Have you ever just had one of those totally frustrating days and your emotions get the better of you? I have them from time to time. And sometimes I just get so frustrated dieting and trying to eat healthy I’d rather just never eat again and not have to deal with it.
On any given day my emotions can see saw a lot, from wanting to eat everything, especially comfort foods because the little voice in my head says “what does it matter I’ll be fat forever any way”, to all the way to other end and hating food and never wanting to touch another morsel because it is evil.
I find a good temper tantrum and rant can help a bit in getting out some of the frustration and desperation for temporary relief. But for the long term — I try to have a plan to deal with such times.
Whenever possible having support is always top of my list — a friend or partner who understands and will let me rant, cry, lash out to my heart’s content — without taking it personally and without trying to fix the problem — but understands that it is just emotions that need to be felt and when sanity returns, has a shoulder to lean on and encouraging words.
Keeping the list of reasons why I want to lose weight handy — and looking at it several times a day helps too. Sure we all want to look good, and have nice clothes, etc. — but honestly it’s a long way off — so the focus has to be on the bigger picture and other goals such as — Getting Healthier! Every single pound that is lost gets your body healthier. Every single step to getting healthier is a step to being around longer for your children and loved ones, and a step to enjoying life more, etc.
Losing even 10 pounds will help you feel better. Try focusing on the little steps for awhile, instead of the entire amount you want to lose. I have over 150 lbs to lose in total – and some days it feels like it is a mountain to high to climb. But I only think about the next 5 or 10 pounds I can manage to it.
The road to losing a lot of weight can look impossibly LONG. Plus all the stress and frustration of daily life makes it darn near impossible to make changes sometimes. At times when I feel totally out of control, like a total failure, hopeless, depressed, angry, etc. — or like I never want to eat again — I find taking some kind of control helps. A day of cleansing and relaxation, (eating very lightly with lots of refreshing water) for a day or two can be one way to get through a stressful time. Try not to be angry with your body, rather accept it and treat it with respect and healing no matter what weight you are. Take a day or two to drink nourishing liquids – such as broth with protein whey isolate powder and healing teas, or Ensure. The next couple of days add a few fruits and veggies. Be sure to get plenty of rest and treat yourself to something special like long, hot bubble baths. Then slowly add other healthy foods.
Food is not the enemy — I know, I know, I find that one hard to believe myself some days — but I’m willing to at least accept that it MIGHT be true. Food for me is my drug of choice — it’s addictive, it relieves stress, its calming, soothing and makes me happy. It’s an escape, a pleasure, and helps keep the bad, icky feelings locked away. Drugs, alcohol and cigarettes do the same thing. However, you can give those things up totally and live. A food addiction is different – because without food you die. So I often feel like giving up being a food addict, is like an alcoholic trying to stop drinking but has to drink 1 beer a day to live.
My approach is to view food in two categories — the foods I know are good for me and safe to eat and the evil drug foods that trigger my cravings, make me hungry just smelling them or some just thinking about them, etc. After years of dieting and keeping a journal of what I eat I know which foods to avoid entirely.
It only takes about a week or so to get over the physical part of an addiction to food – the rest is emotional and psychological (and can take about 30 days to change a habit). So I try to make sure the really evil foods are not around or in the house. I try not letting myself get to the point of feeling starved so that I feel out of control if I happen to be around any evil foods. I have plenty of good for me indulgences and treats that give me comfort, pleasure, and satisfaction so that my emotional and psychological cravings are tended to when needed.
Try to remember on a bad day to hang in there, this too shall pass!
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Currently Diet Pulpit is rarely updated. Lady Rose is now blogging at Blissful Moon, where she is staying healthy and continuing to have adventures, please stop by and visit.
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