As much as I wish it was, ice cream is not a cure for the virus causing so much chaos right now! There isn’t a food on earth that actually solves worry, fear or frustration. We’re in an unprecedented situation that may make you feel out of control. Step away from the refrigerator and think about what you really want to happen.
Are you hearing sentences like these in your head?
- Losing weight doesn’t matter right now!
- Let’s eat chocolate, we’ll worry about losing weight later!
- This is an emergency, just eat whatever you want!
These are just thoughts…and I promise you they’re coming from your primitive brain, the part of you that’s most interested in your survival, safety and comfort. Stress, worry and fear make it even more frantic for relief. Even though your prefrontal brain disagrees, your primitive brain believes that if you devour half gallon of ice cream you’ll feel better.
But I have a question for you. A few weeks from now when all is returning to normal, do you want to be 5 pounds closer to your goal weight or 5 pounds further away? You can’t control the virus, but you can control how you react to it. It’s obviously important we all do our part to help stop the spread of this thing. But succumbing to a Cheetos binge isn’t going to solve anything and will likely make you feel worse (not to mention the orange fingers!).
When you notice there’s a spoonful of ice cream headed for your mouth, stop and ask yourself: What can I do right now that my future self will thank me for? Will you be grateful that you comforted yourself with food or will you be disappointed that you gained weight? It’s entirely up to you.
Please be safe and be kind to yourselves, both mentally and physically. This too shall pass!
