This week’s blogpost accompanies Week 28 of our 52 Weeks of Chic challenge to manage our emotions. 

Did you know if you do a Google search of “diets” you’ll get 1,090,000,000 results?

While I’m sure many women have had success with some of them,  I haven’t, well at least not for any length of time. 

But I did stumble upon a diet that worked for me.

It didn’t come up on my Google search but in my heart during one of my morning quiet times.  

This diet thankfully doesn’t require deprivation or starving our bodies.

Its effectiveness relies on starving our emotions that lead to second helpings, binge eating or mindless snacking.  

For years I believed my happiness was dependent on my weight so I start a diet and walking or going to the gym. 

But the minute something stressful happened triggering negative emotions, instead of addressing the problem, I ate it instead. 

Eating my emotions would undo any progress I might have made and the vicious cycle would repeat until I gave up altogether.

I ate when I was worried, hurt, stressed, depressed, frustrated, angry, bored or to fill voids.

Emotions either work for or against us, leading us to the pantry or out for a walk or the gym.  

Eating my emotions always left me feeling stuffed, guilty, gross, ashamed and remorseful. 

Most diets fail to address the role emotions play in a woman’s eating habits.

But emotions are the primary reason most women overeat or eat poorly, at least it was for me.  

Diets are a short term external remedy to an internal issue.  

We can work out daily and swear off sugar and bread but until we address issues that cause negative emotions we will never get off the diet roller coaster. 

What would happen if you faced feelings or issues that were causing any emotional eating?  

What if we today we finally ditch the diets, take control of our emotions, stop using food (or any other form of avoidance such as shopping, scrolling, drinking or busyness) as a form of self-medication and embrace exercise as an expression of self care instead of punishment?

The only logical result would be lost pounds, increased energy, peace of mind and overall better health, mentally, physically and spiritually.

Unconventional?  Yes. Effective?  Absolutely.

Sandra Hubbard

#dieting #howto #inspiration