This morning I was out running errands and getting the weekly shopping done. Even though I’d had a small breakfast, when I saw chocolate bars on sale I grabbed 3. After loading the car I sat down in the driver’s seat and had a piece. Checked my phone, my email. Had another piece. Started to relax. Had another piece. Ended up here:
I ate most of that 90g chocolate bar. Now what?
Not too long ago I would have felt guilty, sick, ashamed, like a failure, angry, wanting to punish myself with extra movement and less food for the rest of the day.
Have you ever found yourself in that situation? Perhaps you were watching your sugar intake and were just going to have one piece of that candy. Or perhaps you were never going to eat XYZ again, but then it was right there in front of you and it would have been rude not to… How did that make you feel? Did you feel guilty/sad/angry? Did you tell yourself you are bad and hopeless and a disappointment? Or did you punish yourself with an extra cardio session or skip the next meal? All of the above?
Thank you for being honest. I’ve been there. But can I tell you a secret?
It’s just chocolate.
Unless you are diabetic or allergic to anything in the chocolate bar, it is not going to harm you. It is food. It has calories, and my body is doing what it is supposed to do by naturally down-regulating my appetite for the rest of the day.
It’s okay.
So this morning, instead of following the downward thought spiral mentioned above, I told my brain to shut up and get a grip.
Did I enjoy the chocolate? Yes, absolutely!
I also did not finish the bar. Rather than listening to the ‘all is now lost, nothing matters anymore’ thought pattern, I noticed the chocolate’s taste changing when I’d had enough. And so I listened to my body and stopped eating.
I also noticed that I felt thirsty and gave my body the water it wanted.
I’m learning to be compassionate with myself. And perhaps you should, too.
Today I’ve completed my certification to be an Empowered Eating Coach.
There now is firm scientific evidence that energy-restricted diets are a poor tool to weight loss, and that the concept of weight loss itself is flawed. For most people, there is a better, more compassionate way.
Accepting yourself the way you are, learning to trust yourself and making positive changes will slowly but surely nourish and satisfy your heart and soul.
Please send me an email at nadin@blueberrywarrior.com if you would like to book in a Coaching Chat or Email Session.
I would love to walk alongside you!
https://www.holisticperformance.institute – Used with permission.