What not to do when you overeat
So you said that you will try to listen to your body and stop eating when you’re feeling satiated… but here you are again, feeling bloated and full of guilt thinking: “What have I done!?”
>>> Let me stop you right there, my love.
This is the exact thing that will push you further into the vicious cycle that I’ve helped so many of my clients get out of (myself included).
I’m going to explain to you what to do instead.
The truth is…
Our thoughts create our emotions. And our emotions guide our actions.
This means that whatever thoughts you have about a certain situation, these thoughts will influence how you’re feeling about it. And then, based on how your feeling – either good or bad, your actions will be influenced by that.
Therefore, it’s important to be aware of your thoughts about the actual overeating itself so that you don’t feel bad about it. Because that is how your actions can be more empowering.
Usually when people overeat, they feel a lot of guilt and shame.
Guilt and shame are very negative emotions. When we’re feeling such low vibration emotions, we tend to want to numb those because it doesn’t feel good. And the easiest way for somebody with emotional eating problems to do this is with more food. Food can be a great tranquilizer.
( The other thing people do if they don’t choose numbing is that they will try to punish themselves by restricting food intake and controlling their bodies (which NEVER works long-term because our bodies know best how to get back in alignment).
I remember doing this exact thing over and over again. And I see it happening with my clients too.
Overeating, then feeling guilty, followed by more overeating…
Then, after you “pull yourself together again”, you’re probably thinking about making a plan on what to do about these excess calories. You want to ignore your body’s wisdom altogether and convince yourself you know better and try to restrict and not eat.
Don’t.
Here is the thing: This is only going to make you go crazy and create misalignment with your body.
The solution: DON’T MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT
WHEN A NORMAL EATER OVEREATS…
Let me tell you what happens when a normal eater overeats. I had the luxury of having one right by my side for more than a decade and he became my case study.
My partner has always been a normal eater who could easily listen to his body’s guidance and stay fit by NEVER counting calories or controlling his body.
But does that mean he never overeats? Hell no!
He overeats many times. When he does, however, he doesn’t make a big deal out of it at all!
He doesn’t even think about it much. He might say: “Omg, I’m SO incredibly full my stomach hurts”, and that’s it.
He doesn’t make plans on how he’ll eat less for the next meal. He doesn’t worry about it at all.
This is the key:
The less big of a deal you make out of it, the faster you’ll be able to let your body let go of the excess.
Because that is exactly what your body is designed to do! She’s the most intelligent machine with internal calorie counters that are more advanced than anything else.
When normal eaters overeat, they simply acknowledge it – no guilt, no shame involved. And they let THEIR bodies do what they know best!
They do that by listening and following the internal guidance. And sometimes they receive signals for less food.
But they don’t plan that. They just listen and follow the guidance.
So, if you overeat for one meal, relax… and listen to your body. Have the trust and faith that she will give you directions on what to do next.
Maybe for the next few meals, you’ll notice you’re less hungry. Or you’ll be so full, you will want to skip a meal (which is totally fine if that is your body’s guidance speaking, not your need to control it). And at the same time, your body will speed up the metabolism and eliminate the excess.
Another thing I always recommend is that you make it a learning experience and you tune in to your heart and soul and see what was the reason for you need to overeat. But that needs to be done with curiosity and fascination, and with no judgment.
This will give you insight into why this happened and how you can fill your needs differently next time.
(You can help yourself with the Emotional Eating SOS Toolkit which is available for free HERE >>)
Do you see how different that is from making a big deal out of it?
Your body knows what to do when there is excess food.
Just like she knows what to do when there is a lack of food to help you survive.
You didn’t mess anything up. You just overate. It happens. You’re human.
Normal eaters overeat too! It is normal.
The solution in quick three steps:
1️⃣ Don’t make a big deal out of it.
2️⃣ Listen to your body.
3️⃣ Follow the guidance.
If you ever feel that you can’t listen to your body or follow the guidance because of emotional eating, I invite you to join my SPECIAL ONLINE TRAINING as well. It’s free for a limited time and in it, I’ll share my top 3 secrets to stop struggling with food and enjoy life again.
Sign up here >>
With so much love,
Tiasha
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