There is a common quote that goes, “It’s not what you eat, but what’s eating you that matters most.”
It basically means that your moods, mental state, feelings, etc. have more impact on your health than what you eat. So, is this true or not?
It depends. We must be very objective about it if we’re going to make the right decision.
The truth of the matter is that the foods you eat have a direct impact on the way you feel. You’ll realize this if you drink coffee daily but decide to cut it out all of a sudden. Most people will experience caffeine withdrawal and other symptoms.
So, the food you eat does play a part in how you feel. If you eat foods that are high in sugar, you’ll experience a sugar rush and feel happy, but after a while you’ll experience a sugar crash and feel sluggish and not too good.
To remedy the feeling, people eat more sugary foods to lift themselves up again. It’s a vicious cycle and a catch-22 situation.
Food as Therapy
At the other end of the spectrum, there are people who use food as therapy instead of fuel. They eat when they’re happy, they eat when they’re sad, they eat when they’re full, and they eat when they’re hungry.
Eating has become an afterthought to them. It’s just something their mouth does to help them cope with life. As a result, they gain weight, lose self-esteem, become more miserable and decide to eat more to cope with the problem. This is another vicious cycle.
If you’re trying to lose weight, the most important thing to do is to analyze your eating habits. What are you eating? When are you eating? How does the food make you feel?If you’re eating when you’re not hungry, you need to ask yourself why. Are you bored? Are you stressed out? Are you craving for something sweet?
Rethink your Eating Habits
Just analyzing your eating habits will give you a better perspective and allow you to understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. If you’re stress eating, the solution will be to de-stress by doing something fun and/or relaxing.
Instead of eating, you might wish to meditate or listen to music. When you get home tired after a day of work, instead of crashing on the couch and watching TV while you devour pizza and ice-cream, you may wish to just go to bed early and get a good night’s rest.
Keep a food journal. Record down how the food you eat makes you feel. You’ll notice that some foods have an effect on your moods. If you eat sweet foods, you may crave more sweet foods.So, you need to minimize your consumption of those. If you consume carbs at night, you may feel bloated and sluggish the next morning. You might want to change that too.
Track your Food Intake
It all depends on how you feel. By keeping a journal and tracking what you’re eating and how you’re feeling, you’ll be able to manage your diet and eating habits.
Your feelings, emotions and mindset play a role in your weight loss journey. Be in control of them and your weight loss goal will be attained much sooner and with less heartache and struggle. Once you control your mind, you can conquer your body.
