Welcome to day 3 of our Movember series. People tend to forget that eating can be emotional. They break healthy eating routines because they "miss" certain foods, when in reality, they miss the feelings that those foods gave them, or the feelings they helped them get away from.
We all have patterns, whether we realize it or not.
Some patterns are positive, and some are negative. One of my patterns used to be eating healthy all day, then, when the kids first went to sleep and nobody was watching, standing by the fridge and eating all of the stuff I had been avoiding all day. I would justify it by telling myself "I deserved it" for working hard all day.
Breaking a pattern, especially one that you have emotional ties to, can be difficult. The good news is that plant and whole food based eating can quickly help you break those habits. How?
Step 1: BEFORE you eat anything, have a big glass of water. You would be amazed how often people think they are hungry, when in reality, they are just thirsty.
Step 2: Buy Fruit, AND EAT IT. Instead of reaching for the foods you typically go for, try, even if just one or two times, grabbing a piece of fruit instead. One of our 30 Day Members a few months ago said that it helped for them to buy some exotic fruit that they had never had before. That way there was some excitement in snacking on something new. (Note: I tried this myself and was super surprised at how giddy "new" foods made me.)
Step 3: Replace The Habit With Something Positive - This was what I did first. I used to tell myself that before I could go stand near the fridge and eat, I had to clean up the kids toys. By the time I was done, I was slightly more motivated and kept away from the kitchen. Added benefit, no toys to step on.
Emotional eating is a natural thing, but can be dangerous if you let it get out of hand. Use this month and your new found commitment to plant based whole foods to erode away some of the habits that have been holding you back. Imagine the possibilities, and be sure to subscribe below if you haven't yet.
