Triggers

We all have them. No one just woke up one morning and suddenly had gained 20 or 30 or more pounds, right? Sometimes there is a medical reason, like a medication you're taking or a change of life that affects how your body metabolizes calories, and sometimes it's an emotional reason where we use food to self soothe.

I can't help with menopause or medication or those type of factors, but we can try to break down why we eat emotionally and work on what we can do to stop it.

North American culture certainly feeds into this concept of emotional eating. We see it in movies all the time- if the protagonist is upset, we'll see her in her pajamas with a pint of Ben & Jerrys, right? It's supposed to be a generally acceptable way to deal with our feelings. We use food for so many reasons beyond nourishment. It becomes a reward when we've accomplished something, which is why we see so many people saying, Yay I've lost 10 pounds, I'm going to treat myself to a dinner out! Hopefully you can see why this is counterproductive!

Those kind of issues are places where we can try to build a better relationship with food. Not only does it help put us in touch with our emotional state and actually deal with the issues that are bothering us rather than wrapping them in salt, sugar, and fat- but it keeps those extra pounds off the scale.

However, there are some other things that you may not immediately think of that are underlying factors which increase our likelihood to go off plan. A big one for me? Exhaustion. I have chronic health issues, and because of that I run out of energy much more quickly than a well person. One of the benefits of the Nutrisystem program for me is convenience. While I do like playing with my food and coming up with interesting recipes, sometimes I just want to heat and eat and there are several entrees I do enjoy just as they are (hello, white cheddar mac & cheese!).

On my tired days though, I still have to fight the urge to order takeaway, even when I know that I could have a NS entrée on the table in less time than it would take me to actually place the order. I know my resistance is down and it's easier to cave. Those are the moments I need to be mindful of, so I can get through the cravings for comfort food and stick with it. The pride I feel in myself after winning that battle is so worth it.

What are your underlying factors? Are there things that lower your willpower? Take some time to think about it and make a plan of attack to get you through next time it happens. I promise, it's worth it!