The Other Side of Emotional Eating

I think we can all picture the scene: a woman in sweat pants and a hoodie, sitting on her kitchen floor, buried in a pint of ice cream after just breaking up with her boyfriend.

Or something similar.

Even if we haven’t ever been on that kitchen floor, we can almost all relate with the feelings that are present in that scenario. It is so easy for us to understand the urge to reach for the comfort in a cardboard cylinder.

Now try to picture this…

The mom who woke up early just to get a shower in before the baby woke up, spending just enough time for the necessities - no luxuries of shaving legs allowed today…she gets dressed in the dark, picking clothes out the basket because she just hasn’t gotten around to putting them away yet…blow dries her hair on the lowest setting so as not to wake anyone.

She continues to spend her day serving others; the kids get off to school and daycare, remembering lunches and vitamins and shoes (most of the time), her customers/clients/patients/students/employees/coworkers who suck the life out of her (even if she loves what she does)…picking the kids up and getting them to their doctor appointments and practices…then going home to make dinner for the family.

“Oh yeah, and is it bath night? Did I take that load of laundry out of the dryer? Dinner needs to be done by 5:45 so the kids can eat before hockey practice, but nothing too heavy so they aren’t puking on the ice. Did I email that client back? Don’t forget that the license plates are due next week, and we’re down to 2 eggs.”

Know her? I sure do.

Chances are that you know her because you are her, or at least some parts of her.

So let’s look at that scenario again. Where in that story did she stop and say “time for me to eat”? More importantly, when did she take the time to do anything for herself?

More often than not it isn’t the first example that brings clients to me, it’s more likely to be the second. The mom who doesn’t feel she has time to stop and fuel her body with nutrient dense foods. The mom who doesn’t believe she has the time to sit and enjoy her food, chewing and experiencing the flavors and textures. The mom who doesn’t consider what she wants to eat because all that is on her mind is what her family likes. The mom who maybe even does want to start eating healthfully but doesn’t know where to even fit it into her already busy schedule. The last thing she needs is another person to take care of, even if its herself.

This is another form of emotional eating, whether that mom realizes it or not. Rather than using food as a band aid or a cushion, it is viewed as just another item on the to-do list, another task, another thing to worry about, and since she doesn’t prioritize her own needs, it is therefore is one of the easiest to get rid of.

When weight loss is a goal, calorie restriction can be a useful tool to get there…if done correctly. What doesn’t work (long term) is the skipping meals sporadically because of being lowest on the priority totem pole and then finding anything that isn’t nailed down to eat late at night.

What works well is planning and organization with meals and schedules. What doesn’t work is flying by the seat of your pants and then grabbing a bowl of cereal and calling it dinner when you haven’t really eaten anything else that day either.

What really gets women to their goal is seeing and believing that they are worthy of spending time on themselves and their basic needs as a human being. What does not work is eating cold leftover chicken nuggets, a couple bites of nasty mac and cheese from the pot, and a handful of raisins and calling it a meal.

Emotional eating comes in so many forms, but the ones I see most are these.

I am here to tell that woman, right now, that you DESERVE TO EAT NUTRITIOUS, DELICIOUS MEALS that nourish your body, your soul, and your mind.

I am here to tell that woman that YOUR WANTS and YOUR NEEDS are valuable, necessary, and vital to your success.

I am here to tell that woman that you ARE THE CEO of your life and only YOU hold the power to make it what you want it to be, what you dream of it being, what you need it to be.

So if you see that woman…pass the message along, would you please?

And if she happens to stop doing all.of.the.things. long enough to actually listen to you, tell her that I’ve set aside 30 minutes just for her.