If you're like most people, and you chill out with a snack on the sofa, it may be difficult to imagine being able to relax without having the snacks. The evenings when a new diet begins may lead to restlessness, a need to ‘keep busy’, or several trips to the kitchen to gaze at the options, before picking something ‘small’ and heading back. So what do you do about this evening snacking? Will you ever relax again?
The Balancing Act of Habit Change
Before you think about taking food away, you need to work out what you are going to do instead. I like to think of these things on a balancing scale; for every food-related habit you try to take away, you need to add something else in on the other side for balance. If you don’t add something else in, the scales will tip, and this is not going to lead to success.
Understanding Your Triggers
For most people, the food you eat, which is ‘off plan’ let’s say, is not usually the food that you are eating for sustenance and nutritional value. You are eating it for other reasons - it may be to relax, which is the example I am using here. But you might also recognize that sometimes it is because you’re bored, maybe your hyped up from the stresses of the day, or you’re engaged in a monotonous task and it’s offering a pick me up. Whatever it is, the food is fixing something for you. And that something, is not hunger. Therein lies the problem.
Rediscovering Relaxing Alternatives
So what can you do instead of eating? It can be hard to think of something, especially when eating is a habit that is hard-wired into your way of relaxing. It can help to think about what you used to do to relax, even as a child. Are there any hobbies or interests you used to enjoy which have slipped away? Is there anything you’ve always wanted to try? It needs to be something you feel motivated to do, which is quick to pick up and easy to engage in.
Clients I’ve worked with sometimes come up with a whole list to pick from, so that it is there ready to help them when they feel that they want to turn to food as a fix.
Some ideas to spark your imagination:
Flower arranging/gardening
Having a bath
Reading a magazine or book
Painting airfix
Painting your nails
Listening to music
Spraying some perfume or lighting a candle
There are so many things you could choose, but the important thing is to pick something that you know you will do, and which you want to do. Make a commitment to yourself that you will give it a try, even if just for a day or two, and see how you get on. When you’ve cracked an alternative to relaxing with food, maybe you can pick a different emotion, such as boredom.
A Personal Discovery
One little pastime I’ve recently stumbled on, which is relaxing for me, is drawing using YouTube tutorials. I’ve never seen myself as an artist, and I was initially cajoled into the activity by my sons. But I really enjoyed the satisfaction of putting pen to paper, sharing the tricky bits, and watching both of their little personalities respond to the task. If you've got ten minutes to spare, here is the link so you can have a go! https://youtu.be/cRAV_MMzllo?si=Hvf8fyu4JGn5Qmge
Personal 1:1 Coaching with Wendy
Wendy works helps you to lose weight sustainably so that you can stop thinking about food, and start enjoying life! Packages start from £299.
About Dr Wendy Nicholls
My approach at NeverDiet is based on the psychology of eating. I have been researching eating for over ten years and published over 20 papers and book chapters on weight management, emotional eating, cravings, mindful eating, and obesity. I am a Chartered Coaching Psychologist with the British Psychological Society, and an accredited Practitioner Executive Coach with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.
If you feel like it is time for a fresh approach to managing your eating and weight, then I'd love to help you. To book a chat and find out more about the practical and simple steps you can take to make some big changes to your eating and health then click on the booking diary below.
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