Do you dream about food? About what you might eat later or for a cheat day? How do we stop that before it does damage to our goal?
Recognize it happens. It’s very normal even if not very helpful. It’s a universal response to dieting, and it’s made worse by the mass of media that both show us constant pictures of food AND belittle those who struggle to be no bigger than a stick-insect. Let’s see – that would include fitness pros, designers, influencers, news articles, PR firms, celebrities, social commentary, etc., etc., etc. You are not alone.
Stop beating yourself up: There is psychology to food cravings. We dream about those foods for a reason – they soothed us, met a physical or emotional need, made us feel close to someone, made us feel better at a time when we were desperate for it. It’s a natural response. You are not failing.
Face the stuff: Look for the hidden need. Cravings have a purpose. Pregnant women know it indicates what they need to nourish themselves as well as the baby. Cravings indicate where we have deeper emotional needs that need nourishing, soothing, resolving. Identify what you truly need.
Focus on your food when you eat: When we do not pay attention to what we’re eating, it’s suddenly gone, and we want more. Ever swallowed a favorite food whole? It feels like you haven’t had it. Focus on the food. Sit down at the table – yes, without the television – use a fork or spoon, taste each bite. When we focus and enjoy each bite as the flavors and textures fill our mouths, we usually eat less because we’ve experienced it.
Incorporate Flexibility: Particularly around holidays! Holidays are filled with food traditions. If something doesn’t taste like it always did, we feel we’ve missed the holiday. On major holidays, replace recipes to fit IF they still taste right, and have small portions of what makes the holiday feel like the holiday. See above – when you focus on the flavors, textures, experience, and company at a meal, a small portion meets the need.
The follow-up to that is to return to your plan the next meal/day. Immediately. Little damage is done in one day. The real damage to a nutritional plan is done in subsequent days when we dither about getting back on track.
If you need a little help getting ready or back on track, contact me: [email protected]
