"Deanna, I am at the point where I'm wondering if I'll ever "get it"? You know? I think my biggest challenges are snacking (working from home - the pantry is right there!) and then getting busy, putting my needs last, and then being starving and making a poor choice or just eating too much. I find I can't stop eating at night. What can I do?"From Food Crazed Momma

Ahhh yes! Food Crazed Momma!! I know how you feel.

3 years ago, I was in a completely different state of mind. I was completely obsessed with food. What to eat, how much to eat, tracking calories, do I eat "clean foods" only or do I try the moderate route? How often do I eat? If I don't eat every 3 hours, will my metabolism slow down. Will I then get fat if I only eat a 1000 calories?

I literally got so tired of the food worry, that I just gave up...for awhile anyway. I was about 7-10 pounds over my comfort weight, I was binge eating all the time, and then feeling like I had to make up for my binges with massive amounts of exercise. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. And honestly, I was tired of trying. I just wanted to be normal, whatever that meant.

"Why in the hell can't I figure this out? I am a CSEP Certified Fitness and Lifestyle consultant, I have been coaching this stuff for years, I have been coached by some of the best in the business, I have all the certifications, etc. This can't be that hard!"

And I knew I wasn't happy with myself. Inside or out. I wanted to live a life where I could just eat all food in moderation, stop obsessing about having a treat now and then and having it not lead to doing "guilt" cardio.

I wanted to fuel my body properly, get to a feel good weight, enjoy food and stop feeling like a psycho.

You need to decide that your environment can't dictate how you eat...instead YOU are always in control of what goes into your mouth! Working at home doesn't have to be the reason you can't control yourself around food. Your goal is to be around food at any time and be ok!

Instead of: "Ugh, I have NO willpower", we practice: "I am in control of everything I put in my mouth."

Instead of: "I can't control myself around carbs (or sugar or alcohol)", we practice: "I am disciplined and eat only what my body needs."

Just like anything else, mindfulness is a skill to be learned. One that takes practice. You know this, I have been tossing it in here and there lately.

It requires you to investigate other factors such as sleep, stress, hunger, energy.

Mindfulness....

It requires questions like:

Am I still hungry?

Can I stop eating right now?

Am I full?

Am I eating because I am stressed and anxious or haven’t gotten enough sleep?

It does take effort in the beginning but with time it becomes more automated to the point where you don’t have to think about it quite as much if you commit to it now!

It begins with slowing down the process of eating so we don’t feel the need to eat everything all at once.

Weight loss will happen naturally if you feed your body properly- not deprived, not stuffed...your weight will level out if you stop eating when you are not hungry.

I love digging deep into this stuff....let me know if this was helpful!!