How to Overcome a Craving or Urge to Overeat

Yesterday was a hard day....for me as well as for a lot of us, I think.

The combination of the long, hard Winter...being stuck indoors, everything by us was closed down due to ICING conditions (schools closed, DH's work closed, etc.) and also I'm feeling just a bit sorry for myself since I've got a stupid cold again and couldn't get to the gym to let off steam, ....well, it all adds up to a recipe for disaster.

But I'm proud of myself because I overcame several strong urges to overeat. And I know that I only did so because I've LEARNED, over time, how to do that.  So I thought I'd share 'my process'.

Hopefully this will help you the next time you have a craving.

HOW TO BEAT A CRAVING

1.  STOP

The most important step is to STOP in your tracks before acting on a craving. I know it's painful;  I know every instinct you have is urging you to 'chuck it all', screw the plan today, you NEED this today, you'll make up for it tomorrow, tomorrow you'll get back OP but in the meantime the pressure is intense and Ahhh GOD I need to eat!

I hear you. But STOP anyway, just stop and take a deep breath and remind yourself that these thoughts of yours AREN'T in your best interests -- despite outward appearances. These thoughts are Fat Brain talking. Which of course is your animal side, your hedonistic side, your 'same ole same ole' bad habits side that just wants you to do what you ALWAYS did, because it's "easier". That's ALL!  Whatever logic it's using...and it can be very crafty....it does NOT have your best interests at heart.

Imagine the craving is like a huge, violent WAVE coming in, straight at you. You have two choices:
- You can get pushed around and knocked down by the wave, OR
- You can STOP right here and now, analyze what's going on, and CHOOSE differently. In so doing, you are pulling yourself AWAY from the surf, away from your negative thoughts emotionally, and detaching yourself from it completely. You are putting yourself 'on the shore', safe and sound on the warm sand with a clear blue sky and the sun beating down, and just calmly observing the wave. You're NOT being battered by it because you're away from its path.  You're peaceful and calm. Away from harm. You can't be hurt by the wave because you're out of the water!

Another way to do this is to imagine your thoughts are like a movie playing on a DVD player. When you feel a craving or an urge to overeat coming on....push the PAUSE button. STOP the movie in its tracks. "Freeze frame" it.

2.  CHALLENGE

Now 'hit the reverse button' on the DVD player, so that your actions and thoughts replay in slow motion. Sit back and watch. What led up to the craving? What were you doing? What were you thinking? More importantly, what were you FEELING? 

At this point I find an exercise that I was taught called "Heart Math" (sounds weird, but it works...my fibromyalgia specialist works with a psychologist who helps his patients to de-stress and relax and she taught me this):

- A potentially stressful situation happens
- Freeze it (like pushing the pause button)
- Shift your attention from your HEAD to the area around your HEART.  What you're going to do is listen to your heart.
- Notice the size, shape, color(s), textures of your heart.
- Begin breathing through your heart--a slow, comfortable pace.
- Re-experience a time of great love and appreciation.
   (This is an important component and something that once you 'get', you get for LIFE.  And it doesn't have to be a miraculous or super-important moment in your life, just a memory that gives you the 'warm fuzzies'. For many of us that may be, the first time you held your child in your arms. Or your first kiss with the love of your life. For me, it's as simple as picturing my littlest cat, Bandit, in my lap. She jumps up into my lap and eagerly curls up 'in her favorite spot', and she's warm and cozy and comfortable...and then she rolls over and gazes at me with such a look of total adoration that it I have to smile, I can't help myself! So I put myself back there...I imagine her doing that. That's all it takes...and I start to feel my muscles RELAX and the tension drain out of me).
Whatever this moment is, think of one....and remember it, because you'll use it again and again.

- Now, ASK your heart (AND your human, intelligent side of your brain, the part that wants to get healthy, and wants to get slim) --
"What would be a better way to deal with this situation?"
You are asking your HEART to help you. AND your human, intelligent side. They BOTH know what to do. They know that Fat Brain is lying to you and trying to get you to simply 'react' emotionally.  And they know what the answer is.
- Just stay focused on breathing 'through your heart', picturing it beating....and do NOT push for answers, just...breathe. RELAX.

- Wait for 'knowings'!

At this point your heart and your human side will give you the ANSWER.

Maybe you're angry or frustrated and you need to assert yourself with family or friends. Maybe you're overworked and overtired and just need to slow down and RELAX awhile.
Maybe you're just bored and need to find an activity that you enjoy like reading a good book or go window shopping on the web or talking with a good friend on the phone or...reading blogs here and participating and sharing with others.
Maybe you're just super tired and you need a NAP!
Maybe you're thirsty...how's your water consumption today?
Maybe you need to get away for a bit...go for a walk, or burn off some tension with exercise.

It could be any number of solutions...but your head and your heart know what to do. The answer is within you.

It's important at this point, too, NOT to get sucked into an argument with Fat Brain. That can backfire drastically, because you're giving Fat Brain more importance than it deserves...and trying to win a logical argument against someone who's being illogical is fruitless.
(it's like arguing with a 4-year-old! LOL)...

Whenever I start to argue, when I tell myself, "Wait, I'm not really hungry, it's not physical hunger, it's emotional" ... Fat Brain simply responds, "WHO CARES? I'm still HUNGRY! I NEED IT!" LOL...

So it's helpful to not even GO there. Don't give Fat Brain the satisfaction. Don't elevate her in importance by trying to argue with her or outwit her. JUST IGNORE HER and concentrate on your heart and on relaxing and rely on your intelligent side, along with your heart, to provide the answer.

At the same time, continue to 'separate' yourself from your craving, remembering always that YOU are in control, YOU drive the bus, not Fat Brain.

Last but not least....

3.  CHOOSE the action that makes the most sense to you.

And you may STILL, after all of this....feel like eating! 
In that case, don't fight it...just choose WISELY. (if you fight it too much, we're all 'rebels', right? We're likely to go the OTHER way and BINGE if we try to put the reigns on TOO much).  Pick something like a large lettuce salad with 1 TBL of your favorite MF approved dressing. Or a cup of boullion or herb tea. Or an MF snack -- remember we get that 1 snack a day....have some SF jello handy, or some pickles, or a bag of MF chips. 
If you choose this option, make a big deal out of sitting down and eating...treat it like an 'extra meal'...and eat SLOWLY and MINDFULLY.
Another good choice is to drink a large glass of water. This fills your belly....it may calm that "I'm STARVING!" feeling that Fat Brain keeps telling you.

Obviously the BEST choice is one in which you just BYPASS the craving altogether and keep on with your day....and wait for your next MF mealtime. Sometimes what happens to me is, I can 'postpone' the craving by planning the rest of the day's menu or maybe switching around my L&G to something I really love.

4.  CELEBRATE!

CONGRATULATIONS! You just beat back a craving! That's AWESOME!

STOP and Congratulate yourself. Pat yourself on the back! Tell yourself you did a great job. It's IMPORTANT to reward yourself. It tells your brain "Yes you did GOOD" and that can help you next time...because who doesn't like to be congratulated and rewarded, right?

If it was a particularly strong craving, or if you finally overcame a spot that has always been a trouble spot for you...blog about it!
BRAG!  Why not? You deserve it! 

If YOU don't celebrate YOU and reward yourself, who will?

We don't know you 'did good' unless you tell us, right?

I've done this with myself....or I've told my DH (poor soul, I tell him everything...and half the time I don't think he understands me since he's a 'normal eater', but he listens anyway because he loves me!)... that I really am PROUD of myself today because I overcame a craving. He'll nod and smile. That's all I need.

A little 'atta girl'.

YOU DID IT!

Bottom line....you CAN beat back your cravings and 'urges'.

Every craving, every urge, is an OPPORTUNITY....to change for the better. To work on your 'head', and 'get it right'.

And every success you have builds up....so that you accumulate more SUCCESSES than FAILUREs...and THAT is how you change your eating habits permanently.

One craving at a time.

Keep on keepin' on!