Emotional Eating

One of the mental areas I know I need to stretch is my relationship with food.

No surprise there, eh?

Like many folks who tip the scale in an unhealthy direction, I eat for emotional reasons.  I’m generally able to eat a healthy diet (using the word diet in the classic sense referring to a grouping of food) much of the time.  I’m doing better with the fruits and veggies, thanks in part to the enormous influx of zucchini and squash from the CSA, but we’ve always been a whole-grain family, with limited processed food on the table.  I don’t do “Fill-in-yer-meat” Helper.

I make healthy choices at restaurants and the coffeeshop… with the exception of an occasional dessert.  I’m the chicken and salad girl, and not the one with the nachos loaded with cheese.

It’s when something in my ordered world goes haywire that I find myself reaching for food in a way that doesn’t nourish my body, but instead feeds and soothes the anxiety.  Hormones kick in, and the anxiety subsides and all is right again with the world.

The key here, apparently, is living life anxiety-free.

(Hah.  That was a joke.)

No… the key is learning how to better manage stressful situations proactively.  And, picking up from my previous post and thoughts, that means stretching those muscles prior to working them hard.  This ties so deeply with where I am spiritually as well, that the connection goes deeper than words.  I can’t expect to tap resources I’ve not stored up – and the quick fix, be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual is what has caused much of what I’m struggling with.

Hence the renewed journaling/blogging… and the attempt to focus on some of the work of the Spirit that needs to happen within.  S – t- r- e- t- c – h!

One friend has asked me why I’m being public about a fairly personal issue.  I’m not fully sure.  Part of is knowing that the greater community has incredible resources that I may be able to tap into; part of it is wanting those in my world to know that this IS something I struggle with.  I’m also pretty certain that much like some who go on shows like the Biggest Loser that part of it is wanting to do this publicly so that there is built-in accountability.  Fortunately, this last rationale is the smallest part.  I give thanks to a good CPE supervisor who helped me to understand that authority and accountability are attributes best developed within.