::pokes nose out::

Yep... still here.

I know... I go and post about my huge goals and then not a peep.

I appreciate all of you who have checked in to see if I'm still breathing. I am... breathing heavy but still breathing.

Worked picked up a LOT last week (always a good thing to be wanted, needed and busy.) Home life was busy in different ways, and by the weekend I was just pooped. I did get some rest, but still feel like I could use more... I'm blaming that on the weird but wonderful rainy weather we've been having... But it's been cold (for me anyway) it puts me into hibernation mode and makes me feel even more hypo than usual with the cold creeping deep into my bones. My love to all of you in colder climates, especially in Canada - there's a reason I moved to southern AZ from Michigan; I'm glad there's some that really enjoy that weather... or at least can tolerate it.

Anywho, amid my busy, sleepy, hot herbal tea fill days & nights, my brain's been whirring away - my poor hubby (bless his heart!) has had to put up with me yakking on and on and on about stuff that I'd normally write out.

I've been thinking about everyone and will be posting proper blogs any day now... till then, I shall leave you with this little drive by thought:

I've seen more instances of emotional eating issues on people's status of late and it worries & saddens me... It took me a long time to get past it, it wasn't easy and it wasn't very fun some times, but it ultimately freed me from

Being able to identify that you're doing it is HUGE and you need to give yourself credit for it!

Just because you don't dive head first into a bag of chips or pint of ice cream doesn't mean you don't have emotional eating issues (that was me... I didn't see me reaching for a Reeses mini when I hit panic/overload as emotional eating... but it was.)

First and foremost, remember that hunger is _never_ urgent (ok, it is if you've gone 12+ hours without eating... but that's not what I'm talking about here) and rarely specific. Your body's signal for chocolate/cookies/chips/fries STAT is _N O T_ hunger related.

Secondly, recognize it for what it is: a coping mechanism, and an unhealthy one to boot. It doesn't matter if you to consume an extra 50 or 500 calories of healthy or unhealthy foods, you're basically avoiding dealing with the true issue - your emotions, your feelings, your reality - by turning to food instead of turning towards the truth.

Third - You don't have to take the time right that second to break down all the emotional stuff... but what you can do is to start developing new coping strategies.

My favorite is to procrastinate! We all do it, so don't act like it's something you would never do... this time use procrastination to your benefit! If you're starting to become aware of your emotions triggering a craving, acknowledge it head on - denial only makes it stronger.

Say to your self, "Self, I understand that we feel like we want that cookie/chips/candy/fries/etc. right now, and that's fine... we're just going to wait 15 minutes first."

_Most_ times, by the end of the 15 minutes you don't remember that you were craving something. Or the craving has lessened. If the craving is gone, CONGRATS! If you still have it, that's ok - indulge the craving with the control you gained by giving yourself some time and allowing the feelings to de-escalate.

This is a learning process and sometimes you win, sometimes you have another chance to learn.

Finally, make a commitment to yourself to do some regular soul searching, navel gazing, praying or meditating on each situation that comes along that triggers emotional eating. Ask yourself some pointed questions: what happened? why did it happen? why did I want to turn to food? What food did I crave? What memories do I have tied to that food?

Keep digging until you can see your early connections - sometimes it will be easy, sometimes it will be buried under new issues that aren't so plesant to deal with... keep some tissues handy - and work on forgiving yourself and letting go of those connections.

Just remember: It's _never_ about the cookie, it's about why the cookie is so darn important.

YOU are worth finding out what that reason is!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And as luck would have it, the Weekly Spark highlighted an article on hunger vs. cravings.