4 Summer Challenges For Emotional Eaters & How to Escape Them
Summer Challenges - and no, we’re not talking about weight loss challenges here!
Short skirts, ice cream cones, and lazy afternoon adventures are three summertime staples you probably have a love/hate relationship with. This time of year opens the door for a new set of triggers to come through and potentially derail your progress with mindful eating.
There are countless roadblocks you may find along your journey, some of these might be spot on, while some not so much. Think of the things that usually trip you up during the summer months and explore ways to avoid or fix them. Here are some of the ways summer can be a challenge for emotional eaters:
CHALLENGE 1. You have way more free time
It’s a blessing and a curse. This season lacks the same kind of structure we’re used to at other times throughout the year and there are extra hours in the day. This is great for beach days, but not so great for your body and mind. When you have more leisure time, you might start to feel antsy and want to fill your time with something that will bring you pleasure. And that’s where FOOD comes in. When your days are unstructured and long, your mind can try to fill in the gaps by focusing on something it can control instead.
Try this: Plan out your weeks ahead of time and schedule everything from BBQ’s to beach days in advance and notice where you have holes. Have some go-to activities to fill your downtime that you LOVE doing this time of year. Head to the library to pick up some easy summer reads. Find new neighborhoods to explore and take your nightly walk to a new spot. Create an outdoor oasis in your backyard and plant a few new flowers. Recruit some friends and family to accompany you so there’s no time for bingeing.
CHALLENGE 2: Summer clothes. Need I say more?
That dreaded moment when you unbox your summer clothes to see if you can still slip into the same pair of shorts you wore last year can be enough to send you right back into a restrict/binge cycle. Don’t be too hard on yourself when incorporating your new, warm weather clothing. If something makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t hang onto it until you “lose a few more pounds”, toss it aside and donate what no longer serves you.
Try this: Your clothes shrink and stretch and your body doesn’t stay the EXACT same season after season. Stay away from triggering people on social media and learn how to stay non-judgemental when it comes to your own body. The only thing worse than comparing yourself to other people is comparing yourself to a past version of you. Remember that EVERYONE’S body is unique and in a constant state of change. You’re not meant to stay the same forever, how boring would that be?! And don’t forget, how someone looks in their latest Facebook post might not be how they looked 5 minutes later. Angles and editing can be deceiving!
CHALLENGE 3: Vacations - they should be stress-free!
Hotel buffet breakfasts can be a tricky thing to navigate while trying to be mindful with your food choices. Vacations are meant to be relaxing, not stressful. But how do you balance mindfulness with indulgence?
Try this: Allow yourself to have a fruity cocktail on the beach and a share a decadent dessert with your family. Utilize my fullness forecasting method by thinking ahead to how you want to feel in the future. Will that third margarita make you feel satisfied or stressed? Don’t let one week of enjoying foods you wouldn’t normally eat lead you to another period of restriction, we all know how that cycle goes.
CHALLENGE 4: Those endless summer gatherings…
The parties don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon and the food table doesn't seem to be lighting up either. Even if you have the best intentions and you go into these events fully prepared, that ice cream sundae bar still might be calling your name. The hard part about these events is that there is SO. MUCH. FOOD. Everyone brought something and EVERYTHING looks delicious.
Try this: Don’t “save up calories”, make sure you’re feeling nourished beforehand by eating a light snack or meal. When you restrict in preparation for all the food that’s to come, what do you think will happen? Most likely you’ll overeat and that will spiral into feelings of guilt followed by even more restriction. If you DO eat past the point of fullness, know that it was a momentary slip up, not a complete setback.
We’ve been stuck in winter for far too long, summer is a time for celebration! Although there are a number of food and body triggers that can arise, know that you have the power and capability to stay on track with your own mindful eating journey and any slip-ups you may have are not permanent. You’ve got this.
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