How to Find Your Pot of Gold: Freedom from Emotional Eating

flyhcoaches
Mar 17, 2023
4 min read

By Denna

“What’s at the end of your rainbow?”

What a terrific question. It just lights me up. The possibilities that come to mind!

In terms of health and wellness, do you jump to the same wishes as me? Did you think…

Weight loss

More energy

Increased strength

Better sleep

But wait… that doesn’t feel right.

Sure, those things would feel good. Was that what I was truly craving in life though? Simply put… No.

What’s at the end of my rainbow? What’s ACTUALLY waiting for me in that pot of gold?

Improved Emotional Well-Being

Freedom from the trap of negative emotions – guilt, shame, regret.

I seek joy and pleasure.

I wish to manage stress and anxiety, and no longer let them get the better of me.

Instead, I wish to invite more calmness into my life.

Increased Self-Esteem and Confidence

I want more control over my life and the ability to recognize my choices.

I prefer to hold my head high and feel proud.

I want to accept change. To welcome challenges and opportunities.

Greater Happiness & Fulfillment

Knowing I am improving my overall quality of life energizes me and drives me forward.

I believe I am capable of achieving my life goals and aspirations.

I know that pot of gold is waiting for me and with every step I take, I see the pile of gold grow bigger and bigger.

I won’t lie though. It’s been a challenge to get this far. I had to put in some really hard work.

There was frustration. Anger. Tears.

Emotional eating can feel like a brutal battle with overwhelming feelings.

And we can face a myriad of hurdles when trying to tackle these problems.

Difficulty identifying and expressing our emotions: Sometimes we may not pay attention to how we’re feeling, or if we do, perhaps it feels difficult to deal with it. Or worse, we sometimes confuse our body’s signals and mistake feelings for hunger, which drive us to reach for that tasty treat.
Impulsive eating: Eating when you’re sad or stressed can seriously rack up the calories. And trying to think your way out of sad or stressed moments will never work. All sanity seems to fly out the window.
After-eating consequences: This can show up as shame or guilt for eating as a response to the trigger. It can leave us with an ‘F It’ feeling, and the cycle of negative emotions and eating begins again.
Serious health problems: These patterns can have serious ramifications to our health and well-being. Leading to weight gain, depression, and chronic health conditions like diabetes and heart disease (just to name a few). If you’re dealing with health or mental wellness hurdles, it can make overcoming emotional eating feel that much harder.

Story Time!

I used to struggle big time with identifying my emotions and even allowing them to surface. After all, a strong person doesn’t break down. They simply suck it up, right? Well, at least that’s what I thought. And that’s also a part of what society taught us.

There’s no crying at school or work!

There’s no shouting ‘it’s not fair’!

There’s no whining about ‘why me’?!

When I was ready to accept that those things were okay, I decided to dive in headfirst. I did have to begin by telling myself:

It’s OK if you cried at school or work.

It’s OK if you want to scream that ‘it’s not fair’!

It’s OK if you want to sob ‘why me’...

The point is, say it… feel it… get it out.

I allowed myself to do just that.

I identified my emotion. Was it anger? Sadness? Loneliness? I put a name to it.

And then I felt it. I allowed myself to yell. I allowed myself to cry.

In fact, one of the most cathartic things I started to do, was simply give myself permission to cry.

I have my battles with sadness and depression. But when those feelings bubble up and overwhelm me, I now take a moment to walk away, sit in a safe space, and allow the tears to flow.

I sit with that feeling. I cry to myself that it’s not fair. I morn the past that I cannot get back. I allow myself to fear the future, if only for a moment. I say it… I feel it… I get it out!

By allowing this process, something wonderful has happened. Breaking down my emotions and feeling them has caused me to understand what triggered me and my emotional eating. I started learning how to navigate those emotions and develop healthier coping mechanisms… without turning to food.

And now I’m that much closer to reaching my pot of gold.

Your Pot of Gold is Waiting for You

If emotional eating is standing in your way of you reaching your pot of gold, I assure you it does not have to. You can and will overcome it!

If an emotion comes up, take a moment and explore your thoughts. What’s at the root of that emotion?

A little contemplation can go a long way towards healing your relationship with food.

With the right tools, it is possible to break your unwanted patterns and cultivate new healthy habits. And if you don’t think you can do this on your own, then I’m here for you!

Come chat with me. I’d love to support you with:

Discovering EXACTLY what’s waiting for you at the end of your rainbow.

And what’s your next best step forward in moving you towards your goals.