OK! So it’s diet time AGAIN! Following whatever diet worked for you in the past or for a friend. Day one is going great. Got up, had your “prescribed” breakfast and now it’s time to get the kids ready for school. Finally get them out of bed after some serious threats that if carried out will only punish you. They are dressed-for the most part- and it’s their breakfast time. Dawdle time, spilling stuff, fighting over nothing, grumpy city. OMG. What did you just swallow? You are trying to remember when you see the tootsie roll wrapper on the counter. It wasn’t there a few minutes ago. MINDLESS EATING has struck. How is it possible that your hands can actually reach for, unwrap, and put into your mouth a piece of candy without you even knowing it? Everyday stress has just sabotaged your great start on your diet and now the whole day is shot and you will start again tomorrow morning. So now, while you are beating yourself up, you are thrusting anything around you that might be chocolate related into your mouth.
It’s not your fault. If the kids had been good this would have never happened. Maybe there is something wrong with the brain-motor skill connection and your hands are acting involuntarily. That’s it-a stress related disorder that causes the brain to send incorrect signals to the hands instructing them to put something into your mouth without ever letting the logical side of your brain take part in this exercise. Wait-did I just say exercise? Well, if the brain is exercising , then calories must be burning.
So now there is an undiscovered disorder that actually burns calories. Maybe the kids do serve a useful purpose!! Maybe science doesn’t know that stress might be good.
REALTY check-time to wake up from your sugar induced coma. Mindless eating does occur so often with so many people and it really undermines all good intentions of dieting. When stress of any sort hits, those of you who feel comforted by food or just the oral dependency(nail biters, smokers, fall into this as well), pay attention to what you are reaching for. Sometimes taking one bite of what you are needing will help slow you down. A continuous popping of things into your mouth does not speed up the feeling of gratification. It only causes a major letdown that you stuffed so much in and blew your good intentions. Even when not actively dieting, mindless eating is what contributes to the pounds coming back on. Start actually thinking about what you are eating so you will at least enjoy it. Try the small bite and walk away. You might find that it doesn’t totally take away the desire as much as it curbs it just a bit. Small goals is the best way to approach weight issues otherwise for most it is just too overwhelming.
AND-you can always eliminate your stress buttons-only kidding. Then who or what could you blame:-)
Always here for you.
R