One of the things I've noticed is that certain habits take place at certain times of the day. For example, if I work early and come home tired, there is an extremely high chance that I will crack open a sugary item. I know it's a high chance because, at the time of writing this article, I did it just yesterday. And the day before.
So I have to look at what, exactly, causes me to eat something I shouldn't. And I think right off the bat that it's simply habit. Because it's not what I eat necessarily, but rather how I eat it. What I mean by this is that I don't open up, say, a bar of chocolate, pop a square into my mouth and chill out whilst it melts on my tongue. What I, in fact, do is devour the entire bar as quickly as I can, usually putting far too much into my mouth at any time. And afterwards I'll look for something else to eat, even though I won't actually want it.
If I go out for a coffee and catch up with family or friends, I will always offer for everyone to have something to eat. Then their response will determine whether or not I tuck into a slice of cake. Not because I want that slice of cake, but because... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think it's safe to say that food has control over me. Like, serious complete control over me. It's that childhood sweetheart that, although bad for me in almost every way, I keep running back to. The relationship where I've gone downhill each time I'm with them but I still go back to them whenever I can. It's a bond that needs breaking as it's too unhealthy to carry on with.
But how exactly can one get themselves out of this? Well, scientists reckon it takes approximately 3 weeks for a habit to be formed. So, in reality, you wouldn't be breaking this habit but forming a new habit. A habit where, should you find yourself bored or tired and start reaching for the snack, you instead put your walking shoes on and get outside for some fresh air. Or read a book. Or anything else other than chomping away. And how do you resist the temptation? Well, you can look back to my earlier post about how to put yourself off foods 😉
Form yourself a new habit. Set a 3-week reminder to count this down and see how well you can do. Because a little new habit now could lead to a whole new you in the not-so-distant future!
Until the next post, Big Love xx