What's Your Trigger Emotion?

We've talked about trigger time, clothing, setting, and food. Is there an emotion that sets you off into a feeding frenzy? What are you feeling when suddenly you become vulnerable to eating out of control?

I've mulled this over in my own life. Several factors play into my impulsivity. One is that desperate feeling of being out of control and the procrastination that comes with it. Since I haven't been able to....clean my house, well then just sit down and watch TV. I'll clean it tomorrow. I haven't been able to....stick to my diet today, well I'll just go ahead and polish off that pizza and then start my diet tomorrow. I haven't been able to....exercise today so I might as well call it a night and I'll exercise first thing tomorrow.

The next days dawns. Do I have a plan? Nope. I'm still flapping in the wind with no goals in sight.

Recently I got up early on a Sunday morning and watched Dr. Charles Stanley's program. One thing he mentioned was making lists. My first thought was, "What good does that do when you can't even find the list?"

But then, Dr. Stanley had a wonderful idea, and this might be doable. I'm not a morning person and half the day is gone before I feel like I'm really getting anything accomplished. His suggestion? Make your list the night before. Don't wait until morning and then try to make a list. You'll be completely overwhelmed. He has a pad and paper by the bed. He makes the list, then goes to bed knowing he has his agenda set for tomorrow. Great idea!

Another emotion I feel when I'm overeating is totally different - happiness. I love celebrating with food. My daughter recently received a promotion at work. What's the plan? Eat out! Anniversaries, birthdays, a sunny day, a rainy day. I can always find a reason to celebrate. I guess the phrase 'fat and happy' would certainly apply to me!

I need to learn to set my emotions aside and view my physical self as important, too. It's difficult to get motivated when you hurt all over. I know. That's where I've been for a while. But I'm wondering - how is this extra weight helping me? It isn't. I have researched. I can find not one good benefit or reason to remain this heavy. And it is affecting my happiness. I'm unhappy with the way I feel more than anything. I'm not too thrilled with what I see in the mirror either, but as I've said since I started this journey, it's more about health than vanity.

So, what have I learned? I'm going to set a pad and pen beside the bed. Make a list. I won't beat myself up if I don't accomplish it all. I'll work at it one step at a time. When I eat, I'll examine my emotions. Am I eating because I feel out of control? Do I really need to eat fatty, rich foods to celebrate a job promotion?

What emotions affect you? Do you have a plan for dealing with them?