Just a couple of things to share with you. First, I don’t recommend telling the whole world you’re going to write a blog post every day for the next 31 days. Somewhere around day sixteen or seventeen it starts to wear on you a bit. Not that it’s not rewarding, it is. But there are lots of things that are rewarding I don’t recommend.
Second, and this is the more salient point, I’ve known for many a long year that my response to bad stress is to eat, compulsively and randomly. Since I started on this path a few months ago, I’ve done a pretty good job of putting myself in a mindful, intentional space when I feel bad stress coming my way. As a result I’ve managed to keep myself away from my trademark overeating in those situations. Which is something to feel good about. It’s definitely progress.
Turns out, however, that my go-to, subconscious response to good stress might be the same compulsive, random overeating. Yeah, I know, this shouldn’t be a surprise, but it is. By way of background, I should tell you I have a lot going on at the shop these days, all of it quite positive, but it’s still a lot of work.
This week I’ve managed to make some big steps toward a couple of big professional goals. Yesterday evening I clicked the send button on a big piece of a (really) big project (which ended up bringing lots of positive results today, thanks for asking), and when I got home and we got all the Sprightly Daughters securely in bed, I headed straight for the kitchen … without thinking about it.
Now, you’re thinking, “yeah, so?” Well, the “so” is that we’d already eaten a fairly substantial dinner. I wasn’t hungry. But the food reward code hidden deep in my brain triggered and I made what turned out to be a tasty pb&j (actually a pb and organic orange marmalade on whole wheat bread – plenty healthy under normal circumstances). And I wolfed it (and a glass of milk) in a few seconds, just like the old days. So the problem isn’t the “what,” it’s the “why” and the “how.”
It was after 9 PM and i’d already eaten dinner. That’s not the path to weight loss, especially on the heels of my birthday weekend.
When I finished and sat in the recliner staring at the empty plate I realized I haven’t done that in months. So it’s good that I haven’t been doing it, but it concerns me that’s my default.
Clearly more work to do. And I will.
Thanks for reading, always.
Posted by Ed McCormick on October 20, 2011 at 11:41 pm
From what I have heard..if you fall off the horse…get back on right away and not dwell on it!! Best of luck to you my friend!! I can relate!!