This page is for anyone that struggles with body image and food issues. Emotional eating is an absurdly common trait to find these days. The good news is that it doesn't always mean deep psychological issues that would require therapy. In fact most studies show this behavior stems from basic human needs that aren't being met. Caused mostly by stress, anxiety, a desire for more love/affection, anger/resentment, lack of fun or joy in life, and a desire for comfort in an otherwise unsettling world. This is by no means a comprehensive guide or report on the matter, in fact it's nothing even close to that. This is nothing more than a few simple questions, along with some positive thoughts and reminders on the subject. This isn't a blog page, and this writing will stay on the site forever, edited only if I deem it necessary.
Food Issues Are Just Mood Issues
Important Questions to answer:
1.) Are you constantly shaming yourself for every food decision you make? (Or perhaps any decision you make at all)
2.) Are you using food to cover up a lack of affection/love in your life?
3.) Do you at times eat when you're not hungry, perhaps because of stress or to feel comfort (if only for a bit)?
4.) Are you constantly lacking joy or positive regard for your daily life?
This stuff may sound corny, and maybe it is. But these questions are nothing new , and if you're answering yes to them as I'm sure a lot of you are that is perfectly fine...for now. But starting now? We have to start looking for the root causes of our problems. We have to look at what's causing the problem rather than it's effects. Ice cream is not the enemy...it's just ice cream. It's just an item. Deeper yet, is why you would feel the need to use ice cream as an emotional stop gap. Like a band-aid for a gunshot wound, it will never work long term. It only makes things much much worse when we hide away like this. Instead, We have to work on feeling our feelings, rather than running from them or attempting to bury them with food. We have to face our problems and emotions head on, understand them, take charge of them and attempt to intellectually solve our inner disputes and even our failures. We have to show resolve and a belief in the fact that if we work hard enough, if we take action, we will be able to turn things around.
The end goal here is Self-Love and Self Appreciation. These lead to confidence and confidence leads us to literally anything in the entire world that we may want. No change too great, no goal out of sight. Sadly though, so many of us lose confidence early on because this world is quick to tell you how you SHOULD look, what you NEED to be happy, and what diet you should be on to get thinner, more attractive, more popular etc. But so few talk about the deeper issues that truly make a difference. That's why I've always enjoyed the softer side of Personal Training along with the whole kickass workouts part of it. Because This whole health thing is mental MUCH MORE than it is physical. It's not even close. If we break down the barriers of our mind then every limitation we have ever placed on ourselves will cease to exist.
Where do you begin?
With how you talk to yourself. That little voice, that little hater. The one that says you're not enough, you're not worthy, you're not strong enough to move on from the past... Tell it to shut the fuck up. You truly have to do that. That's the first step and that's how you get started.
I'm here to tell you that it's not always easy... but it's FAR from impossible. Remember, you are not damaged! Self-hate is a normal human thought that has been beaten into our brains since we were children! Let's not even get into what schools and our parents did to most of us. Ha. There is no question that our society has created an entire population of self haters, and that hate reflects both inwardly and also at others we see doing well for themselves. We've got to stop it right now. We have to instead appreciate the hard workers, the self-aware, self-confident, and driven humans that are out there holding themselves accountable for every decision they make. We need to become like them. They don't shame themselves when they fuck up, they learn from it and look to improve for the future. Failure is the foundation for success for these people, not a reason to explain why they've given up. We have to toughen up just a tad. Anyone can achieve happiness, you just have to want it as badly as you want to live.
Tips to create Positive habit-forming thoughts:
1.) Workout
---And don't workout because you hate your body. Workout because you appreciate your body and would like to take better care of it.
Humans don't take care of things they hate, they take care of things they love. Your body is no different. So don't expect progress if you're only doing this because you feel like you have to.
---Write down a plan, with goals big and small and SUPPORT YOURSELF throughout the journey. Appreciate your efforts and work your ass off for the things you really want in life. Don't try to do too much at once when you're first starting off. That only creates a quick burnout effect. Just be a little bit better each day. It takes grit and determination but I've seen the most unlikely of people COMPLETELY turn their life around using slow steps, patience, and a positive mindset.
2.) Work to Understand and even enjoy your struggles.
Everybody struggles. Without them we would never learn how hard we have to work to achieve. It's all about how you handle yourself when the struggles occur. Do you take it as a chance to dig deep and challenge yourself to rise up and overcome? Or do you feel embarrassment, shame, and lose hope that things will ever get better? Self-reflection is crucial here. Be honest in evaluating yourself and your shortcomings. Figure out what you can improve and set an action plan to do so. It can help to write down your thoughts and feelings about everything as well, and may help you evaluate your situations more clearly.
3.) Develop a "Don't believe me? Just watch..." attitude when it comes to haters.
This journey is about your own self worth and happiness but you have to make sure that no one can stop you from getting there. (Including yourself)
As they say "Do just once, what others say you cannot do and you'll never pay attention to their limitations again."
It's not a bad feeling I must say.
4.) Annie Stern says it best so I'll give her the nod here...." Remember that cultivating self worth is about how you treat yourself. It has nothing to do with your strengths and limitations. You are imperfectly perfect just the way you are"
5.) Eat to nourish your body and take care of yourself.
Are you looking to build more muscle? Increase your protein intake! Have a big workout planned later? Don't cut your carbs to the point that you're feeling too depleted to go hard!
Enjoy your life, enjoy your meals, take charge of your emotions and don't let them decide your nutritional habits for you. Your body is a complex system that needs to be maintained in order to keep working properly! If I could recommend one person to listen to or follow on this subject then I would say PLEASE follow "Jillfit Physiques" on facebook. One of my favorite mindset coaches out there.
Other random tips for a more positive and driven mindset:
**Read books!** They will connect you with the world and yourself better than tv ever has or ever will.
**Listen to podcasts** Choose topics you enjoy and give it a shot. It may surprise you.
**Take walks for stress relief** Not to mention free time can be trouble for impulsive eaters, walks are a perfect getaway to add clarity and mental awareness to your daily life.
**Recreational Sport Leagues** Obviously.
**Not a sports person? Movie nights out with friends or alone keeps a little extra joy in life**
**Pick a weird skill and attempt to get good at it** Dancing, drawing, crosswords, puzzles,etc. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it piques your interest.
**Music listening sessions** No texting, watching tv, or even exercising at the moment. Sometimes we forget that music wasn't originally created to simply be background noise. It was meant to be absorbed and appreciated as art. That may not ring as true now as it did then but music nonetheless can have a profound effect on mood if you give it your attention. Enjoy it!
*When it comes down to it...We just need to take action. Don't over think your troubles, just do something about them.
There is so much else to say on this subject. I could literally write for another 3 hours easily. But I'll save that for a more comprehensive post in the future here on the site. This is again by no means a guide to life for overcoming psychological or food adversity, it's simply a positive approach on a negative subject. I hope some of you enjoyed it.
-Josh Lucas
Food Issues Are Just Mood Issues
Important Questions to answer:
1.) Are you constantly shaming yourself for every food decision you make? (Or perhaps any decision you make at all)
2.) Are you using food to cover up a lack of affection/love in your life?
3.) Do you at times eat when you're not hungry, perhaps because of stress or to feel comfort (if only for a bit)?
4.) Are you constantly lacking joy or positive regard for your daily life?
This stuff may sound corny, and maybe it is. But these questions are nothing new , and if you're answering yes to them as I'm sure a lot of you are that is perfectly fine...for now. But starting now? We have to start looking for the root causes of our problems. We have to look at what's causing the problem rather than it's effects. Ice cream is not the enemy...it's just ice cream. It's just an item. Deeper yet, is why you would feel the need to use ice cream as an emotional stop gap. Like a band-aid for a gunshot wound, it will never work long term. It only makes things much much worse when we hide away like this. Instead, We have to work on feeling our feelings, rather than running from them or attempting to bury them with food. We have to face our problems and emotions head on, understand them, take charge of them and attempt to intellectually solve our inner disputes and even our failures. We have to show resolve and a belief in the fact that if we work hard enough, if we take action, we will be able to turn things around.
The end goal here is Self-Love and Self Appreciation. These lead to confidence and confidence leads us to literally anything in the entire world that we may want. No change too great, no goal out of sight. Sadly though, so many of us lose confidence early on because this world is quick to tell you how you SHOULD look, what you NEED to be happy, and what diet you should be on to get thinner, more attractive, more popular etc. But so few talk about the deeper issues that truly make a difference. That's why I've always enjoyed the softer side of Personal Training along with the whole kickass workouts part of it. Because This whole health thing is mental MUCH MORE than it is physical. It's not even close. If we break down the barriers of our mind then every limitation we have ever placed on ourselves will cease to exist.
Where do you begin?
With how you talk to yourself. That little voice, that little hater. The one that says you're not enough, you're not worthy, you're not strong enough to move on from the past... Tell it to shut the fuck up. You truly have to do that. That's the first step and that's how you get started.
I'm here to tell you that it's not always easy... but it's FAR from impossible. Remember, you are not damaged! Self-hate is a normal human thought that has been beaten into our brains since we were children! Let's not even get into what schools and our parents did to most of us. Ha. There is no question that our society has created an entire population of self haters, and that hate reflects both inwardly and also at others we see doing well for themselves. We've got to stop it right now. We have to instead appreciate the hard workers, the self-aware, self-confident, and driven humans that are out there holding themselves accountable for every decision they make. We need to become like them. They don't shame themselves when they fuck up, they learn from it and look to improve for the future. Failure is the foundation for success for these people, not a reason to explain why they've given up. We have to toughen up just a tad. Anyone can achieve happiness, you just have to want it as badly as you want to live.
Tips to create Positive habit-forming thoughts:
1.) Workout
---And don't workout because you hate your body. Workout because you appreciate your body and would like to take better care of it.
Humans don't take care of things they hate, they take care of things they love. Your body is no different. So don't expect progress if you're only doing this because you feel like you have to.
---Write down a plan, with goals big and small and SUPPORT YOURSELF throughout the journey. Appreciate your efforts and work your ass off for the things you really want in life. Don't try to do too much at once when you're first starting off. That only creates a quick burnout effect. Just be a little bit better each day. It takes grit and determination but I've seen the most unlikely of people COMPLETELY turn their life around using slow steps, patience, and a positive mindset.
2.) Work to Understand and even enjoy your struggles.
Everybody struggles. Without them we would never learn how hard we have to work to achieve. It's all about how you handle yourself when the struggles occur. Do you take it as a chance to dig deep and challenge yourself to rise up and overcome? Or do you feel embarrassment, shame, and lose hope that things will ever get better? Self-reflection is crucial here. Be honest in evaluating yourself and your shortcomings. Figure out what you can improve and set an action plan to do so. It can help to write down your thoughts and feelings about everything as well, and may help you evaluate your situations more clearly.
3.) Develop a "Don't believe me? Just watch..." attitude when it comes to haters.
This journey is about your own self worth and happiness but you have to make sure that no one can stop you from getting there. (Including yourself)
As they say "Do just once, what others say you cannot do and you'll never pay attention to their limitations again."
It's not a bad feeling I must say.
4.) Annie Stern says it best so I'll give her the nod here...." Remember that cultivating self worth is about how you treat yourself. It has nothing to do with your strengths and limitations. You are imperfectly perfect just the way you are"
5.) Eat to nourish your body and take care of yourself.
Are you looking to build more muscle? Increase your protein intake! Have a big workout planned later? Don't cut your carbs to the point that you're feeling too depleted to go hard!
Enjoy your life, enjoy your meals, take charge of your emotions and don't let them decide your nutritional habits for you. Your body is a complex system that needs to be maintained in order to keep working properly! If I could recommend one person to listen to or follow on this subject then I would say PLEASE follow "Jillfit Physiques" on facebook. One of my favorite mindset coaches out there.
Other random tips for a more positive and driven mindset:
**Read books!** They will connect you with the world and yourself better than tv ever has or ever will.
**Listen to podcasts** Choose topics you enjoy and give it a shot. It may surprise you.
**Take walks for stress relief** Not to mention free time can be trouble for impulsive eaters, walks are a perfect getaway to add clarity and mental awareness to your daily life.
**Recreational Sport Leagues** Obviously.
**Not a sports person? Movie nights out with friends or alone keeps a little extra joy in life**
**Pick a weird skill and attempt to get good at it** Dancing, drawing, crosswords, puzzles,etc. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it piques your interest.
**Music listening sessions** No texting, watching tv, or even exercising at the moment. Sometimes we forget that music wasn't originally created to simply be background noise. It was meant to be absorbed and appreciated as art. That may not ring as true now as it did then but music nonetheless can have a profound effect on mood if you give it your attention. Enjoy it!
*When it comes down to it...We just need to take action. Don't over think your troubles, just do something about them.
There is so much else to say on this subject. I could literally write for another 3 hours easily. But I'll save that for a more comprehensive post in the future here on the site. This is again by no means a guide to life for overcoming psychological or food adversity, it's simply a positive approach on a negative subject. I hope some of you enjoyed it.
-Josh Lucas
