One Little Shift

As a personal trainer and health consultant, I had the opportunity to observe trial and error in my clients. I also observed trial and successes too. Those were my favorites. 

One success that I loved to watch were the little shifts that people made that led to more significant, longer-lasting results. 

Think about it this way. If I eat a 300 calorie snack out of habit, boredom, or because my energy dips every day at about 3pm, then after one week, I've eaten 2100 EXTRA calories that my body can't use and didn't need. Wow.

So by making this one simple change of choosing a different habit that elevates my afternoon energy, I will have removed 8,400 excess calories from my diet in one month. I also did this without having to starve myself! 

Remember, I wasn't even physically hungry at that time, to begin with. I was mentally hungry. It was a habit due to boredom, and since my energy dips in the afternoon, it makes sense I'd try to eat to combat those things. 

Let me introduce you to a better way!

Once I became aware of my unconscious eating, I decided to do afternoon yoga to pick myself up. I also examined what I was eating for lunch. Dips in blood sugar mean I'm not eating foods that leave me satiated. I upped my protein intake at lunch and eliminated the drop in energy. 

I also bought some orange and peppermint essential oils. I put those in a diffusor and took a few moments to breathe in the vibrant scents that refresh me, body, mind, and Spirit. 

Not only that, this new routine is ten times more soul-satisfying than the excess weight from unconscious snacking ever could be. 

Remember, emotional eating is an overemphasis on food being our savior. The truth is food can only do so much. The truth is a truly fulfilling life comes from a well-nourished heart. 

​What is one slight shift that you can make this week? 

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Laurel Elders is a Professionally Certified Coach, Certified Executive Coach, educator, and author. She wrote Eating With Heart in 2012 to help women break free from emotional eating, take their power back, and gain lasting peace with food. Her Five Step process places women back in touch with themselves and invites a permanent healthy transformation. Laurel and her husband reside in Tucson, AZ, have four grown children, and appreciate life’s blessings above the challenges.

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