'Tis The Season
About a 5 Minute Read
So, what’s new? Well, I’m glad you asked!
Life has been moving at a rapid pace, and like many others I’m finding myself feeling a bit lost this year. I started out with great focus and energy, then we went into 3 months of full lockdown, then we gradually came out of it, and now we’re back in once again. As of today we’ve been reclassified as an “Orange” zone after spending the past month as a “Red” one, which is the highest risk level. At least this time we have been able to get out for walks, so we (and our pup) are at least feeling less stir-crazy than before. There’s always a silver lining, right?.
I’ve managed to get a new sports certification (in Italian, no less!), run my 60-day program again, and do a lot of fun activities in our Facebook group. My client roster is growing and I’m in the process of planning out 2021. All good!
The flip side, of course, is that it’s not all good. I haven’t dropped my quarantine “expansion” as yet, and there are other stressors happening that I won’t bother going into. So why mention them at all? Well, it got me thinking about how many people struggle so much at this time of year. Especially this year.
As I talk to different folks about the issues that come up for them during the holiday season, I realized it might be helpful to share a few ideas for navigating stressful times “in style,” or at least without having to loosen your belt. And yes, I am practicing what I preach! The beauty is that these ideas will serve you all year long, as they’re not specific to the holidays. You’re welcome.
See, so many of us turn to food for comfort when the world goes sideways. Reaching for a bag of chips, a carton of ice cream, or a box of cookies when you are feeling spread too thin feels like an easy solution.
The problem is that the quick fix of sugar and carbs is short-lived and literally leaves you feeling worse once that food high settles. Which it inevitably does.
Let’s be honest. No matter how loudly your body screams, “FEED ME CRAP!” you know that a stress binge will leave you feeling sluggish, defeated, and chubby.
So why do we do it?
Stress causes our bodies to automatically increase respiration, blood pressure, heart rate, metabolism, and the blood flow to our muscles. Your whole body goes into “fight-or-flight response.” And that triggers your body to release a hormone called cortisol, which increases your appetite.
Your body knows you need energy to deal with all the B.S. causing you to stress out and it’s “helping” by keeping you fueled for your fight. Worse, all that stress you feel suppresses your production of ghrelin which is a hormone that helps keep your appetite in check. So now you are starving, stressed, and pretty much off the leash when it comes to food. Our brains crave energy-dense foods high in calories, carbs, fat, and sugar because they provide the quickest boost. Thanks nature!
So what do we do about it?
EVERYONE has their own basket of crap to deal with. Whether it’s finances, jobs, relationships, or health issues, life is brimming with a never-ending series of triggers. But we are powerful beings, we’re smart enough to know what’s happening in our heads and in our bodies, and we are capable of making better choices. If we want to be our healthiest and happiest, we have to make a conscious decision to take care of ourselves.
Need some ideas? Here are six ways to keep a bad day from driving you straight to the kitchen:
1. Get outside. One of the quickest and best ways I know to circumvent a binge eating disaster is to get outside. Go for a walk, a run, a bike ride. If it’s warm enough, sit on your balcony or porch with a good book and a cold glass of water. Take the dog for a walk, or do a little bit of yard work. Breathe in the air, soak up some sun, and let nature relieve your stress instead of pushing you to eat. There are no calories in the grass or the sand. Getting away from the kitchen is the key.
2. Attack a clutter project. Close your eyes and pick one annoying pile of clutter that irritates you every time you see it. Grab a trash bag and a box and go after it. It could be as small as a drawer or as big as a whole closet in the basement. It could be a week’s worth of unfolded laundry or messy shelves in the garage. Time is precious and we are often too overwhelmed to keep up with little stuff. Then the little stuff starts feeling insurmountable. So clean it. Toss it. Give it away. The time spent attacking that one eyesore will keep your mind and hands too busy for snacks. And think about how great you’ll feel when it’s done!
3. Visit (or call) a friend. Stress can keep you isolated. Think about friends you haven't seen for a while and make a quick date for a short walk or a cup of coffee - or these days, for a video call. Getting together with people you love automatically changes your attitude and your perspective. My friends are sarcastic and funny because laughter is really important to me. So when I get together with a friend I can be assured of some great stories and lots of laughs. I can’t tell you how much better that makes me feel than eating. Love trumps food, every time.
(And if you need a place where it feels safe to talk to about your weight loss goals, I’ve got you covered. Click here to join our Habitudes Facebook group.
4. Run some errands. Make a list of three tasks that you’ve been putting off, then grab your keys and hit the road. Once you are out of the house, you won’t have access to the junk food that was calling your name. Plus, you’ll end the de-stressing session with your dry cleaning in hand, library books returned, and a full tank of gas. That’s a win!
5. Take a class. Have a look at your gym schedule, pick a class, and go. Surrounding yourself with other people who are taking care of themselves will put you in a better state to do the same. Plus the benefits of exercise include a mood boost and a caloric burn that lasts. That’s way more than I can say about that pint of Haggen Daaz!
6. Change your sheets. Okay, this one might seem a little crazy but hear me out. Fresh sheets feel like a new beginning. They smell good. They feel good. I don’t know about you, but I sleep better on fresh sheets. I wake up renewed and feeling clean. The simple act of stripping the bed and putting clean sheets on it says, “That’s over and I’m ready to start fresh!” Plus, if you flip the mattress you get a little strength training in. Clever yes? I call that “stealth exercise.”
The most important thing is to set yourself up for success. These six ideas will remove you from easy access to whatever is tempting you, and get your mind and body moving. Even better? Keep that junk food out of the house so it’s not tempting you in the first place! I didn’t include that on the list because I realize that when there are other people in the house, we don’t always get to control everything that’s around. Just do the best you can to set up your environment in a way that supports your goals.
What other strategies can you use to keep yourself busy or distracted whenever the munchies strike you unexpectedly? Let’s get a long list going!
Have a health of a day,
Juli