This month I’ve been working with the members of my coaching Academy ~Wellbeing Warriors~ on the trusty topic of how to start the year with purpose! Specifically how to turn wishes from a good-natured intention in January, to something that is just a non-negotiable part of their life come December.
One of the things that so many women (and quite a few men) suffer from is over-eating. Having a big lunch as a pick me up during the day to compensate for a tricky meeting, or to delay going back to the office. Overeating on the kid’s leftovers so they don’t “go to waste” (except they DO: they go directly to YOUR waist. Whoa.). Treating yourself to a cold crisp Sauv (or four) as a treat after a hellish day or a horrendous commute. Mindlessly chowing through half a packet of cheese and biccies in-front of Netflix doing the double screen thing on Instagram then hiding the packet. Overeating. It’s huge.
In a way, it’s a good problem to have. We are supremely fortunate to live in a country where the vast majority have an abundance of food to eat. However, we eat when we are not hungry, we overeat when we are full, and we often use food not as fuel but as entertainment or reward, and that’s a problem.
If this is ringing bells then changing your mindset around this alone would set your 2019 on fire: imagine creating freedom around food and eating just when you are physically hungry?
Here’s the thing.
When you are using food, not as fuel, but as either a reward or as entertainment, you are asking your stomach to solve a problem it can never solve.
If you are bored or unhappy or stressed, it’s a job for your brain.
The fact is, you need to talk to your disruptive peer/boss/staff about that tricky meeting and reset some expectations. If your job is boring you then take a training course, ask for more responsibility or take steps to find a new one.
Or you need to cook less or buy some storage for leftovers and get smart at batching meals.
Or you need to genuinely search for a new job with a better commute or negotiate some flexitime.
Or you need to call a friend/take up surfing/train your pet aardvark to whistle if you are bored.
Your stomach cannot ever, evvvvvverrrrrrrrrrrrr, solve any of those problems.
They are the job of your brain.
Putting food you don’t require IN your mouth as a substitute for the right, empowered words coming OUT of your mouth will never fix the problem.
It merely perpetuates the dispiriting cycle of overeating. To solve it, you don’t need another expensive diet to eat up: you need to marshall your inner resources, get to the core of it and speak up.
PS: If this is ringing bells for you and you want more support – dive IMMEDIATELY into the Food & Freedom module within the Academy, get the tools you need and start taking control back today: Join Wellbeing Warriors now.
