How to Eat Mindfully Rather than Emotionally

If anything is real during these Pandemic days, Emotional Eating is as real as it gets. 

We've all done it. You have the best laid plans to eat healthy for the day. But then....

You get hungry, and rather than make all of the healthy decisions you already were so nice to yourself for making ahead of time, you let your emotions and taste buds take over. 

You all of the sudden can't remember why donuts are a bad thing. I mean, they taste great, right? 

You recognize that you feel tired or sad and you think "this coffee and cookies is just what I need" (to feel better)

You think of a relationship that needs support, and then you let your emotions pick the place you will eat. 

You maybe just feel sad and head straight to the freezer for cold comforts. 

Whatever your experience has been, you know it's hard to break that cycle. It may even feel impossible. But it's not. 

Emotional eating can come from several directions. It can be:

• Hormonal
• Situational
• Persistent

If it’s hormonal we need to fix hormones first. You may need something like the Plexus Pink drink, Probiotic, and Biocleanse that can help reset the gut and help balance hormones over time. The set of these 3 products is called the Triplex and is available here. Other than this (or going to a hormone doctor), the only thing that will work most of the time is a VERY clean diet. No sugar, no gluten, no dairy, lots of veggies, lean proteins and nuts and seeds. You can go either direction or clean up your diet AND take Plexus products for an even better experience. 

If it’s situational we might could say... this too shall pass. This is just a bad day or maybe a hard week. It happens to all of us. Forgive yourself. Focus back on drinking water, give it a few days, and get back on your awesome plan. 

If it’s persistent (like it is for all of us now), it will only stop when we change internal dialogue. You may also want to do the hormone balancing suggestions above, because persistent emotional eating can also be hormonal in nature, but try this first.....

Persistent emotional eating tends to come from thoughts and feelings, so in order to break that cycle we have to purposely and proactively think different thoughts and then eventually we will feel differently about our eating choices. 

Here are thoughts that encourage emotional eating.

Oh well. It’s no use.

I just keep gaining weight. I don’t see improvement.

I’ll watch what I eat starting tomorrow. (or next week)

All I need is this (fill in the blank)

On the other hand we can literally do a 180 with our health when we just change internal dialogue and give ourselves hope.

Here are a few thoughts that support mindful eating.

• I know I’ll feel better if I eat healthier. It’s time to make some changes.
• Now is an important time for me to be healthy. Although some foods sound good, I know that aren't actually good for my health or well-being. 
• I deserve to be healthy and I want it, so I’ll stay on track.
• Weight loss may not always be easy but I can totally do it.
• SOOO many people have lost weight successfully before me. I know I can do it too.
• I’m successful in so many areas. I can be successful with nutrition as well.
• If I need help I’ll reach out.
• I’m ready to feel better. I'm ready for change. 

Before long you will naturally have thoughts like this....

• Healthy food is delicious. I love that I can still have all my favorite fruits and veggies.
• Eating healthy is easy and fun. I love my options. I just needed to change my habits. I just needed to learn how to prepare for my weeks.
• I am so happy that I finally lost the weight! I just needed hope and to believe I could do it. I’m so proud of myself!!

So how do you stop the cycle? It’s actually pretty easy. Write down your positive, healthy affirmations to keep you in the right frame of mind through the day. Keep them with you or post them in a place you will see when temptation hits. Memorize them if you need to. The key is to identify the mantras that inspire you the most and keep them with you in moments of temptation. Just try it. It sounds a little cheesy, but I promise it will work. 

You have to purposely keep thinking these positive, healthy mantras in order to keep willpower where it needs to be. You CAN skip dessert and go for a hydrating, nutritious piece of fruit. You CAN replace a salty/fatty snack with fresh veggies. You just need focus and resolve. The best part?

It all comes from YOU and you already have what it takes. Just have an honest conversation with yourself (yes, it's ok just this once), decide what you want and ....go. for. it. 

Need a cheer leader? I'm a certified holistic nutritionist and would be happy to work with you 1:1 to help you through this transition process. And it is a process. If you prefer not to hire a professional then tell a friend or family member that you need accountability. You can do this. Don't forget to write down your new mantra!

Comment your new mantra below! I'd love to hear it!