What do I need right now?
This one question is POWERFUL and it works for 5 reasons.

It makes you pause and slow down. In the moment your good intentions go out the window. You feel like they have NO control. And you don’t even realize you are eating until the food is gone. The habit is so strong, you don’t pause to consider other options. Questions get you to pause.

It brings forth your higher thinking brain. Your reptilian brain (or child brain) wants instant pleasure and wants to avoid pain. Eating is pleasureful, at least it numbs the painful emotions. Breaking habits can feel painful. Overcoming an URGE can feel painful. When you ask questions, you bring your higher thinking brain to the conversation. That’s the part of you that cares about your future self.

It brings other options to the table. If you’re in a pattern of going to food when you’re not hungry, it can feel like the only possibility. When you ask yourself this question,
It takes out the drama. You’re not arguing with yourself. You’re not fighting. You’re telling yourself that you shouldn’t eat the food or that it’s not on your plan. You’re just asking a question. So much of the craziness around food is drama. It’s just food. And you’re just asking a question.

It guides you to what you ACTUALLY need. So many times I have found myself in the fridge or pantry and realized I’m tired, bored, cold, pissed off, or I haven’t prioritized joy that day… Food is NOT the solution. When you give yourself what you actually need, you’re not depriving yourself. You’re not white knuckling it. You’re giving yourself what you need. And when you are nourished, mind, body, and soul food becomes just food.

Try asking yourself this question next time you’re going to food when you’re not hungry. Let me know how it goes.

Always listening,
-Tanja x