Last time in my mini-series on how to stop emotional eating we learned how many people trying to change their eating habits have actually lost touch with real hunger as opposed to emotional hunger.
I explained how important it is to practise connecting with our body’s signals that tell us when we’re genuinely full or whether we only think we need to eat because we’re filling an emotional need.
In this week’s video, we’re looking further at emotional eating, which is often an automatic habit that has built up over years.
The key to changing such a habit is first to be aware of it, and that will require a little bit of time and effort as it can be hard to recognise emotional eating in the moment you’re doing it.
Click on the picture to start this week’s video and please feel free to share it with friends who might also find it helpful.
Please leave a comment below. I read every single one and I know from feedback I get that other people find them very inspiring.
SUMMARY
** Next time you eat without thinking about it (usually a sure sign of emotional eating) be honest with yourself and work out what was behind it.
** For a few days, note down what happened in the minutes or hours leading up to it and write down how you felt about it.
** Pretty soon a pattern will emerge – it could be boredom, stress, unhappiness, comfort or something else.
** Awareness of your emotional triggers will help you to spot them before you turn to food.
Here’s a podcast of this week’s video so you can listen as well as watch!
NEXT TIME
We look at other very satisfying ways you can give yourself a treat during these dark dreary days of late autumn/early winter. The good news is – they don’t involve food!
THINGS TO DO
I have a massive free resource of over 50 videos on The Slimpod Channel on YouTube. Here’s a link that will take you there – hit the red subscribe button when you’re there and you’ll get priority notification every time a new video goes up.
Please hit the Like and Share buttons on the channel as well because that way you’ll be helping me share my important mission to conquer obesity and type 2 diabetes. Thank you so much!
LAST time we looked at the reasons so many of us eat more once the dark nights of autumn drop in and winter is nearly upon us. We learned how our brains are programmed to respond to stimuli such as lack of light and the cold by eating and storing fat.
We also discussed how this kind of emotional eating can be banished because emotional eating is never really about food. If we find the cause, we can break the cycle.
This week in part two of my mini-series, I’ve got a really quick video for you – but don’t be fooled by the length, it contains a REALLY important question for you to think about…
Do you know what hunger actually feels like?
Yes, REAL hunger! Not the frequent excuse for mindless munching that we fool ourselves with.
Please share this blog and the video with anyone who’ll find them useful.
My mission is to raise everyone’s awareness of the dangers of our eating habits, because I want to combat the scourge of type 2 diabetes.
You’ll find sharing links below this blog.
And please, please leave a comment because they’re so inspiring for others – and I love reading them all, too.
Click on the graphic to start the video.
If you don’t already follow The Slimpod Channel on YouTube, hit the subscribe button while you’re there. I’ve got more than 50 free videos you can watch.
SUMMARY
** Very often, people don’t only eat because they’re hungry – they do it because they’re stressed, bored, angry or because it’s a habit.
** Eating too much sugar in the form of fructose disables the hormone leptin, which sends out hunger signals when you really need to eat because your body needs fuel (healthy food!)
** You need to practise reconnecting to your hunger signals – which is what a Slimpod does – so you can stop over-eating
AS autumn’s falling leaves turn into winter’s dark early nights, do you find you’re eating more and your habits are changing? Do you seek comfort in food and lose control? There’s a really good reason this happens and I’ve created a four-week mini-series of video coaching to help you understand more about what’s going in your head
Then you’ll be able to deal with it and stop being stuck in the same cycle year after year after year. Yes, stop winter comfort eating!
In the first video I look at why our brains programme us to repeat unhelpful behaviour and how we can stop winter comfort eating and take control.
I’ll be asking what emotional eating is and how you can know that it’s happening. Click on the picture below to start the video.
Please share the blog and the video with all your friends by hitting one of the share buttons at the foot of the page! You’ll help them to stop winter comfort eating, too.
And do please, please leave a comment at the very end of this blog post. I love reading them all and they are so inspiring for other people to read, too.
SUMMARY: Stop winter comfort eating
** We’re constantly changing our state of mind because of things that happen around us. It can be what we see, hear, taste, smell or feel. Gradually these responses form a habit.
** Emotional eating helps us to take the edge off something that’s stressed us or made us unhappy. That’s because food can be a quick fix, releasing soothing dopamine in the brain and temporarily making us feel better.
** Emotional eating is never really about food. Food has just become a way of dealing with how you’re feeling, be it anger, stress, sadness, anxiety or joy.
** You can learn healthier ways to deal with your emotions, avoid triggers, conquer cravings, and finally put a stop to emotional eating. It’s not about being on a constant diet, it’s about understanding that emotional hunger can’t be filled with food.
Here’s Sandra’s advice from the video on how to stop winter comfort eating which you can listen to as a podcast:
Please share the podcast with all your friends by hitting one of the share buttons at the foot of the page!
NEXT TIME on how to stop winter comfort eating
Watch out for part two in Sandra’s mini-series on how to stop winter comfort eating. She’ll be asking the important question: Do know what hunger really feels like?
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Some people like to read as well as watch or listen. So here’s a full transcript of the video on how to stop winter comfort eating.
Do you find you’re eating more and your habits change when the weather gets colder and we go from summer time to autumn? Do you seek comfort in food and lose control? Well, there’s a really good reason this happens and I’m here to help you understand more about what’s going in your head so you can deal with it and stop being stuck in the same cycle year after year after year.
This behaviour cycle is such a big reason people spend their lives yoyo dieting and then they start blaming themselves for the fat around their middle – and everywhere else for that matter. But it’s just not good because then all sorts of horrible things happen.
They get stressed and they stop believing they can lose weight. Then that makes them feel really bad. If this is you, this doesn’t need to be the way you live your life at all. It IS possible to break this cycle and I’m here to tell you how.
You see as we go through life our brains learn to behave in a certain way in response to a stimulus. From birth we’re programmed to respond to certain stimuli, such as the sweet smell of our mother’s milk.
We’re constantly changing our state of mind because of things that happen around us. It can be what we see, hear, taste, smell or feel. Gradually these responses form a habit.
And when the habit is repeated enough times it becomes an unconscious or automatic action. This is why so many people fall into the trap of eating more when we get to autumn – it’s an automatic thing!
So, what is emotional eating and how do you know it’s happening? We’ve all done it. Munched mindlessly to take the edge off something that’s stressed us or made us unhappy. That’s because food can be a quick fix, releasing soothing dopamine in the brain and temporarily making us feel better.
You see we’re creatures of pleasure. We love feeling good and our brains move towards pleasure and away from pain, so the temptation of curling up on the sofa and eating donuts and chocolate when we’re unhappy, or when it’s cold and wet outside, can be far more appealing than going to the gym or for a run.
But the trouble starts when the urge to use food to feel good becomes a hardwired habit that’s hard to stop.
And when the season changes and it gets colder, comfort eating can go into overdrive. We’ve evolved with a subconscious urge to eat energy-dense food and store fat during the colder months. Having fewer daylight hours doesn’t help either, with one in three of us suffering from low mood during the winter.
But the winter blues can be lifted with comforts other than food, and shorter days don’t have to lead to larger waistlines. Emotional eating is never really about food. Food has just become a way of dealing with emotion. One of the first things I ask when a person has lost control of food is this: ‘Are you an emotional eater’ and it’s amazing the response I get.
A lot of people don’t even realise they eat for reasons other than being hungry and emotional eating is exactly that – eating when you’re not hungry, but as a result of how you’re feeling, be it anger, stress, sadness, anxiety or joy.
Perhaps you’re trying to escape from a particular situation or feeling, or want to feel soothed, or maybe because it’s dark and cold outside. Here are a few main differences between emotional and physical hunger: Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger is gradual.
You’ll feel the need to be satisfied instantly if it’s emotional eating. Emotional hunger leads to cravings – especially those high in fat and sugar. With emotional eating you won’t feel satisfied – even with a full, bloated stomach. Then as if all that isn’t bad enough, you’ll feel feelings of guilt, shame and being powerless.
Typical signs include eating in secret, hiding food packaging, buying more food than you need and being isolated. And you know those inner voices in your head – the ones that say things like ‘Go on, it’ll make you feel better’ and ‘You haven’t eaten that much today, why not?’ Those are your emotions talking.
The key thing is to be aware this is happening because your brain goes through a process and if you can interrupt this process you can help to stop it. Awareness is the key because emotional hunger can’t be filled with food.
Eating may feel good in the moment, but the feelings that triggered the eating are still there. And you often feel worse than you did before because of the unnecessary calories you’ve just consumed. You beat yourself for messing up and not having more willpower.
Then you also stop learning healthier ways to deal with your emotions, you have a harder and harder time controlling your weight, and you feel increasingly powerless over both food and your feelings.
But no matter how powerless you feel, it is possible to make a positive change. You can learn healthier ways to deal with your emotions, avoid triggers, conquer cravings, and finally put a stop to emotional eating.
It’s not about being on a constant diet, it’s about understanding that emotional hunger can’t be filled with food.
NEXT TIME
Watch out for part two in Sandra’s mini-series on how to stop winter comfort eating. She’ll be asking the important question: Do know what hunger really feels like?
I LOST 28lbs with Slimpod but just as importantly, I’ve learned to like myself! That was the message I got the other day from a lovely lady called Alex Fenn. She went on: “If I could say one thing to anyone who thinks they can’t do diets…DO SLIMPOD! It works from the head not the stomach, the support is great and I can’t thank Sandra and the team enough. You have changed my life x.”
That really brought a lump to my throat, as you can imagine. So I contacted Alex and when she then emailed me her full story I was so moved that I just have to share it with you all.
I’m sure you’ll agree it’s one of the most inspiring stories you can imagine – and one that will strike a chord with so many people.
Alex is rightly proud that she can now say “I lost 28lbs.” And that’s just the start. So far she’s gone from a size 20/22 to a 16/18.
This is her story exactly as she wrote it:
“It all starts back in the 80s when I remember being constantly warned I must eat or I would be anorexic. This left me terrified of diets and skewed my ideas of healthy eating.
“I had no control over my food as a child, it was whatever my mum put out for us. But as soon as I left home, my eating habits became shocking – as I could have what I wanted and I soon learned to eat my feelings.
“By the early 90s I was married, was eating for two and hating my lot in life. After my divorce I leaned on food even more – though I was still not fat, I no longer cared about myself.
“Over the next decade I yoyo dieted through an enormous number of diet, staying around the same size and learning I couldn’t do diets.
The way Alex was
“I felt I was a failure in everything I had ever done and there was no point trying. In 2002 I re-found an old love and thought my world would finally change.
“I still had an unhealthy diet mentality but then I was struck with Bell’s palsy. I was put on to steroids and my living hell started.
“I ballooned in weight, was constantly starving, and could have eaten anything if it had stood still long enough.
“I could feel my skin split as I tried to bend my knees to put on my socks and my self-hatred grew. I felt unsupported and unlovable and turned back to food as my comfort blanket.
“Despite joining a diet club and losing some weight (I even became a consultant) nothing seemed to help me mentally and I eventually had a nervous breakdown.
“My doctor suggested tablets but I said no, my life had to change. It took years but every little step helped me climb out of the hole I was in.
“But underlying all this I had never addressed my issues with food.
“While watching a TV series on diets and healthy eating I saw Slimpod for the first time and was intrigued. I Googled it but then forgot all about it until I saw a photograph of myself in February this year.
“I wept buckets over that photo. I hated myself but something inside snapped and it was like “I have to do something.”
“I Googled ‘diets’ and up came a Slimpod special offer. It was £1 for a 10-day trial and I signed up after all.
“I thought “when I fail again it will only cost me £1.” How wrong I was! Slimpod started working from day one.
“It was amazing (and a bit scary). I felt in control and I could feel the weight dropping off.
I lost 28lbs and I’m more assertive in my life now
“It also changed me mentally, too. I’m more assertive in my life and actually starting to like myself a bit (I have a lot of baggage to work through).
“I have found exercise the challenge. Trying the Slimpod Couch to 5k run seemed easy although I knew I would give up and fail.
“But I didn’t give up! I surprised myself and kept at it, finally doing my first Parkrun on Saturday and I was so proud of myself.
“Just after the running challenge had finished we had a new challenge to exercise for 21 days. How could I fit in more exercise?
“I mulled it over for a few days then found myself online at 2.30am signing up to a gym. I would have to go then!
“So far I have been three times this week as well as still running and I lost 28lbs (13 kilos) since February 16. I’m now down to 98kg.”
Please let Alex know what you think about her remarkable achievement by leaving a comment below. And do let me know if you’d like me to tell your story in a future blog.
Can you say “I lost 28lbs” – or maybe more? Do let me know.
MY task today is to inspire you to make exercise a regular and enjoyable habit (if it isn’t already). We all know a bit of exercise every day is good for you so I’m delighted to celebrate National Fitness Day on Wednesday September 25.
Obviously exercise is great for weight loss but it does so much for your health and well-being too. It reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers and it strengthens your muscles and your bones.
And if you’re someone who regularly exercise you’ll know it also improves your confidence, your mood and helps reduce stress.
No matter where I am in the world, I always start my day with exercise – the picture is me in the gym in the USA while attending a conference! It’s my cornerstone habit and it sets me up for the day.
My in the gym in America!
To mark National Fitness Day this year I’m launching a 21-day fitness challenge!
It’s easy to take part. First you’ll need to set yourself a daily goal.
It could be a distance to walk or run. Or it could be a number of strength exercises to achieve, such as squats, press-ups or sit-ups.
Secondly, set an alarm on your phone every 50 minutes to remind you to get up and move for the next 10 minutes, even if it’s walking round the kitchen or your office desk.
You can share pictures or videos showing your progress too as this really helps with motivation and accountability!
Remember the Slimpod message – all movement is exercise!
If you’re in our private group on Facebook you’ll soon see a new National Fitness Day thread where you can be motivated and held to account by other Slimpodders.
If you’re not in Slimpod Club then please use this blog post as your accountability thread. Also connect with me on Instagram and Twitter using #SlimpodSmile!
I’ll monitor how you’re getting on and hold you accountable.
National Fitness Day is great with Slimpod
Over the past 10 years, Slimpodders have had amazing success and transformed not only their bodies but their fitness beyond recognition.
They’ve discovered they now get so much pleasure from movement and for so many people love of exercise has replaced their addiction to food meaning they’ve lost weight and kept it off.
Darin McCloud is one of those people and last weekend this wonderful, inspirational Slimpodder competed in the IronMan triathlon in Weymouth.
What’s so special about that? Well, before Darin discovered Slimpod he was a depressed and hugely overweight 20-stone-plus couch potato.
Darin McCloud at IronMan
He could hardly walk down the street without getting out of breath. Now he’s lost over seven stone and runs, swims, cycles and has a completely different outlook on life.
So let’s get this thing going! Join me in my National Fitness Day 21-day challenge by dropping a comment below or on the special thread in Slimpod Club or on Instagram and Twitter. I really look forward to hearing about your progress :))
Accountability buddy is a phrase you often hear. So what does it mean? There’s an old saying that a problem shared is a problem halved. So I was fascinated to learn about a study carried out by a psychology professor in California.
She discovered that people who wrote down their goals then shared them with a friend – as well as giving the friend weekly updates – were on average 33 per cent more likely to achieve their goals that those who make goals but keep them to themselves.
If you want to lose weight and keep it off (and who doesn’t?) you need an accountability buddy. Someone you can confide in, someone who will keep a regular check on you, someone who will motivate you.
Recently I had a lovely chat with Slimpodder Linda Robson, who told me all about the great relationship she has with her accountability buddy, Liz Riley.
Here’s a video I made of our time together:
Linda and Liz’s success together totally backs up the findings of the American study, by psychology professor Dr Gail Matthews, from the Dominican University in San Rafael.
It’s really clear: It’s not enough to set a goal and tell yourself you’re going to reach it. You MUST share it to achieve the greatest success.
That’s because you need the right person backing you up.
Your accountability buddy will help get you through the tough times that inevitably come along from time to time – like when you might unexpectedly put on a pound or two or hit a plateau.
I have an accountability buddy in my business life and one who keeps a close watch on my personal life, too. So I can swear to the amazing effectiveness of sharing goals.
Here’s some great takeaways from the video:
An accountability buddy will help make anything possible
How will they do that? By making sure you move out of your comfort zone! I’ve written a lot about limiting beliefs and how important it is to cast them aside – and that’s exactly what your accountability buddy will help you to do. You need someone to give you a push and take risks (not dangerous ones!). So make sure the buddy you choose fully understands your goals and isn’t afraid to speak their mind when the occasion arises.
An accountability buddy will inspire you to hit the heights
No matter how successful you are in any part of your life, there’ll always be days when you’ve lost your oomph. The initial excitement of setting a wonderful goal can start to fade at times and that’s when you need someone to motivate you. When you say “I can’t go on” your accountability buddy will tell you “Yes you can!” It’s vital to have someone who can remind you of how far you’ve come and what you’ve achieved already because this will help keep the end goal in sight.
An accountability buddy will keep you on track at all times
Think about previous times when you tried to achieve your goals on your own. Did some of them get dumped at the first sign of trouble? That’s the downside of going it alone. Your buddy will keep you accountable, pulling you back on track and willing you to succeed. So if you’re not the kind of person who will persevere against all odds then it’s important to pick a buddy who will! Choose someone you trust and admire who’s not afraid to tell you exactly what they think!
An accountability buddy is always there to watch your back
Have you heard Liverpool football fans inspire their team by singing the song You’ll Never Walk Alone? It has an almost magical effect on the players, driving them on to play their hearts out. That’s one of the joys of having an accountability buddy because with a trusted friend walking alongside you, you’ll be totally confident that you’ll never be alone. You’ll have someone with whom you can share your fears and someone who will give you a much-needed reality check from time to time.
An accountability buddy will celebrate every win, however small
The worst thing to do on any journey is to be disconsolate about how far you’ve got to go instead of being jubilant about how far you’ve already come. So it’s really important to get everything into perspective because as I’m constantly telling Slimpod users, losing weight is more about enjoying the journey than actually reaching the destination.
You need an accountability buddy who’ll regularly celebrate your wins with you, however small they might seem to you.
If you’re in Slimpod Club and would like an accountability buddy, then simply post a message, and please connect with me on Instagram and/or Twitter because I’d love you to share your stories with me there too.
And do also leave a comment below as well. I love reading them all and I know they’re such an inspiration to others.
SUMMER’S almost done and we’re heading into Autumn. So many people struggle at this time of year. I’ve had a great summer and have just come back from a late summer break in Portugal with my daughter and I must admit I’m struggling to get back into the groove!
But I’m not alone – I know Summer really throws so many people off course and can be a real problem.
For many of us the problem is lack of routine, especially if we have children. For others it’s just lack of structure and that’s where I’m at!
I’m craving structure to my day!
While I was away I was thinking of my health and self goals for the next three months and because I know so many people need a bit of motivation, I thought I’d help get us all moving by getting some focus for the next three months.
My Autumn Success Drive is all about having clarity about what you want to achieve and then focusing on the process which will get you there. It’s about taking action and being accountable.
Here’s a video I shot this morning to help you get cracking again!
Now I know some people struggle a little with taking consistent action.
So the first thing we have to think about is what we want – and that’s where goal-setting gives us clarity.
Where are we now and what do we want to achieve?
Is it just that we’ve eaten too much over Summer and our exercise routine has gone out of the window?
Or is it deeper than that? Is it about emotional connections with food or do you self Sabotage?
Are you holding yourself back in some way?
BE CLEAR and realistic about this! No wishy-washy goals, please.
You must really connect with your goal to make it happen.
So many people worry about goal-setting because reminds them of the past. But if negativity creeps in, reframe and think differently!
Look on goals as a good thing because they give you the vital direction in which to travel.
They’re also there to give you feedback not to make you feel like a failure!
Use them as a positive tool to discover what needs to be done next if you don’t quite reach them this time.
Remember, goals shouldn’t be obstacles. Use them as something that will give you direction and feedback.
Next step is that you need to take action – and consistent action is what so many people struggle with. Think of just two small actions which will take you towards your goal.
What’s worked well in the past?
Then get yourself a buddy or partner you can share your journey with – believe me, it really helps with motivation!
Post up your goals below or in Slimpod Club if you’re a member. Also connect with me on Instagram and Twitter to let me know how you’re getting on.
