Mindlessly Eating? Break the Habit and Volunteer Instead

Do you ever wonder why you just ate the whole thing?  Before you even realize what you're doing, the food is gone and you're the only one around.  This must mean that you ate it - all of it.  Wow, that eating was fast, it was mindless, and it wasn't even that tasty.  Been there, done that?  

It happens.  Mindless eating means that we aren't connecting our mind to our body.  It means that we're eating out of boredom, anxiety, joy or any other emotion you can name.  It means that food is not satisfying our physical hunger, but our emotional hunger.  And, because it works at entertaining us, calming us, celebrating etc., we do it again and again. 

Yep, when we eat for any reason other than physical hunger, and eat beyond satisfaction, there is a larger issue at play.  We've developed ourselves a nice little habit of over consumption.  Mix that with the winter holidays, and we could find ourselves in a bit of trouble.  The belt might be out to the last hole, the waistband is making a ring around the middle by the end of the day, and the constant feeling of "I blew it again" just pulls us down.

Yes, there is hope!  You can change a lifetime pattern of emotional eating!  You really can!  It takes focus, time and patience.  So how can we change a habit?  You may have read somewhere that you can change a life-long habit in 21 days.  Really - I've heard this stated with conviction many a time.  Good luck with that!  

If you have had a lifetime of emotional eating or mindless eating, it is going to be a constant project to change that behavior.  It may take a long time to change it -  far more than a mere 21 days!  And, in fact, you may never completely change the old behavior as it will stay submerged like an iceberg, just waiting to block our path on occasion.  But, with positive determination, you can keep working towards that mindful relationship with food.  Just keep at it!  Like teaching a child to tie his shoes or ride a bike, it takes practice and patience - and eventually we realize that we're doing much better at managing our feelings without food.  Hooray!

So, when you notice that you want to eat with abandon, or have eaten with abandon, think about why this happened.  Were you too tired?  Did you have a stressful day?  Were you feeling particularly vulnerable?  Did a personal or professional relationship get off-kilter and is pressing upon you?

Sit with the idea of why.  Write down that word, that feeling of why you wanted to, or did eat, with reckless abandon.  By naming the emotion, you can start to unravel a pattern and begin building a new emotional path for yourself that leaves food out of the mix.

At this busy time of year, we often have old emotions rise up as we recall our childhood, missing loved ones, financial woes or a feeling that our life is not what we wished for.  As you learn to sit with your feelings, and even name them but not eat them, you can also change your mood by making a difference by volunteering at the food bank, serving meals at the local soup kitchen or sending care packages off to those who serve our country overseas.  

By volunteering, we're doing something constructive with that energy, and not just pouring it into our stomachs.  And, philanthropy sure does make you feel great!  If you haven't done so yet, volunteer this season.  Your waistline will thank you, as will your local community.  

Nothing tastes as good as the feeling of giving.

See you at the food bank!