Day 14: End Emotional Over Eating

You Can’t Hate & Be Healthy 

My original plan for Day 14 was to re-visit and highlight the suggestions given since we began our journey. As I drove to my office, opened the door, removed my jacket and sat in front of my laptop, I kept hearing:  You Can’t Hate & Be Healthy. How many times throughout the day are you bombarded by the word HATE?  Co-workers, church members, casual acquaintances or close confidantes tell you about all the persons, places, pains, that they hate. The media: economic, political, social or religious. Even on the golf course: ” I hate this hole, I hate this flag placement, I hate this hazard . . . ”

You can stop this negative non sense now.  Yes, it starts with YOU – your thoughts, your words and your actions. You will never stop over eating if you HATE your BODY.  You must LOVE the body you are in this very moment. Take an action that moves your hand away from your mouth.  Draw a line in the sand or on the bowling score sheet. Let love be your propeller.

If you are now ready to tell me, Well Coach, I just LOVE food. Of course, I’ve got a reply for you. As the vocalist sang: Stop in the Name of Love. Maybe you need to think about those foods you say you LOVE and decide if those foods are really helping you. Are you gobbling down empty calories that clog your body’s engine and send your mind into total TILT? Foods that give you an emotional high and then drop you faster than a drone. Just like the man, woman or child you love, you should want consistent, unconditional love from the food (that includes snacks) you eat. The kind of unconditional healthy LOVE that comes from a crunchy apple or sweet strawberries. The kind of love that comes from a “piece” of wild caught carefully cooked salmon, grass fed beef, organic pork loin.

And remember this too – just like LOVE – too much of a good “thang” may not be good for you. Use these guides for portion control. No meat, fish or poultry should be bigger than your palm. When eating beans, grains (rice or corn), or fruit (tomatoes are a fruit) – be sure the portion would fit inside your fist with the thumb touching your middle finger.

So ditch the drama and tune out trauma. Have a need attitude. Respect yourself and those around you. Be motivated by love beginning with your self. It has been said repeatedly and it is forever true:

You won’t love, respect or care for others until you start loving, caring and respecting yourself. Emotional over eating is NOT the formula for your future.