Have you ever started your day thinking "I will eat well today, I will go to the gym, I will get my veggies in, have some healthy protein and continue on my road to health!"?
And then... your boss lays a huge project on you, due yesterday. Your spouse is in a pissy mood and picks a fight. You get some bad news. You just don't feel well. You're mad, sad, angry - or maybe even - happy, joyful, celebratory?
Your internal voice is saying "f*** that, I'm going to go have a cheeseburger, nachos, ice cream, candy, fries, chips, a bottle of wine" or a thousand other things you vowed, just this morning, not to eat.
Your day blew up for something unrelated to eating and your eating plan goes to hell in a handbasket. Why?
It's "easy" to follow through with all those good intentions within the context of a "good" day. Or at least a day that didn't hit a bump in the road.
But how do we handle it within the context of a "bad" day - a bad piece of news, a negative event, a negative emotion?
Step 1
Be kind to yourself. Don't beat yourself up because you went off the deep end and devoured a pint of ice cream.
Step 2
Think about what other things bring you comfort or at least release the emotions you are trying to cover up with food.
- Maybe it's to sit alone and read a book
- Maybe it's to go work out
- Maybe it's to do some stretching and breathing
- Maybe it's yoga
- Maybe it's meditating
- Maybe it's to sit in your car and scream
- Maybe you really don't know and will have to get creative and try some new things
Step 3
Next time the situation arises where you want to go eat everything in sight because you're having a bad day - stop - breathe - and try the thing to comfort yourself that doesn't involve eating. Be cognizant, be kind to yourself, and if you are successful know that this "win" will improve your day and strengthen this habit of choosing something other than food for comfort.
The more often you reinforce the habit of comforting yourself with food the angrier you'll become with yourself. Not to mention the further away from your health goals you'll be.
The more often you reinforce the habit of comforting yourself in more productive ways the happier you'll be with yourself AND the closer you will be to your health goals.
As my mother always said, "If at first, you don't succeed, try, try again." (Which apparently my mother didn't make up but was popularized by William Edward Hickson which is attributed to Thomas H. Palmer in his Teacher's Manual, and The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat)
I would love to tell you I never eat/drink when the going gets tough, but I would be lying. I also know I kick myself when I do that. I also know I should follow my own steps on how to mitigate this problem. I can say I've gotten better - I can't say I'm perfect at it. And we're back to step 1 (be kind to yourself).
Health is about your overall diet and lifestyle. One binge in the context of an overall healthy diet is quite another thing than a binge in the context of a "smothering your emotions with food" diet.
Reinforcing the good habits and doing away with the bad, in baby steps, one habit at a time, will lead you down the path to the life you want.
Enjoy your food for the nourishment it gives your body and the pleasure it brings. Eat when you're hungry. Stop before you're full. Learn how to use other methods to soothe yourself during an emotional crisis.
Always honor the wonderful being you are.
In Peace, Love and Health.
Girl Reading Image - Pixabay
Zen Mountaintop Image - Pixabay
This post is part of the BuddyUp Drop in the Ocean initiative.
Many Thanks to the awesome people over at Steemit Creators' Guild especially @ravenruis for proofreading and @jrswab for running such an awesome discordespecially 
