Moods Into Foods?
Do your moods determine your foods for the day? If you are in a bad mood are you more apt to make bad food choices as well?
By eating sugar, carb-laden foods, they can increase our seretonin level and TEMPORARILY make us feel better. Then, the temporary high and those feel goods from the artificial seretonin level dump us out and leave us feeling worse than before. Turning to food as a mood enhancer has the opposite effect that we set out for in elevating our mood.
Are you happy while you eat that cookie or chips? Maybe at the time. Maybe for the first couple of bites. If you fast forward just a few minutes, you will feel so much worse. That mood you were trying to lighten and improve will be weighed down with worry about your weight, guilt, shame, and feeling that you’ve failed. Moods through foods definitely do not work.
Pick up your mood. Don’t leave it lying around in a mess on the floor. There are so many great ways to pick up one’s mood that don’t include food. We are accustomed to using food in the enhancement of our mood but it is one of the habits that we need to ditch and leave behind us….way, way far behind us.
Put on some music and dance! You are never too old to dance. Even if you aren’t a choice for “Dancing With the Stars” show, dance anyway! Or just sing with the music. Good, upbeat songs make our hearts’ lighter. I’ve found some VERY uplifting songs that I found by accident while cruising the Internet. The website is http://www.SuccessSongs.com and they are great. If I’m not in a great mood, I listen to one of these songs and my mood turns around and I’m energized. Plus, listen to the lyrics as they are very empowering.
Go for a walk. Even if it is raining or slightly inclement weather – walk. An alternative is climb the stairs in your house, walk in place, run in place, anything active – to quote Nike “JUST DO IT” and you’ll feel your mood change. As you get fit, your mood you lift!!
Get absorbed in a hobby. What do you like to do? What do you enjoy? What is fun for you? Do you like to read? Do you like to craft? Do you enjoy gardening? Do you enjoy journaling or writing? Again, what do you like to do? If you don’t know, great! You get to go on an adventure to discover what you like to do. When we’ve been bogged down with excess weight, we lose track of what we like to do. No more! Find something you love to do and do it. Become like a child and play for the sake of playing. Make it like a job and you’ll have a lighter happier mood. Ever seen a child down as they play? You won’t either – Play!
Get yourself some color. Go into your most colorful room, get out a colorful picture book or even color a picture like you did as a child or try on your most colorful clothes. Enjoy the colors of the rainbow to elevate your mood. You may feel black or gray but if you wear yellow, you’ll feel sunnier.
Say “thank you” out loud for everything you have. Count your blessings, your riches both monetary and especially the non-monetary ones. Nothing lifts one’s mood like realizing how wonderful it is to have all the wonderful things we have. You may not think you have many things to be grateful for. I assure you that you do. We all do. Start with your family, your friends, your surgery, where you live, special attributes that make you who you are.
Make a list of things you like about yourself. To start off, it can be hard. Do it daily and reflect back when you need a good mood ‘tude. Here’s some of mine: I am strong, I am kind, I am thoughtful, I am passionate, I care about people in my life, I am loyal, I stand up for what I believe in, I love to coach wls patients, I am a good and fun mom, I love my family and our times together, I am a deep insightful person, I am a fitness walker, I love to swing on my porch swing and watch birds. Okay, now it is your turn to start your life. Keep it and update daily and refer back to it when you need a mood lift.
Come on, what’s this mess? Pick that mood up off the floor.
Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
