
Do you have a go-to food or activity that numbs you out after a long day or an emotional event? C’mon, be honest: is it scrolling through Facebook, playing a game on your phone, or grabbing a bag of chips? If you’re an emotional eater, then you can relate. What are those foods you gravitate towards when you want to feel better? Chocolate? Ice cream? Bread? If you know what I’m talking about, chances are you also feel guilty about eating these foods. Well, I want to take that guilt away and instead teach you what these foods are telling you.
Your body has an amazing and insightful secret to share with you:
When you reach for food and you are not physically hungry, it’s telling you “Something’s wrong!” It’s shouting at you to stop and listen.
It’s so common to plow through your day without ever stopping to listen to your body and see what it needs. So, when you are craving food, think of it as a red flag. Your body is saying, “Did you forget about me? Something is wrong and I want you to fix it.”
Next time you find yourself reaching for your go-to food, notice is for what it is (a cry for help) and take these steps:
- Do a head to toe scan to find any areas of pain or discomfort. Do you have a headache? Are your feet hurting? If so, do what you can to alleviate the pain or discomfort.
- If you find no obvious pain or discomfort, examine your feelings. What are you feeling? What triggered those feelings? Did you have an upsetting interaction with a co-worker? Are your kids stressing you out? Are you mad at your best friend? Once you find the source, do what you can to fix it (that doesn’t involve food).
This is a learning process. It’s important to be patient and compassionate with yourself as you learn to work through difficult emotions and events. But you can do it! I’ve seen others learn how and I know you can too.
If you need help applying these steps, check out my programs to see which one might be a good fit for you.
In the meantime, please share: what are your go-to foods and why?