Mastering the Munchie Monster

Have you ever set out with the best food plan for the day & found yourself in a bowl of potato-chip-brownie-bottom-ice-cream-pie by bedtime? If so, welcome to the emotional eating club! This is an actual snack I had one evening after a particularly difficult day at work. When I was finally done eating the chocolate monstrosity, I felt guilt & shame (along with a really upset stomach!).

Most of our dietary collapses are less catastrophic than the salt-chocolate diet-death bowl above, but we all face temptation in one form or another when it comes to food. The key to Mastering the Monster is learning to be leaders of ourselves, instead of trying to be totally in control.

Many of us struggle for dietary control - powering through desires & needs while trying to "tough it out." There *is* another way! Forget trying to be tough. Cravings come from needs. Needs are *real*! If you ignore your needs, eventually you'll pay the price.

A lot of us eat to fill emotional needs - food is one of our coping mechanisms. When we deny ourselves that coping mechanism during our strict "diets," all we do is trigger the little kid in us who demands: "Feed Me!" If, instead, we identify & acknowledge our emotional eating for what it is & honor our needs, we are one step closer to leading ourselves & mastering the munchie monster.

We can identify emotional eating by following these guidelines:

1. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly
2. Physical hunger occurs gradually
   
3. When eating to fill an emotional void, you crave specific foods, (pizza or ice cream); only that food will do
4. When eating because you are actually hungry, you're open to options.
5. Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave
6. Physical hunger can wait
7. Even when you're full, if you're eating to satisfy emotional needs, you'll probably keep eating
8. When eating because you're hungry, you'll usually stop when you're full
9. Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt
10. Eating when you are physically hungry does not

Now that you've identified whether you're emotionally or physically hungry, it's time to get FIIT with a tactical plan:

1. Figure out what is happening when you give in to temptations
2. I dentify the feeling associated
   
3. I mplement a strategy to deal with the real feeling &/or situation
4. T ake note of your success & keep the momentum going

Are you physically hungry?	Don't let yourself to get too hungry - eat when you are a little hungry, not famished Assure your snacks & meals have enough protein to carry you through until your next meal or snack time Have healthy snacks available that meet your needs
Are you bored?	Take a break Go for a walk Chat with a friend Find something to distract you Exercise...
Are you tired?	Assure you get enough rest regularly Regularly eat whole foods (processed foods lack full nutrition) Assure you get enough activity Take a break Eat a healthy snack Take a walk outside Take a nap
Are you feeling angry or upset?	Chat with a friend Read some inspirational literature Watch a comic video clip or read some jokes on the internet (save e-mails people send you for just these times!) Take a walk outside Say a prayer Do a relaxation exercise
Are you pressured by other people eating in a social situation? (what is the feeling?)	Identify the feeling & work on that Learn about boundaries (internal & social) Plan your eating for social occasions Make your plan public, enlisting support (work the peer pressure to your advantage) Take a healthy option for pot-luck events Have a small portion if no healthy options are available (you can eat a healthy snack later if you're still hungry) Just make the decision to enjoy the event & resume your plan afterwards - no foods are "bad." Give yourself the freedom to *occasionally* splurge, as long as your overall eating is within your plan. Do this because you *want to* not because you are pressured to.
Do you feel guilty about leaving food on your plate?	Erase the image of starving people in Ethiopia! Your dinner has nothing to do with them! Forget about it going to "waste" - you don't want it going to WAIST or HIPS!
Do you over indulge when you go out to eat? (what is the feeling?)	Identify the feeling & work on that issue Make a plan before you go into the restaurant. Most of us eat at the same places regularly & know the menu. Tell the server you don't need a menu - place your order & avoid temptation. Ask your server not to bring the bread basket. (you can consume 500-1000 calories in bread & butter alone before your dinner arrives!) Get a broth-based soup before your dinner - studies show that we eat less calories after eating soup. Ask for the to-go container with your meal & put 1/2 in the container as soon as it arrives. Restaurant portions are notoriously huge & we usually eat whatever is in front of us.

Some general Munchie Monster Mastery tips:

1. Figure out some healthy comfort foods you can go to when you really can't deal with the emotional eating monster. Comfort foods don't need to be unhealthy. (Mine is nuts & dried fruit)
2. Think Moderation, not Elimination. After just 4 bites of food, it registers in your memory. So if you really need that chocolate cake, get it - eat 4 bites slowly - savor them. Then you can have the experience of your comfort food without all the guilt & calories!
3. Keep a list of strategies & alternative activities with you so when that immediate need strikes you don't have to work hard to figure out what to do. Just pull out your list & find the right strategy for the moment.

Above all, give yourself a break! The more we spiral into guilt cycles, the more we wallow in our bad habits. If things fall apart, recognize yourself as human! Pick yourself up & recommit to your goals & vision. Start again...without the guilt trip!

As for me, chocolate is still my thing. There are moments that I *need* chocolate! So, I'm keeping a small amount of fair trade, organic chocolate in the house just in case I find myself in a true chocolate crisis. It calms the nerves & keeps me feeling like I do my part for the world.

Happy monster bashing!

Kim