Success in changing habits around food relies on having tools ready to respond when you have an urge to eat outside of being hungry or already having eaten enough food. In today's episode, I give you fifteen good responses to practice and have at the ready when you find yourself having an urge to overeat.
Using these will help you redirect how you think in those moments to help you respond differently AND help it feel easier to choose to not overeat.
Here is the list of fifteen good responses for when you have an urge to overeat.
- This will taste even better when I'm hungry again.
- It tastes so good AND overeating won't allow me to enjoy this any more than I already have.
- If I stop at enough, I'll be able to have it again the next time I'm hungry, which will be sooner than if I overeat now…PLUS I'll be proud of myself.
- I’ve already decided on this issue.
- If I say yes to eating more right now what am I saying no to?
- This is my chance to practice a new habit.
- I want it, but I also want to (lose weight this week).
- I will meet the discomfort of stopping now, or I will meet the discomfort of my overeat when I fill out a discovery sheet tomorrow. Either way, it’s uncomfortable.
- Of course, it tastes good. If I put it away now I get to enjoy it again tomorrow.
- Yes, it tastes good, but so does going to bed knowing I've had my own back today.
- Food can’t make me feel better, only my thoughts can do that.
- What do I really need right now to feel better? Am I tired, stressed, overworked, or need to give myself a break?
- Can I acknowledge my needs beyond what food can give me right now?
- The price of learning how to change habits is my willingness to be uncomfortable for a while.
- I won’t always feel this way about stopping the more I practice this skill.
Your Coach homework this week is to PRACTICE and REHEARSE thinking these so they are fresh in your mind when the urge to overeat happens. Then, practice using them, and see how your typical responses to urges to overeat might change.
For a downloadable PDF copy of these responses, comment 'LIST' this episode 60 instagram post and I'll DM you the link.
Visit me @thriveinmidlife on Instagram and comment with your ah-ha's, takeaways, homework, and/or questions from this episode, and let’s keep the conversation going.
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Audio engineering by Young Cub Audio.