#126, How Art Can Cut Down on Emotional Eating Intro The last time you felt stress drag your body to the fridge or pantry, how intense was the feeling? Was it a vague discomfort you had felt most the day that seemed to gradually increase? Was it a sudden onslaught of overwhelm? Maybe a combination of the two? That’s a terrible feeling and I don’t think the solution should be based on will-power not to emotionally eat. Instead, you need to release that feeling or else something is going to give. And you probably won’t like the results. ***2024 Like & Share Promotion*** *** Personal Every Saturday evening I take over either the coffee table or the kitchen table. I cover it with my sticker sets, boxes of washi tape, markers, pens, and my open planner/journal. It is probably one of the most therapeutic activities that I regularly do for myself. I spend about an hour selecting stickers, colors, and washi tape and put together a week in my bullet journal where I plan out each day, set goals for the week, and have welcoming journaling pages. I get to enjoy this little bit of art each day of the week with a theme of colors and images that make me feel relaxed and excited about by week. Now, I didn’t discover this bit of art all by myself, instead it developed over time. I used to try to draw doodles and use stencils. Then my sister mentioned that she uses stickers and my sweet friend Sharon introduced me to washi tape. I keep all my supplies in a bin and usually do set up my journal without TV. It feels so relaxing to think about my week ahead while designing something beautiful to look at all in the upcoming days. I even set aside an area to write my memory verse for the week. Concept Whenever we are wanting to emotionally eat, our brain is looking for pleasure and a way to ease the discomfort we feel from an intense or long-lasting emotion like stress. Food provides many sensory inputs that are pleasurable and can provide a distraction. Art does the same but with the added bonus of also giving us space to mentally process what we are thinking and feeling in a way that is relaxing and devoid of additional pressure. When I am creating my planner my eyes are full of color, my hands are busy, and the act of creating something helps me move through the thoughts and feelings I have about both my recent experiences and what I am anticipating happening in the near future. Other people that have an art or craft they do consistently remark that they feel the same way when they create or make something. Spiritual Application In Proverbs 31 I love it that the woman is noted to make things. I used to read that and think how amazing it was that she did that for others. But I want you to sit back and imagine her weaving, the feeling of the thread and fibers between her fingers, watching cloth take shape, fashioning the fabrics into purple robes. I bet that the activity was one she looked forward to and one of the reasons she was noted as a woman of quality was because she did things that felt good to her soul. That was life-giving. Practical Application I would love for you to have access to this life-giving practice. Getting started is simple. It takes three steps. First, explore. Look at different kinds of arts and crafts and try things out. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. In fact, taking a trip to the local dollar tree can get you set up with some basic, if lower quality materials, so that you can see if different arts or crafts jive with you. Some art activities I’ve seen others love are watercolors, cardmaking, sculpting, adult coloring books, and seasonal crafts. Second, set up easy access to the art or craft that you enjoy. I keep all my journaling supplies in a little bin. I can just grab it and go set up somewhere. When you find a craft you enjoy I want to encourage you to do the same. Often people don’t engage in activities they enjoy because it seems like too much work to get started. Having your materials organized will help you avoid that obstacles. Even better than a bin is setting up space in your house, if you have it, so that you can go to that space whenever you need to and get started. Lastly, pay attention to your before and after emotional intensity. Take a moment before you begin to note what level you are feeling emotional discomfort. Rate from 0 to 10 with 0 being emotionally neutral and 10 being completely overwhelmed or distraught. After you finish the activity, check in with yourself again to see if you need more time processing and to note the effect the art activity has on you. I want to give one note of caution, don’t do art activities that bring out perfectionistic tendencies. If you feel the need for your creations to be perfect, you might find that the activity doesn’t help you decompress and might leave you feeling more stressed or frustrated than before. Journal Prompt To get you started, take a moment to answer these quick questions: Did you enjoy any art or craft activities when you were a kid? Do you like being outside? Do you like doing things with others or alone? Has there been any art or craft activities that interest you? Sign Off I think that all of us have a creative side that we were meant to explore. It might be gardening or organizing or decorating or a thousand other possibilities. I’m so excited for you to embrace this part of the amazing person God made you to be and reap the health benefits you can feel all the way down to your soul. Goodbye for now. Talk to you next week.
0 Comments
Intro As I coach women, it is so common for them to struggle on the weekends or late at night. And back in my own yo yo diet days, I remember being so frustrated with how I would epically blow it. But the solution is surprisingly so fun. ***2024 Membership Promotion*** www.loraarmendariz.com/weightloss *** Personal A few weeks ago, I was packing lunch for my husband and father-in-law who were building fence that day. I put apples, chips, water, and beef ‘n bean burritos together. There was extra burrito filling left over so I put together an additional burrito for Micaela who is obsessed with eating anything wrapped in a tortilla. But, when lunch rolled around she ended up eating something else so I ate that burrito and LOVED it. I realized that I hadn’t been eating burritos much the last couple years. I think it was because of the flour tortillas. So, next time I got groceries I added a couple packages of whole wheat tortillas to the cart. Since then I have been really enjoying my lunches at work, eating those beef ‘n bean burritos with some fresh veggies and an apple on the side. Concept I want you to think back to the worst diet you were ever on. What were you eating? How did you feel? When you got a “cheat” day did it feel like being let out of prison? Yeah, that's how pretty much all of us feel when our diets are full of food we don’t like and we long for what used to make our taste buds dance and didn’t leave us feeling like we still needed more food. Or, seemed to leave us starving after only a couple hours. There is a plethora of food available to us, if we are willing to honor our own taste and preferences, get to know our bodies, and be willing to invest a little time to have a plan. My burritos are a perfect example. Beans and lean beef are two things my body likes. I don’t add cheese but use whole wheat tortillas and make sure my mix has some spice. The burrito is a high energy food so I really don’t need much. However, to make sure I get that feeling of satiation from my meal, I bulk up the lunch with fresh veggies which I cut up once a week and put in little tupperwares for mine and Adela’s lunches. I also grab an apple for dessert. I don’t feel restricted at all with this meal. I feel like a queen eating it, not a lowly starving peasant. This is why so many diets leave us feeling unfulfilled. Often we feel like we have to eat certain foods or quantities instead of listening to our bodies and getting to know what we like. One thing that I teach the women I work with to do, is to make a list of “good, better, best” foods. These are things they enjoy and like to eat. It helps them make choices on how to pick food that they love that also makes their bodies feel good. In the membership you can access the video and worksheet for creating your Good, Better, Best list in Module 4. Spiritual Application Have you ever read the verses in the Bible where God gives us food? In Genesis 1:29 it reads: Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. Then, in Genesis 9:23 God tells Noah, “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” Of course, we will have allergies and sensitivities to different foods according to our own physical individual makeup, but I challenge you to get some food, just the way God made it, and see what you think of the natural flavors and textures. He made wonderful, good things for us to eat. Take joy in that. Find what tickles those taste buds and make you feel fantastic. Practical Application I encourage you to take a moment to make a list. What do you like to eat that also makes you feel good? Be specific and honest. Don’t put a value meal from your favorite fast food restaurant that makes you feel sluggish and bloated. Do add things that you enjoy and don’t cause distress or inflammation, even if you’ve never seen them listed on the Mediterranean diet. A lot of diets don’t include meat, but I’ve found my body likes several servings a week so I honor that. This will boost your fight to lose weight and have better health, because you can eat your meals without feeling disappointed or like you need a snack because you little to no enjoyment out of your food. Being able to step away from a meal without feeling like you need to keep grazing is a huge win. Journal Prompt Now, as you make this list, I also want you to ponder these questions: How do you want to treat yourself? How do you want to feel when you eat? What importance does food play in how you are able to handle the stress and pressures of your life? Sign Off You are amazing. You are worthy of nourishment and joy. God has given you good things because He loves you. He cares about the health of your body and the joy of your heart. Have an amazing week, sweet sister! I’ll talk to you next week. Intro Do you ever feel like there are a million things you are supposed to remember every day in order to live that healthier lifestyle you envision? I hear you. In every aspect of our life, we grow in health when we cultivate positive habits. Lucky for us there are some simple ways to set ourselves up for success without feeling overwhelmed. And, one of those ways is with a daily routine. ***2024 Routine Builder Promotion*** Routines are the foundation for a healthy life. If you are a busy woman wearing a lot of hats, a proactive routine will save you time, energy, and brainpower. You don’t have to figure this out all on your own. I’ve got you covered. The routine toolkit I developed has a step-by-step guide, templates and examples. It’s free and you can download it today at loraarmendariz.com/freeresources *** Personal I am so excited to share with you all, my listeners, that I have finally went over a month without missing a single day of resetting. Resetting is what I call taking some time to decompress in the late afternoon when I’m at my lowest point mentally, emotionally, and physically and want a break. However, it didn’t happen magically. Instead, I created a routine that has really supported me in regularly getting this done along with other habits that benefit me and my family. In fact, I have my healthy habits broken down into three basic routines. Today I’m going to share this with you as an example while I teach you the basics on how to develop routines that help you hit your health goals. Concept Routines are essentially a series of habits that you do at roughly the same time each day. In fact, it is like a domino effect. One habit triggers the next habit which triggers the next habit and so on. This is a powerful tool because you only have to get the first habit going in order to remember to do several habits in the series. The truth is, we have a lot of things we come up against in our day to day life. Unexpected emergencies, physical exhaustions, distractions…and then we wonder why we can’t seem to follow through with our commitment to change our ways. Routines help take some of our human weaknesses out of the equation so that we don’t have to have to solely rely on memory, will-power, and motivation to help us make daily healthy choices. Spiritual Application Routines are not something that have been left unutilized until modern times. In fact, routines are very natural for us to have. I bet you have routines right now, series of actions you take at a particular time of day such as putting on your make up, prepping your coffee pot, or driving to work. In Proverbs 31:10-31, the woman of good character is mentioned to have several things she does regularly. In other words, she most likely had a routine that kept her productive and strong physically, mentally, and emotionally even as she served her family. Practical Application I essentially have three daily routines that help me accomplish my health habits. First, in my morning routine I wake up, get a cup of coffee, then exercise followed by getting dressed, doing my Bible Study, working on my memory verse, praying, making my daily meal plan, and planning out my top-3 tasks for the day. All that takes me an hour and a half. I have to wake up earlier to get it all done but that is a good solution for me since I am a morning person. My second routine is in the late afternoon or early evening. I read with Micaela then journal, rest, and practice my Spanish. My last routine of the day involves checking my meal plan, logging my food, doing my planner close-out, and tracking my habits. Journal Prompt Let me walk you through a simple process to get you started. First, list all the healthy habits you would like to implement. Note how long each of those habits take. Next, list 2 or 3 times of day that you could have a routine. Add habits in those slots in a way that makes sense. Make sure you calculate how long the routine will take. Lastly, try it out. At first you’ll most likely need to read the routine each time, like following directions. After a while it just becomes routine. And When you have a lot of changes to make, it is a smart tool to use. Sign Off If this is something you would like to try out, don’t forget to head to my website at loraarmendariz.com/freeresources and sign up for the free routines toolkit. All my love to you, sweet sister. I’ll talk to you next week. Intro Have you ever gone out on a Friday night and ended up eating and drinking way beyond what you would have liked? Then, you just feel frustrated and broken and defeated. You wonder if you’ll ever be able to handle a night out without behaving like a maniac around the food and beverages. Well, sweet sister, this is definitely an overdue conversation. Let's have it today. ***2024 Quiz Promotion*** www.loraarmendariz.com/quiz *** Personal Did you know that lent is just around the corner? Every year I like to do some soul-searching to see how I could concentrate on my growth in Christ and have some special time with Him. If you’ve been following my podcasts here lately you’ll know that I’ve been noticing my lack of rest and truly desiring to trust God better so that I can relax instead of chronically over-working because it is currently still a trigger for cravings and over-desire around food. Does that sound familiar to you? In fact, if I were to go out on a Friday evening I would feel like I was finally out of my overworking prison and I could definitely find it hard not to over-do the experience. No one should feel this way. And, because I hear many ladies I coach complaining of this same problem, I wanted to touch on it today with you. Concept Over-eating can come from many different needs but I’m going to break it down into two simple areas. 1. Using food or beverages to provide something you are needing emotionally or 2. Not making a plan for the evening and then making choices out of hunger and cravings. First, let's talk about the emotional component of this. You have to figure out what you feel like food is providing for you that you are missing in your life. Are you snacking on chocolate while you do housework because you are just trying to keep going when you really need to sit down? Do you pour yourself a glass of wine or two at night because you just want to take the edge off the stress instead of talking to a friend or doing some journaling? Maybe you are so angry and frustrated at the people who are supposed to have your back and you feel like you deserve something, anything, that would just make you feel a little better? All this is normal. However, eating and drinking for emotional reasons is not actually solving the problem. It’s like going to a medical clinic and asking to be seen by the lady with a phony medical license instead of the professional with a medical degree and years of experience. Why would we choose the faulty help? Sometimes when we overeat on a night out or weekend off it is because we are not taking care of emotional, mental, or physical needs that have nothing to do with food. The second issue is much more simple and very common. Often we simply don’t have a plan. We simply figure that we’ll go out and we’ll be “good”. However, we just leave it up to fate. As if we can look at the menu, have no desire for anything off our eating protocol, and magically choose the food items and quantities that serve our bodies. Or, we have the vague idea that we might “splurge” a little, but we haven’t settled on what that is going to look like. In fact, if you like to eat a certain dish, it might be very beneficial to decide ahead of time that you WILL have that and enjoy it. That way you don’t go into that all or nothing attitude feeling like you’ve messed up. Spiritual Application The other day I was reading a very familiar set of verses in Galatians about the fruit of the Spirit. It is in Galatians 5:22-23. In the New Living Testament the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. I’ve always loved this reading, but I’ve also seen it in the lens of how I treat others. The other day I felt God nudge me that so much of what I struggle with stems from not treating myself with the fruits of the Spirit. So, are you doing the same? Are you loving yourself? Taking joy in life? Cultivating peaceful thoughts? Having patience with yourself when you are human? Do you treat yourself with kindness? Are you faithful in your promises to yourself? Do you practice self-control toward what your body needs? Practical Application The difference between making proactive eating and drinking choices and being reactive and doing whatever seems or feels good at the time comes from two things: Taking genuine care of your physical and emotional needs and making a plan for what food or beverages you will consume at any given time. This is simple on paper, but like any good skill, the more you practice the better you will get at it. Journal Prompt Today I challenge you to sit down and answer three important questions: When/where do you tend to struggle with overeating or overdrinking the most? What could you do to take care of your emotional or physical needs so that you don’t turn to unhealthy quantities of food/drink to bring you comfort? What is a plan you could make ahead of time to support your health goals and still enjoy your time? Sign Off Just in case no one has told you today, I want you to know that you are spectacular. Don’t be hard on yourself as you learn. We don’t become good at any skill overnight. It takes practice. All my love to you! I’ll talk to you next week! |
by Lora ArmendarizYou Can Do It!Do you want to fall out of love with a destructive habit? The first 42 episodes of this podcast are a resource for anyone who wants encouragement and information as they take a six week break from a habit in order to fall out of love with it. Archives
June 2024
|