End Emotional Eating: Let your life grow bigger while you get smaller
By: Melissa McCreery, PhD
If we want to take charge of emotional eating and create a healthier relationship with food, we must learn to feed ourselves in ways that are more satisfying, and ultimately, more powerful. If we are using food to feed our feelings, or to fill holes in our life, or to avoid certain situations, we need to learn to REALLY address the gaps or holes that we are tempted to use food to fill. Food is for feeding our physical body. As my clients work to conquer emotional eating, they usually find they need to develop more tools and strategies to feed their spirit.
Taking charge of emotional eating means allowing your life to grow bigger, as you learn to rely less on food as a coping tool. It means really listening to what you want and need and feel and looking for ways to feed those cravings. As you address your thoughts and feelings and needs head-on (instead of reaching for a cookie), you may find yourself considering new (or forgotten) goals, projects and desires that have nothing to do with food or weight or weight loss surgery. Bravo.
Taking on new challenges is exciting—and scary. Here are some tips to remember as you set forth towards those life-expanding goals and move towards creating the life you crave (By the way, these tips work well for weight loss too):
1. Be smart about your goals. Set concrete SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Tangible. “I will work on the book I want to write for thirty minutes every morning before work” is a SMART goal. So is, “I will apply for two jobs this week.” “I will get in shape” is not a SMART goal, but “I will complete the weight circuit at the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after work” is.
2. Break your overall goal down into manageable steps. If you want to change careers, you’ll need more than one “get a new job” goal. Define the steps and keep them small. Create specific SMART sub-goals and milestones for each day and each week. If you aren’t achieving your daily milestones, you’ll need to step back and evaluate why your plan isn’t working, then add in the components you need to meet your daily targets. Key questions to ask here might be: “Is my goal reasonable for the time frame?” “What might help me increase my odds of success in this situation?” “How can I add in some support or accountability?”
3. Keep the big picture in mind. Remember—you’re looking to make a change that lasts; create a habit that sticks; or complete the big project you are beginning. “Slow and steady” really does win the race. We tend greatly overestimate what we can accomplish in the short run and underestimate what we can do in the bigger picture. Make sure that you are being realistic and don’t take on more than your life and current stress level will allow. Small changes are easier to maintain than drastic leaps outside of your comfort zone.
Take good care,
Melissa
Find more information about resources to help you take control of emotional eating and overeating, including special programs for Weight Loss Surgery patients atwww.enduringchange.com Sign up for a free newsletter with more tips about how to live your best life here.
