I have a bad habit of craving chocolate anytime I am upset, sad, worried or just plain had a bad day. I guess that means I am most definitely a stress eater...for chocolate. :) I have been trying to loose weight ever since we moved back to the U.S. and I have always known deep down that the culprit has been none other than...sugar (a.k.a. Chocolate).
I have studied Stress Management for about 4 years now and one thing I know is that weight loss doesn't just come from exercise and nutrition. Don't get me wrong those are two very important things, but another factor that plays into weight loss is your stress levels. And for me, my emotional well being was really struggling. So, to kick the stress eating, I knew I had to dig down deep inside to see what the real issue was for me.
I know you are curious, but to be honest it is a little too personal for the world to know. ;) But I will say this, I started out looking at just my physical body. After I broke my foot in 2015, I then realized that there was much more to being healthy then my outward appearance. I mean, I have always known that it was important to take care of your inner self, but at that point my mind was so focused on what was outside, I was struggling to see what was happening inside of me (thus, the broken foot). It's funny to think, but Heavnely Father really was watching out for me at that time. I don't know if I would've even learned the lessons I have without him letting me brake my foot that day.
I then began taking care of myself emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It has taken me a long time, but I have now come to the point where I am ready to kick the cravings and move forward making healthier food choices.
My dear friend Chocolate will just have to find someone else to use her to fill their void, but for me... I'm happy with the new me. :)
Having a regular exercise you love has to help as well. I touch on all these things in my book Slim Within. I'm definitely an emotional eater. I learned when I was writing SW that I eat from resentment, from pressure, from anxiety and fear. I've since figured out ways to release all these negative emotions so I don't eat over them. Right now I'm working on getting the kinds of food into the house that make me feel better. Carbs isn't one of them! In Guatemala I couldn't get good meat at a decent price but now thankfully I can. I've just gotten out of the habit of it, so I'm working on that.
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