Emotional Eating

Sometimes a new year can stir up emotions as we settle into the reality that another year has passed. As we look back at our accomplishments and failures, we sometimes have the tendency to focus on our failures, rather than celebrating our successes. Every year we make resolutions that we emphatically intend to keep, and we do good for a couple months…weeks…days…hours. Then, life happens and we tend to give in to our habits. It just seems so much easier.  

As the excitement and empowerment of our resolutions begins to wear off, we can’t help but feel ashamed of our failures. In our failure, we begin to feel horrible about ourselves and sometimes jump off the deep end. The first failure is always the hardest, and we always promise that it will be the last time. For example, someone resolves to quit smoking. They crumble one day and bum a smoke from their friend. They only take a few hits, then put it out and say that’s all they needed and it won’t happen again. The next day…or even 2 days later…they get stressed and bum another smoke, but this time, they smoke the whole cig. The next day it’s 2…3…4….and so on, until they finally they convince themselves to believe they need it, so they cave and buy a pack of their own. That pack of cigarettes is burning a hole in their pocket and they end up smoking the whole thing in a matter of 2 days. Next thing they know, they’re back on the wagon…a pack a day! Next New Year’s, they resolve to quit again, and the cycle starts all over. Cigarette smoking was just an example. The same can happen with any unhealthy habit, including emotional eating.

 I also know that sometimes life throws us a curve ball and it doesn't take much to put us in a tailspin and we reach for the only comfort we know...for emotional eaters, it’s through food. I would like to encourage you right now. If you are experiencing trauma at this moment in time, please do not allow everything you have worked so hard at diminish because you are looking for comfort. Do not destroy nutritional habits just to get a fix. When we are feeling sad or depressed, the worst thing we can do to our emotional well-being is falter and give ourselves a reason to feel worse about ourselves. Please, do not let the emotional trauma of life set you off. Stick to your healthy eating habits and active lifestyle and you will heal so much faster. If you have made resolutions and are about to let them fly out the window, sit down and take a serious personal inventory and think about what you are thinking. Think of why you are where you are and how can you get back on track. So you messed up once, twice…or more…it’s not the end of the world. Pick right back up where you left off and continue on the path to good health. Do something daily that will change you for the best: emotionally, physically and spiritually!

From the bottom of my heart! Kelli D

~Woman at The Wellness~