Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Emotional Eating During Thanksgiving

JUST FOR TODAY:  Create an action plan so you can separate your feelings from food this Thanksgiving.  If intense emotions surface, know how to express them instead of eating! 

Imagine this Thanksgiving Day scene.  Your uncle comments about your weight, and suddenly you're reaching for another serving of appetizers.  Your mother probes about your relationship, and now you help yourself to more mashed potatoes.  Your grandmother asks where you're going with your life, and you wish you could eat the entire pumpkin pie.  Your specific situation may be a variation of this scene.  Whether you struggle with an eating disorder or obesity, Thanksgiving can be a challenging Holiday.  Replay your last Thanksgiving experience in your mind, and check in with yourself about the experience.  What were some challenges?  What were some successes?  Knowing this information, what can you do to make this Thanksgiving a positive experience, taking you one step closer to your weight loss or recovery goals?  What can you do if any intense emotions surface, rather than turning to food?  Step away from the situation, take several deep breaths, call a friend.  These are just a few options.  Create an action plan today, that you can use tomorrow if necessary!  And do your best to enjoy the Holiday!       

1 comment:

  1. I love your scenarios! I read them to my family just now and they laughed!
    Thanks Dr. Dorie!

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