SelfhelpMagazine

by Marianne Ross, Ph.D.

I know what that feels like! Whether it is the biology or psychology of eating...it sometimes takes a lot to calm down, pay attention to ourselves--INSIDE-- to differentiate between body hunger and psyche hunger. Luckily, many people have considered this problem of how to deal with food over the holidays and there are several things you can do to prepare yourself for "holiday food" intake.

Part of our emotional health comes from knowing how to return to that balanced place inside after we've stepped over our own food boundaries. Next time, try a few of these suggestions:

Plan What You Eat

• Keep healthy and tasty food at home.
• If need be, pre-package it in healthy portions.
• Don't eat sweets by themselves. Eat pie cake, candy, cookies and other sugary foods with a meal to avoid blood sugar swings that can trigger fatigue, depression, anxiety, cravings and binges.
• Know that if you are like most people, if you overdo it one day, the next day you are likely to crave the foods that you probably need to avoid the most. It's almost like your body will send out messages to get you to eat those foods again.
• If you ignore those messages, the cravings will disappear. The real problem is that such cravings can take a few weeks to disappear for people who are addicted to things like sweets or alcohol (which converts to a lot of sugar in our bodies). If you keep giving in to the craving, they will naturally continue until you literally "starve" them out. Sad but true.

Plan How You Eat

• Do conscious (awake) eating rather than unconscious, hand-to-mouth eating: "Oh my, I just ate the whole thing!"
• Do the sit down thing -- at a table, with a plate and utensils and even a napkin in front of you.
• Taste the stuff. Chew it. Enjoy it one bite at a time. Savor it.
• Sip those high-calorie drinks. Cultivate the art of appreciating your drinks.
• When you can, dine with fine, calm people who know you are battling with food. Don't ask them to police you, but the more you let them know you need to stay away from certain things, or are training yourself to savor your food, the more they can support you when you need it the most.
• Train you loved ones to support you best by asking you things like, "Do you need help with that?" rather than "Hey, don't you think you've had enough?" Teach them to be helpful, not rude and insulting (which is likely to make rebellious people eat MORE!)

Pre-Plan Alternative Decision Strategies

• Practice saying, "Yes, thank you, I will have a candy" after having thought about it and even planned for it.
• Practice saying, "No, thank you. I would not like a candy" after having thought about and deciding that you either don't want it or don't want it now. Go ahead. Do it now. Practice saying it out loud for the full effect....

Above all. Get off your case. Kindness and forgiveness help us get back on track sooner. Taking action to prepare for next time will help that forgiveness last longer, too.

Cordially,
Dr. Ross

About the Author:

Marianne Ross, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist in private practice in Irvine and Laguna Beach, CA. (714) 497-3454). She also works at the University of California, Irvine. Counseling Center/College of Medicine.