4: In 2018 I will speak up, not eat up
This month I’ve been working with the members of my coaching programme Wellbeing Warriors on the trusty topic of resolutions. Specifically, how to turn them from a good-natured intention in January to something that is just a non-negotiable part of their life come December.
One of the things that so many women (and quite a few men) suffer from is over-eating. Having a big lunch as a pick-me-up during the day to compensate for a tricky meeting, or to delay going back to the office. Overeating on the kids' leftovers so they don't "go to waste" (except they do — they go directly to your waist). Treating yourself to a cold crisp sav (or four) as a treat after a hellish day or a horrendous commute. Mindlessly chowing through half a packet of cheese and bickies in-front of Netflix, doing the double screen thing on Instagram, then hiding the packet. Overeating. It's huge.
In a way it’s a good problem to have. We are supremely fortunate to live in a country where the vast majority have an abundance of food to eat. However, we eat when we are not hungry, we overeat when we are full, and we often use food not as fuel but as entertainment or reward — and that’s a problem.
If this is ringing bells, then changing your mindset around this alone would set your 2018 on fire, never mind the rest of the 17 other strategies in this series!
When you are using food, not as fuel, but as either a reward or entertainment, you are asking your stomach to solve a problem it can never solve. If you are bored or unhappy or stressed, it’s a job for your brain. The fact is you need to talk to your disruptive peer/boss/staff about that tricky meeting and reset some expectations. If your job is boring you, take a training course, ask for more responsibility or take steps to find a new one. Perhaps you need to cook less or buy some storage for leftovers and get smart at batching meals. Or you need to genuinely search for a new job with a better commute, or negotiate some flexitime. Or you need to call a friend/take up surfing/train your pet aardvark to whistle if you are bored. Your stomach cannot ever, evvvvvverrrrrrrrrrrrr, solve any of those problems. They are the job of your brain.
Putting food you don’t require IN your mouth, in substitution of the right, empowered words coming OUT of your mouth will never fix the problem. It merely perpetuates the dispiriting cycle of overeating. To solve it, you don’t need another expensive diet to eat up: you need to marshal your inner resources, get to the core of it, and speak up.
More columns in this series
Through her online Happiness programme “Wellbeing Warriors”, life coach Louise Thompson helps people unlock their happiest and healthiest life. Sign up at
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