Stress Eating

  • It’s Not About The Mashed Potatoes

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    blog post title graphic with a yellow modern leaves on a beige background that says, it's not about the mashed potatoes powerfulcalm.com

    It’s not about the mashed potatoes or anything else on this list – it’s about listening to your voice.

    It’s not about the mashed potatoes, pie, rolls, or whatever you enjoy eating.

    It’s not about emotional eating.

    It’s not about stress.

    It’s not about feeling too full.

    It’s not about being hungry.

    It’s not about exercising away the calories.

    It’s not about being wrong.

    It’s not about being unworthy.

    It’s not about your childhood.

    It’s not about your poor choices.

    It’s not about your lack of control.

    It’s not about willpower.

    It’s not about finding the reason why.

    It’s not about wishing and hoping.

    It’s not about waiting to be rescued.

    It’s not about rewriting history.

    It’s not about your successes.

    It’s not about your failures.

    It’s not about any of these things.

    What it’s about is stepping consciously and fully into your life and taking the risk to be different.

    This is why many people don’t choose this path and do the same thing repeatedly because it’s safe.

    The big question is, does staying the same cost you what you want?

    What else is there that matters?

    Life is too short to sacrifice your happiness and strive for goals that aren’t what you want or need. 

    Living in alignment with what you need is the path to fulfillment.

    You can make your life your own by getting inspiration from others and creating something new that fits your life. Follow your path and do what works for you.

    It’s important to be good with yourself since you live with yourself in your head 24/7.

    • What’s it like in there?
    • Is it a place you would welcome others to come in for a visit?
    • Do you want more for yourself?

    You are listening to your voice.

    Focusing on the latest fad diet workout, meditation trend, or the latest stress quick fix can make stress build rather than help to reduce stress. This can take you further away from what you want your life to be. In those times when you find yourself stress eating and unconsciously reaching for another handful of chips, it’s confirmation that stress is in control.

    Sensible advice is often lost when you’re desperate for change. And unable to patiently pay closer attention to what you need for more self-awareness.

    If you allowed yourself to set your intentions and live more mindfully, would you be further along than if you chased the latest fad?

    Listening to your voice takes courage and grit.

    Others in your life might not like it.

    It might mean they must adjust and get used to a more vocal, honest you. Many people will outright disagree that you’re doing what’s right. Others will see you change and try convincing you to follow their advice instead of cultivating your voice.

    You need to stay the course.

    You’re good if your path is healthy, self-compassioned and aligned with your intentions.

    Are there dreams you want to become reality, but you’re scared?

    Think about how you feel after you’ve earned something rather than receiving it as a gift. Usually, people say that their sense of self changes. Every time you learn something new, you add to your self-knowledge. This is a precious gift.

    Therefore, when you take a risk you might find that:

    • Challenges make you stronger.
    • You start believing that you can trust yourself.
    • Listening to your mind, body and heart gives you the necessary information.

    Sometimes, you need good information, but most of the time, you only need to know yourself—an intimate knowledge of how you work free from assumptions, judgments, and someone else’s rules. So, instead, be curious, experiment, and then observe what happens. Do more of what works. That’s the bottom line.

    What if you have the resources to know what you need right at your fingertips?

    What will it take for you to listen to yourself and get started?

    Get started.

    Start making the changes you want to see happen in your life today. It’s all you’ve got in the end.

    Do what you must to be healthier, happier and more connected to what you most want today.

    It’s not really about the food or what you weigh, how you look, how many lines are on your face, or how much cellulite you have or don’t. How much is in your bank account or how much staff do you have working for you? These aren’t markers of your value as a human being.

    The stuff above doesn’t elevate your value and valuing them keeps you locked in a battle you will never win. And yet, often, some people have more than you, and comparing yourself to them, even when you try not to, is difficult.

    Step into the fullness of your life.

    In the end, your life is not about the mashed potatoes.

  • How To Stop Negative Thoughts That Result in Stress Eating

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    Blog post graphic with modern flowers with the title, What to do when Negative Thoughts Result in Stress Eating, powerfulcalm.com written on a beige background.

    I would bet that most people view stress as a negative; for my clients who struggle with stress eating, that’s especially true.

    The human mind has a funny way of making things worse. When you feel that it will be hard to succeed, it usually is. I’ll show how your negative thoughts manifest and give you steps to deal with them to prevent the problem. For food not to be a coping tool, you need to change those thoughts from negative to neutral. Viewing them clearly as they are and looking forward towards your future goals is the answer.

    A negative thought is not the same thing as a negative attitude.

    Most of us have experienced our share of stressful events in our lives. These can be work-related or personal. The stress that comes with these adverse events is often labeled as being negative thoughts, but they are both.

    Your mind can easily conjure up a scary image of what could happen if this or that happens, etc. This picture is in your head and says, “If that’s true, then I’m going to need something to eat.” And that’s what makes it so difficult. It’s a coping mechanism.

    1. How negative thoughts work.

    So how does this work? How does the mind do that? Your mind creates a scenario that could occur if that negative thought were true. Let’s say you have been thinking negatively about being fired from your job. You could create a scenario in which you lose your home, you don’t have much money, and you become homeless. When the thought comes to mind, an image of what could happen appears, and pressure builds.

    Your blood starts to leave your brain. It flows down to the rest of your body like you’re a zombie. But you’re not a zombie. It’s difficult to think clearly because stress is flooding the brain areas associated with stress. This is what it’s like when you are trying to cope with stress by eating – you are not fully present or making choices – it’s an automatic process. Now it’s time for coping mechanism number two: food.

    2. Food is security.

    What’s your mind’s second coping mechanism to cope with stress? It uses food. When you think negatively about being fired from your job, the connection with food leads to a desire for food. You see your mind’s picture of what could happen to you, leading you straight to comfort food. What happens then is that instead of thinking about the future or the present, you’re focused on how much comfort food can fulfill those feelings or needs for security because of all this stress.

    3. Food is a distraction.

    Eating is a coping mechanism to calm and soothe and cope with stress. When people suffer from stress eating, they eat comfort food because it calms them down and takes away the stress. But the problem with eating this way is that it does not resolve the issue of stress any more than rubbing a sore knee does because you still have a sore knee, only now you’ve added food to your list. The issue remains.

    Negative thoughts and stress eating solutions.

    So, how do you make this not happen to you? Here are some helpful suggestions:

    1. List your stressors.

    Make a list of all your stressors. Once the list is complete, divide them into those within your control and those out of your control. If there are any items on the list that you feel are in your control, write down how you would try to change these things if they were yours to change. Next to each item that’s out of your control, write down what it could be if it were in your control. For example, If the only thing out of your control is the weather, then write down what you can do to prepare for this. But if it’s something else, like your boss is a micro-manager, then list things you can change within your work environment to improve it.

    2. List your negative thoughts.

    Write down the negative thoughts that you have most often. Once these are written down, look at them and ask yourself what they mean. Is there a reason why you’re thinking this? Is it true?

    Think of a time when you faced similar stress and how you dealt with it. This will give you insight into what you’re thinking and why. Write down these things in your journal so that when negative thoughts come to mind, you can look at them and ask yourself, “Is this true?”

    3. Challenge your negative thoughts.

    Finally, don’t let negative thoughts about something outside your control remain unchallenged. A positive way to deal with them is to challenge them and say to yourself, “If it were true, then this would occur.” For example: “If I dropped dead tomorrow, then all my friends would say they will miss me.” When this is genuinely true (and it might not always be), the mind will believe it and do everything possible to ensure it happens.

    Conclusion

    So, remember, negative thoughts are not the same as negative attitudes. One is an attitude; one is a thought. But they are related to each other. So, if you have the attitude, “I’m negative all the time,” that will lead you to think negative thoughts about things that may or may not be accurate. A habit of positive thinking will help you to avoid putting these negative thoughts into your mind, which could lead you to harmful coping behaviors like comfort eating.