Ever want to eat something so badly you felt overpowered by it? If so, you’ve experienced a food craving. Wanting something is natural, but our “inner voices” sure know how to get in our way of having it. Instead of actually enjoying the taste of a food – be it fresh, cold watermelon or a piece of lovely dark chocolate, we can get caught up in that emotional feeling of satisfying a craving. There’s no freedom in this kind of eating.
Cravings in general do not have to necessarily be “bad” things. It’s all in how you respond to them. In this post, I’ll explain how to healthfully handle cravings.
I’m sure nearly everyone trying to manage their weight feels guilty when they overeat. There’s a reason they call it “stuffed.” It doesn’t feel good being bloated, especially after some time of eating reasonable portions and re-training the stomach to understand what a comfortable, full feels like.
My mom had a magnet on our refrigerator that said “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!” Of course, there was a picture of a pig eating a piece of coconut cream pie on it. (Lest you think I come from a family of skinny-minnies, quite the contrary. Most adult women in my family weigh in the 200-300 pound range).
As a nutrition expert who works with emotional eating, eating disorders, and weight management I honestly think that magnet should say “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the mind.” While it doesn’t rhyme as well, I do think it is the true damage of overeating. The guilt people can carry can overwhelmingly sabotage any progress toward mindful, healthy eating.
In times of stress, most of us fall into one of two categories: The Reach-for-the-Ben & Jerry’s category or the My-Stomach-Churns-at-the-Thought-of-Food category. So it should come as no surprise when celebs like a recently divorced Madonna and a very recently dumped Jessica Simpson reveal bodies that show the consequences of their relationship woes.
The Material Girl has clearly revolutionized women’s fashion and women’s fitness. She has shown women that the weight room is not just for men and female bodybuilders. But following the recent divorce from her husband Guy Ritchie, Madonna has been hard at work being a single mother and running around the world for her Sticky and Sweet Tour.
First it was his ex-wife, Britney Spears is forever being pounded and hounded by the media; now Kevin Federline has the spotlight shining on him for his ever-expanding size.
Once a back-up dancer for Micheal Jackson, Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani, K-Fed used to sport a well-toned and fit physique. But perhaps it is the constant pressure of being mobbed by paparazzi, the agonizing battle over the custody of his two sons or his role as a full-time parent, Kevin has gained considerable weight in the past few months.
Guest blogger Rob Cohn is an ACE certified personal trainer from the Los Angeles area. He has many years of personal experience with emotional eating and recovery from a binge eating disorder and is passionate about helping other people deal with their emotional eating with guidance and support. You can read more on Rob from his own personal blog.
I will never forget when I was 13, I was astonished how my uncle stayed so thin and he never finished what was on his plate. I remember saying to him, “How do you know when you are full?” He replied, “I eat until I am satisfied and then stop.” I remember thinking, “What are you talking about?” I have never understood that concept and I still don’t. I am a member of the “Clean Plate Club.” I feel like I have been out of touch with my body for a very long time, about 30 years since I was 13 when my mother passed away.
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