I immerse myself in hobbies as much as possible and distract myself but I still find myself constantly thinking about food.
How do you guys deal with this?
Especially if you have unique methods you use to keep yourself going or a mantra you might want to share. Or anything that keeps you grounded.
Personally, I do have a wallpaper in my phone with all my goals so I never forget.
How about you guys?
Take this with a grain of salt (and potassium), but it could be a good idea to accept your hunger and your thoughts about food without avoiding them. I found this to work for me, and there’s a psychological model for why this works (ACT or exposure therapy). Avoiding thoughts will only make them stronger, accepting them as just thoughts eventually makes them less powerful.
Personally I have a list of affirmations that I repeat out loud whenever I’m stressed out or uncomfortable doing something I know will benefit me in the long run. One of my affirmations is “I choose to be healthy. I choose to be happy.” It helps to remind me that I am in control of my actions and my mood, that I am doing this for a purpose, and that if I continue doing the right things it will lead to my success.
I indulge the thoughts and smells. Humor your mind and body. We aredesighed to eat! Lol. Embrace it.
Lots of good coping skills listed.
If I’m craving something I just go smell it and that’s enough.
Don’t worry about being obsessed with food. Breath deep … savor the flavor with smell.
Did you know without smell there is no taste? Just texture. Think about that !
Remember that the hardest parts are the parts with the most upside if you maintain your process. Whether it’s the hardest workout, the hardest motivation to get, or the times when you most want to cheat or give in to temptations. When I am battling my desire to bail, I remind myself that I get the most benefit from keeping things going during those times.
Kind of like meditation: Acknowledge the thought without passing judgment, then move on. Don’t actively try to avoid thinking about food or it’ll get more tempting. Acknowledge you want food. Think “yes, I’m hungry. I’m thinking about x food right now.” Don’t tell yourself that’s good or bad. No judgment. Lean in to your physical discomfort. Bring your attention to your body. Turn it into a mindfulness practice. How does the hunger feel? The feeling will pass. Then conclude with something like “…but not right now. I can have food tomorrow/in 2 days/insert timeframe here” Again, no judgment. Just simple facts and calm mindfulness.
After openly acknowledging and leaning into the feeling of hunger, then you can move your mind to other things. Ask yourself “what else besides food does my mind and body need right now that I can give to it? Am I thirsty/craving salt? In need of rest? What caused those hunger cravings? Did I see someone eating? Did I see food in a tv show? How can I prevent that in the future? What “triggers” do I need to be aware of?” When the feeling fully passes, you can also remind yourself why you do what you do, whatever your goals or reasons are. And each time you successfully do this, you will be mentally AND physically stronger. More resilient. More pain tolerant (being mindful of hunger pangs). Calmer. Capable of dealing with cravings and resisting temptations.
Eventually, you won’t think about food during fasts in the same desperate way. It’ll get easier and easier to let the thought pass by and let it go.
I actually plan out future meals haha. I’m on pinterest, looking at food. I find, for myself, that with temptations, confronting them head on makes a huge difference. I let myself have the feeling and the desire and I eventually get bored of it and do something else.
Of course, while I’m doing this, I’m telling myself this is all temporary and I’ll be able to eat again soon.