The bad part of having no junk food in the house is that there is no junk food in the house. Last night I was stressed out and immediately decided that I wanted chocolate. No. I didn’t decide I wanted it…I decided that I NEEDED it. I knew that we didn’t have anything here, but I still went foraging through old junk drawers and cupboards searching for something I may have forgotten. I was sure I had seen a tootsie roll somewhere. Or maybe even a chocolate pudding cup. No such luck. I was one step away from checking the back of the toilet tank like the old alcoholics in the Lifetime movies. I ended up eating an orange and going to bed disgruntled.
After I woke up this morning, I began to look back on the night’s events and examine the reasons behind why I laid in bed upset over not being able to have warm brownies straight from the oven. Why did my body and mind respond to stress by desperately seeking out food? Why was I SO focused on pleasing my taste buds when I had even acknowledged to myself that I wasn’t hungry. And I think I’ve figured it out.
I use food as a distraction. If I focus on finding, preparing, eating, and enjoying food, it occupies my mind enough that I don’t feel the urge to dwell on whatever problem is at hand. It’s the same way that an alcoholic uses liquor to distract them from their problems. And last night, even though I didn’t’ get the food I was looking for, I still succeeded in avoiding thinking about what was stressing me out by instead thinking about how much I wanted food. The brain is sneaky that way.
So now that I have a working theory as to why I reacted the way I did last night, I am curious to see if this is a regular thing with me. Sometimes my strongest food cravings come when I am the weakest emotionally. As I work on becoming more emotionally aware and in control, I am hoping that the food issue will follow suit.
The next time that I find myself turning over furniture looking for junk food under the cushions, I am going to try and remember to stop and examine whatever issue(s) I have that I may be trying to hide with extra, unneeded calories.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
After I woke up this morning, I began to look back on the night’s events and examine the reasons behind why I laid in bed upset over not being able to have warm brownies straight from the oven. Why did my body and mind respond to stress by desperately seeking out food? Why was I SO focused on pleasing my taste buds when I had even acknowledged to myself that I wasn’t hungry. And I think I’ve figured it out.
I use food as a distraction. If I focus on finding, preparing, eating, and enjoying food, it occupies my mind enough that I don’t feel the urge to dwell on whatever problem is at hand. It’s the same way that an alcoholic uses liquor to distract them from their problems. And last night, even though I didn’t’ get the food I was looking for, I still succeeded in avoiding thinking about what was stressing me out by instead thinking about how much I wanted food. The brain is sneaky that way.
So now that I have a working theory as to why I reacted the way I did last night, I am curious to see if this is a regular thing with me. Sometimes my strongest food cravings come when I am the weakest emotionally. As I work on becoming more emotionally aware and in control, I am hoping that the food issue will follow suit.
The next time that I find myself turning over furniture looking for junk food under the cushions, I am going to try and remember to stop and examine whatever issue(s) I have that I may be trying to hide with extra, unneeded calories.
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
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