Eating when you are tired (but not physically hungry) is a habit that will get in the way of weight loss. Why do we push past tiredness and eat instead when we know it works against us in weight loss?
The habit of pushing past tired can be created for many reasons:
1. Wanting to take back time for yourself when you have a lifestyle of never scheduling that during waking hours, so you eat to stay up and reward yourself.'
2. Wanting to get more done or believing you HAVE to get more done even if you are tired.
3. A lifestyle of chronically driving yourself past your upper limits of being physically, mentally, or emotionally tired that triggers your nervous system to find relief through food.
There are lots of other reasons too that you can explore for yourself. Here are some ideas for how to help yourself change this habit:
1. Deliberately schedule 'me time' daily that is designed to spend time on things you WANT to do. Then practice keeping your word to establish a sense of safety and self-trust.
2. Take visual breaks from the computer.
3. Take regular physical breaks from hard physical work or workouts.
4. Take breaks from intense social stimulation and structure these events deliberately in planning your day so that you don't get wired and tired.
Journaling on your thoughts regularly to get emotional rest and perspective on your thinking.
5. Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep, more if you are a Big 'S' sleeper.
6. Become someone who practices protective self-care to guard against feeling too tired with how you manage your life.
The big takeaway is that a body that is chronically tired is not going to feel safe enough to allow you to lose weight optimally. Getting your sleep/rest needs met is part of your responsibility in your weight loss journey.
Coach Homework: Write a letter to future you who is feeling tempted to eat when she is tired. What does she need to hear in that moment that she is too tired to remember? Read it to yourself in those moments when it feels hard to choose not to eat.
Bottom line takeaway: You have NEEDS for rest, and in order to have a chance of stopping your habit of pushing past tired (but not hungry) with food, you will need to start observing what your upper limits are for rest (physical, emotional, and mental) and then get to work meeting those needs by experimenting and trying new things.
Book Recommendation: Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski, Amelia Nagoski, et al.
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