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Emotional Eating Cycle
I've been working on creating strategies (non-food ones!!) to combat emotional eating. It is an interesting cycle to analyze. Emotional overeating has nothing to do with actually being hungry. For me, once I identify something, I am more than half-way to dealing with it successfully. The awareness of this about me has been so helpful so I'm applying it to the emotional eating cycle.
This is what I've come up with so far:
The cycle typically involves:
I have an uncomfortable, undesirable emotion (some of mine are boredom, stress, fatigue, anxiety or overwhelm) or triggering situation.
Then my internal negative self talk starts in.
I want to stop (or minimize) the emotion and/or situation, and silence the negativity running through my head.
My emotionally overeating desire of head/heart hunger starts going and it is off and running, usually loud and strong. IF I give in, it allows me to no longer focus on the emotion/situation and negativity........for awhile. IF I give in, eventually, the feeling comes back.
BEFORE I give in, I fast forward to how I know I will feel. Now I'll have to deal with the original emotion(s) and/or situation PLUS the guilt and shame of giving in to emotionally overeating.
IF I gave in, the probability exists that to cope with the original emotion(s) and/or situation AND the guilt and shame of giving in, I'll emotionally overeat even more.
Then the cycle continues over and over and over again.
After reading all of this, it will help me be aware and refer to so I don't give in, in the first place.
When I deal with the original emotions and/or situation, the cycle becomes very quick and simple. As a result, I stay in control, react in an appropriate, healthy way AND, most importantly, I feel great about myself. My confidence, self-esteem and inner strength are intact and stronger.
Now that I've shared this, written it in black and white, it is a no-brainer. I choose me rather than the fix of food.
Yeah US!!
Cathy
This is what I've come up with so far:
The cycle typically involves:
I have an uncomfortable, undesirable emotion (some of mine are boredom, stress, fatigue, anxiety or overwhelm) or triggering situation.
Then my internal negative self talk starts in.
I want to stop (or minimize) the emotion and/or situation, and silence the negativity running through my head.
My emotionally overeating desire of head/heart hunger starts going and it is off and running, usually loud and strong. IF I give in, it allows me to no longer focus on the emotion/situation and negativity........for awhile. IF I give in, eventually, the feeling comes back.
BEFORE I give in, I fast forward to how I know I will feel. Now I'll have to deal with the original emotion(s) and/or situation PLUS the guilt and shame of giving in to emotionally overeating.
IF I gave in, the probability exists that to cope with the original emotion(s) and/or situation AND the guilt and shame of giving in, I'll emotionally overeat even more.
Then the cycle continues over and over and over again.
After reading all of this, it will help me be aware and refer to so I don't give in, in the first place.
When I deal with the original emotions and/or situation, the cycle becomes very quick and simple. As a result, I stay in control, react in an appropriate, healthy way AND, most importantly, I feel great about myself. My confidence, self-esteem and inner strength are intact and stronger.
Now that I've shared this, written it in black and white, it is a no-brainer. I choose me rather than the fix of food.
Yeah US!!
Cathy
Cathy
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