Riot_Girl_XXX’s BodyBlog

GUILTY!

This is a major challenge for me.  With so much anxiety, sometimes I feel out of control and I start to act like a child in that I can control what goes in and out of me (kids refuse to eat or wet themselves out of defiance etc)…well I’m happy to say I don’t wet myself hahah

Subconciously though, I have a hard time when stressed out, controlling my eating habits.  I’ll eat and crave things I havent craved in years, today it was perogies just because they were there.  Its a hugely stressful time for me and so I made a deal to myself…when I have a negative craving, I’m going to do some cardio, be it 15 minutes, half hour i dont care, dancing, tae bo, bootcamp, whatever…if its close to my other training, pilates, etc then i’ll do that before I give in.  Have a big glass of water and then decide.  Chances are, after working out, I’m not going to feel like a detrimental meal and if I end up sliding here and there, at least Ive done something to burn the calories. 

I came across this passage and it fit me perfectly…

 " when you’re bored, angry, tired, anxious, stressed, depressed or socially pressured. If you do, try these tips:

• Before eating anything, ask yourself if you’re really hungry. If the answer is no, consider having a glass of water. You may find that you’re just thirsty.
• Learn to refuse gracefully when people offer food that doesn’t fit into your menu plan such as treats at coffee breaks.
• Do something to distract yourself from your desire to eat — call a friend or run an errand.
• Direct emotional energy from stress or anger outward. Think about taking a walk, sorting through files, or cleaning out a cluttered drawer or closet. The urge to eat will pass.
• If you find that you absolutely can’t find an alternative strategy, don’t try to restrain yourself too much — that may lead to bingeing. In that case, eat some vegetables or a piece of fruit. You won’t have to feel guilty, and it may satisfy your craving.

Step 2: Change gradually

When you’ve identified an eating habit that you’d like to change, remember that gradual changes work best. Consider this example. Marty works as a customer service manager for a retail department store. Her job is often stressful. She prides herself on meeting the needs of customers and sometimes finds herself juggling the needs of customers with the needs of management. When she feels overwhelmed by stress, she walks to the vending machine for a high-fat, high-calorie snack.

Marty recognized that this was one eating habit preventing her from reaching a healthy weight. She decided to start dealing with on-the-job stress by taking a brisk, 10-minute walk at break time and by eating fruit for snacks.

Like Marty, you, too, can prevent thoughts and feelings about food from standing in the way of your weight-loss program. Choose one area at a time and be specific about how you’re going to change. When you feel you’ve successfully changed one eating habit, work on another.

Step 3: Plan ahead

Your old eating habits may be so ingrained that you’re not aware of them. Mentally rehearsing healthier habits can help. Imagine this: You’re at a graduation party. The buffet table is packed with all of your favorite treats. Now imagine this: You take a small portion of a few items from the buffet table, leaving space between them on your plate, or you take only fresh fruits and vegetables. Mentally rehearse this plan until you’re more likely to remember it — and do it — the next time you need it most.

Step 4: Think positively

Don’t dwell on what you’re giving up to reach a healthy weight. Concentrate instead on what you’re gaining. Instead of thinking, "I really miss eating a doughnut at breakfast," tell yourself, "I feel a lot better when I eat oatmeal and fresh fruit in the morning."

Step four especially stood out for me…I do this to myself, and I think I cant eat this, I cant do that…and it starts to feel like a negative thing…so I have to counteract that and make it positive and realize what it is I’m working towards

With increased self esteem comes increased willpower and vice versa

x 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 at 10:47 pm and is filed under Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.