Day 2 - Eating because I am hungry, what a novel idea!

What do thin, healthy people think about when they are bored? I really don't know, but I can tell you, I think about food. I think about food when I am happy, sad, mad, lonely, bored, scared, anxious or stressed. Oh don't get me wrong, I also think about it when I get rare hunger pains, but I usally don't allow myself to get hungry. I am on this journey to change that. I need to learn to identify cravings that are not a result of physical hunger, but are because of all those emotions I have previously listed. If you are overweight, I think you can relate. I need to retrain the brain.
I bring up this topic today because I caught myself this morning emotionally fantasizing about a bagel. A sesame seed bagel toasted and spread with peanut butter. I swear I could smell one that had just come out of the toaster oven. Now, this wouldn't be a bad thing to eat, but forty minutes earlier, I had a great, planned out breakfast. There was not a hunger pang in sight.
Now, to get back to my emotional food fantasy and why it occurred. I was at work and I became bored. (don't tell my boss) I finished my routine morning work and for some reason, I just didn't feel like doing any more work at that time. I searched the web for a little while, checked my personal email, and talked to some co-workers. But, after awhile, the boredom set in. That is when the bagel popped into my head. Normally, I would have gotten up, headed to the cafeteria and feed that emotion. That is what I have done for so long. Behavior like that has gotten me to where I am today with my weight. But, starting today, I wasn't going to let that happen.
One of the goals I have committed to is not feeding emotions. I was amazed at how quickly my mind began that fantasy. But, I said to myself, as quickly as it came into my mind, I needed to get it out. I focused on the reality of the fantasy, it was because I was bored and wanted some fullfillment quickly. This time I wasn't going there. I got back to work and that bagel soon left my head. I am proud of that accompolishment today.
I am sure this won't be the last time I am faced with an emotional food fantasy thru this journey, BUT, now I am committed to do my best to identify my emotional triggers and not feed them. Retraining my brain and and removing that layer, is going to be hard work. I can do it, I need to.

I am worth it!
Jill