Stress-Eating: A Bad Habit I'm Determined to Break

I've started writing this post a bunch of times, but I haven't had the courage to actually post it...until now, that is. I kept making excuses like "It's Tuesday, and it doesn't make any sense to start a challenge on a Tuesday" or "I have dinner plans with friends in a few days, so I'd better wait until after that." The tricky thing is that there's never going to be a "good" time to start a challenge like this, and that's what makes it a challenge! When I spent some time thinking about the real reason I didn't want to do this post, I discovered that I was scared. Scared of failure. They say it takes about 3 weeks (21 days) to create a new habit, and that seemed like such a long time and that I'd never be able to keep up with it for that long. I've finally been able to get over the fear of starting this challenge by reminding myself that I've done a bunch of much harder things... and SUCCEEDED! The trick is to always break it down into "bite-size" (haha) pieces. In this case, that will mean taking it one day at a time, or even one meal at a time.

I Was a Stress-Eater

I say this in the past tense because I've found that one of the most important things for me to do when creating a big change like this is to identify completely with the new self that I want to become. This helps me to commit to the new state of being and view myself as someone who has already succeeded in whatever task I'm tackling. I've used food and eating for a long time as a comfort and to escape problems/situations that I don't want to face. Even though I made the shift a few years ago to a very healthy diet in terms of food choices (which has helped my health immensely), I have still struggled with only eating when I'm hungry, stopping when I'm full and noticing when I'm eating just because I'm upset or in a state of emotional turmoil. Today, that changes. Today, I'm taking my power back from food and I'd love to have others join in the fun!

Challenge Rules:

• No eating in the kitchen/food preparation area
• No eating with your hands
• Place utensils down between every bite
• Chew every bite until liquid before swallowing
• Experience and enjoy your food!
• No second helpings within 20 minutes of starting first helping
• If you realize you're not eating mindfully, stop eating, fast for 20 minutes, drink a glass of water, assess emotional state, return to eating when capable of mindful eating

I've done this for shorter periods of time in the past and could not believe what a difference it made to my mindset, mood, outlook on life and health. Keeping that feeling in mind for 21 days is going to be tricky, but I'm counting on support and accountability from the Steemit community and would love if others joined in on the challenge! Let's conquer stress-eating together!! :D

So here we go! I'll be posting about my experience with this challenge daily, so be sure to check in. Please share any tips/tricks you have for a challenge like this and also your experience with the challenge if you decide to join me on this adventure! Words of encouragement are much appreciated as well - I could use some cheerleaders! :D

Day 1

I wanted to start off clear-headed and on the right foot, so today I've been fasting and drinking only filtered water and herbal tea. I've been pretty grumpy and agitated, but that's actually starting to clear a little bit and it's being replaced by a sense of empowerment and stubbornness. I've been bloated and feeling gross for the past few days from a couple stress-related binge-eating sessions over the weekend and that's starting to disappear as well. The beginning is always the hardest and I'm using this post to remind myself that it WILL get easier soon.

Stay tuned and stay strong!

Jackie O