TIPS to STALL the BEAST
Alright. Let’s face it. Sometimes we do EVERYTHING we can – I mean – EVERYTHING we can think of, to PREVENT nasty food cravings. But…sometimes they just sneak in, and all we can do is FIGHT until it passes…AND IT WILL PASS!! Alcoholics, drug addicts, compulsive gamblers/shoppers/smokers, you freekin’ name it – we ALL have to fight, if we want to stop whatever cycle is making us unhappy. You may cringe when I say drug addict. However, you know, as well as I do, that sugar / food / over-caffienation {my own word I think} can be DRUG-LIKE in the body. SO many people have DIED because of their relationship with food. I HATE to be so dramatic, but please, I’ve earned my right. Just look all around you. Especially in America. Are we supposed to be THIS fat & unhealthy? Are our grocery stores supposed to be filled with such CRAP? Are we supposed to be in a “state” of craving food?? You cant imagine my physical state before I got off sugar & junk food. Listen, it’s up to us. Advertisers & Food Stores & Restaurants just want you to buy more CRAP. Bottom Line – to make money…They don’t “care” if you are buying vegetables or twinkies. WE HAVE TO JOIN FORCES TO EDUCATE OURSELVES ON WHAT WILL STOP THIS CYCLE…To stop THE BEAST {senseless cravings} from ruining our lives, bodies, relationships and even bank accounts. Junk Food costs money!!!! Just look at how expensive those fancy sugar coffee drinks are…
My point being – there are people ALL OVER THE WORLD, FIGHTING for a HEALTHIER existence! We can all fight together – and not let the unknowns and the desire for immediate relief overcome our good intentions & recovery on the road to health. You GOTTA push through some of the pain. Have you ever heard of the saying….”Pain is Weakness leaving the body???” Think of that, as you fight the cravings….Your weakness is LEAVING.
Please email me any of YOUR tips, that help you get through the day, and reconnect you to your purpose/mission.
You may have heard of all these before, but DOING them, is totally different. Don’t just assume they won’t work if you are skeptical. Also, didn’t work today, might work tomorrow.
I will add to these, as I continue writing my blog. Some may work for you, some may not. But please be open minded, if you are struggling…..
TIPS TO STALL THE BEAST
#1 PRAY – to your higher power, god, goddess, saints, ascended masters, universe, the earth, the stars, healing mediation – WHATEVER speaks to you, and gives you a sense of peace. We don’t truly understand all the great mysteries in life. Not even close. What if something out there really can truly help you in your moment of great pain and need? Be open. I’m not telling you what to believe. That is none of my business, nor right. I am asking you to be open to something spiritual, in whatever form that may come in, to help you fight. This is my number 1 tip, and will always be my number 1 tip above all else. I personally believe that food cravings / weight wars that have wreaked havoc on people’s lives, have a spiritual component to them – that somewhere along the way, you have felt totally alone, and have needed something to “fill in the gap”. Just be aware and open, that there is more for you, than you currently believe & experience regarding you and your relationship with your body…
#2 Get outside and talk a walk. I know it’s hard when its cold out! But if it’s nice outside today, go enjoy a stroll. Listen to all the sounds around you, breathe in the fresh air, let the sun soak into your face. {Just don’t get burned!} Look for a shiny quarter on the ground while you are walking. That is always fun. Once I found a $10 bill!
#3 Do some Yoga. Rent a DVD from your local library, find an online video, copy some poses in a book. Just start in gently at your own pace, and do a few poses. Don’t do a hard class for your first try, like I did! Slowly introduce yourself to it…and see if it resonates with you. I know yoga has completely changed some people’s lives that I know. I think it feels really nice, if you don’t overly push yourself with it.
#4 Call a close friend and talk about your day, instead of “eat about” your day. Chaotic emotions can make us “hungry”. We REALLY feel hungry!! But if you look back over your day, and rationally see you have had enough to eat of healthy foods, you may need to talk, maybe even cry about what is bothering you. Eating will just push down the emotions, and stall your recovery process. So, call a friend! Go out for tea and have a nice face to face chat with someone who has your best interests at heart.
#5 Draw up a warm bubble bath, light candles, and read a book. I learned this one from my boyfriend. I know it sounds like a “girly” thing to do. But he is definitely a very tall, big and strong, manly man – and LOVES his bubble baths, candles and reading time. He says it really relaxes his muscles, calms his emotions, and he feels very pampered, without having to spend any money at the spa. {You can go even further, and soak in organically scented mineral sea salts for deeper healing.}
#6 Love the one you love. Whether it be a significant other, a child, a friend, a beloved animal – give someone you love a HUGE hug and connect. Sometimes a little physical touch, is just what you need to snap you out of it.
#7 Write a poem, write a song, write a blog – of HOW YOU ARE FEELING…..get it out.
#8 Expanding on #6 – PLAY with a favorite animal. It can be your pet, or someone else’s precious paws. Take Fido for a walk in the park, and watch the joy as he runs through the grass! Or whip a cat toy across the living room floor, and see Kitty fly up the wall. Yes, cats are crazy! I have one that keeps me up all night, so I earned the right to complain. But, she has helped me through many a craving, just having her presence with me…and see her go nuts over a little sponge ball.
#9 Put on music you love and stretch or dance.
#10 Brew up some decaf or herbal tea, and watch a favorite movie / tv show.
#11 GET OUT OF THE ENVIRONMENT you are currently in – change the ENERGY PATTERN you are stuck in right now. DONT go to a fast food joint though! go somewhere neutral, collect your thoughts. Re-center yourself.
#12 Purge a closet, a drawer, a room, a desk, a cupboard, a fridge, a car… Throw things away that you don’t need. Make a Donation box. List items on Craigslist or Ebay. Have a rummage sale. Move the energy around . I find this to be an extremely helpful tool in my arsenal. Sometimes negative energy is attached to items no longer needed, and is draining that section of your home. ESPECIALLY if it’s in the kitchen. Get it out of there!! In fact – go throw away all your expired food. That is negative energy surrounding your eating environment.
#13 Go to a Bookstore and read a book that you are drawn to. Bookstores can have a very healing quality to them, when you just need to get out of your environment {including your internal environment} Surround yourself with some new ideas and possibilities. You just may find the very thing you need, at that moment, in a book you pick up.
#14 Do Jumping Jacks, sit ups, push ups, run up the stairs – WHATEVER – to SHAKE yourself out of it!!
THOUGHT I MUST INTERJECT : I dont mean for you to do these things so you dont eat all day. NO!! that is not what I advocate. Your metabolism slows down anyway if you do that, so whats the point. You HAVE to eat the foods that are right for you and your body, and get enough calories throughout the day, otherwise you will start to develop an eating disorder, and be obsessed with food all day even worse. I am talking about, stopping food cravings, when you know you’ve had an ample meal or snack, etc, and the BEAST wants more. You know what foods/drinks put your health at risk, and what food is healthy for you to eat.
I am sort of hard core with this – but I believe as the old saying goes…Let Food be Your Medicine……
I dont think that Peanut Butter Cups are medicine.
Also, I know the path of MODERATION is good for some. Moderation is EXCELLENT.
However, this blog is more for those that KNOW – KNOW – KNOW – they can’t have sugar {or certain foods they constantly crave} anymore. They just can’t. And KILLING THE CRAVINGS in the first place, is the only way out of this hell.