have found exercise is also a great way of dealing with a bad day - kickboxing is especially good for dealing with stress!
Anyway, well done on making the right decision despite of everything!

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LOLOSMOMMY 3/16/2012 11:41PM

    I don't have an answer to your question but I'm an emotional eater too. I applaud you for recognizing it and then making a good decision.

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