You decide on Sunday that you have had enough of being out of control and you are over the festive eating. 

You are back to work this week and you’re going to start, and stick with, healthy eating only to arrive on Monday night shaking your head and asking, “What the heck went wrong?” 

The flood of unanswered emails, a busy workplace and a to-do list a mile long can overwhelm even the most resilient of people. 

When stressed, many of us turn to food to comfort our feelings and overeat as a result.

However, using food to manage your feelings is an unhealthy way to deal with feelings and food. And overeating leaves many people feeling guilty especially when they notice that they have actually gained a few kilos. 

Well, if you want to enjoy the Summer Feeling Without Overfeeding and feeling guilty here are some steps to get you back on track.

Step 1- Find a Healthy Balance.

Quality over quantity – Commit to doing less and being more.

Our multi-tasking, consumer-driven society has made you believe that more is always better. 

The thing is we all have limits and if you want to do something, do only one thing at a time.

I have spoken to a lot of women, that would love to find a way to increase the hours in their day to get more done, this comes at a cost – they usually end up sleep-deprived and struggling with overeating.

Here are some tips for finding a healthy balance so that you can show up brighter and be more present:

Here’s the first action step:

Identify the things that you find stressful or no longer enjoy.

• Are they still important or valuable?
• What about other items on your to-do list? 

Get clear about what your priorities are:

• Be open and curious. 
• Look out for the requests and demands that pull on you and that you don’t really want or need to spend your energy on. 
• Practice being aware of them and practice saying “no.”
• Be more selective about what you do and take on.
• Move at a pace, and in a way that works for you.
• Practise saying “This is really all I can do for today” when you’ve reached a healthy limit, not when they’re at a point of exhaustion.

When you say “no” to the burden obligations that weigh you down and deplete your energy – you are saying “yes” to you and creating the space and energy in your life to spend on the things connected to your passion. 

Finding a healthy balance in your life takes practise and gets easier with time – the payoff is huge.

Step 2- Manage Your Emotions.

When you learn to manage your emotions– you don’t need to feed them! 

Stress, anxiety, and seasonal changes are all-natural parts of life – and big triggers that can have an impact on your emotions. 

Learning to manage your Emotions is the key to overcoming limiting beliefs and emotional eating triggers like 

• “I need chocolate to make me feel good” 

It takes time and practice to change your responses to stress, so going one step at a time is important. Spend some time each day visualizing yourself going about your day in a balanced and emotionally poised manner.

Try to find positive outlets instead like:

• Slow down your breathing (get out of your head and into your heart)
• Self-reflection (sit with your feelings, you don’t need to change them)
• Write down how you feel (get it out of your head and on paper)

Ultimately finding out the reason why you are filling up on your feelings and applying some ways to get out of that cycle will help you start eating with a sense of freedom, self-confidence and empowerment.

Step 3 – Listen to your Hunger cues.

Firstly, it’s important to understand the difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger.

Over time, people often lose touch with how physical hunger and fullness actually feel. The Hunger Level Scale can help you to think about how hungry you really are and decide whether your desire to eat comes from real hunger or other reasons.

Here are some ways to distinguish what is driving your hunger:

Emotional Hunger:

• Is impulsive.
• Comes on suddenly.
• Is a craving in the head?
• Feels overwhelming and urgent.
• Focuses on specific textures, tastes and smells.
• Involves cravings for specific foods, especially those that produce a rush feeling.
• Often eat until “stuffed”.
• May be mindless. 
• Satisfaction is usually short-lived and is followed by feelings of guilt and shame.

Physical Hunger:

• Is a physiological drive for nutrients in food?
• Is a sensation in your stomach?
• Usually felt as a growling in the stomach.
• Comes on more gradually. 
• Fatigue Feeling in response to not having eaten sufficiently.
• Leads to satisfaction, regaining of energy and mood.
• Usually leads to mindful eating
• Doesn’t require instant gratification.
• All food is equally appealing.
• Notice when you’ve ‘had enough’ 

And lastly, Prioritize “me time.”

Overeating is not about the weight but about the way you take care of yourself. 

What does this mean for you? 

When you hop off the overeating roller coaster and address your emotions you will be able to take control of your life, build easy, enjoyable habits that will give you real weight loss results that you can maintain for the long term. 

Now I have a question for you…. 

• What’s the most important thing for you to do today?

I would love to hear your feedback, thoughts and any questions you have on this article.  

Please tell me in the comments below.

Check out irenageller.com.au for more information.