On Head Hunger & Distractions
It happens usually at night.
When, if I am to be honest, my stomach really isn’t asking for food.
It is my brain that longs for a tasty treat.
Have you ever had your brain send you the same signal as mine?
“Something sounds good” it whispers seductively to me.
Maybe it is salty.
Maybe it is sweet.
A little crunch is always good.
Oh, but so is smooth & creamy.
Yes siree bob….”something” sounds good.
So off to the pantry or fridge or freezer I mindlessly meander.
After choosing the object of my affection to satisfy my brain, I sit and savor the plate of taunting, and now victorious treats.
For a moment, it is glory to my tongue’s taste buds.
Then arrives the guilt of my soul.
“Why did I eat that?” I question myself, just as I have countless nights before.
If only I had distracted myself with something inedible. Perhaps then I could slink in bed without a feeling of regret; without vowing once more to “start over in the morning”.
Distractions.
Could we do it?
Just as when my children were toddlers and crawling for a forbidden object, I would distract them with a permissible toy or daddy’s big bunch of jingling keys, I must learn to distract myself from the forbidden.
I could call a lonely friend.
Or write an encouraging note.
Or clean out a drawer.
Or read a waiting book or Bible passage.
I could even do so while sipping something hot and calorie free like my favorite tea.
I know it works.
Because often, after focusing on the distraction for a while, I realize that my stomach wasn’t even hungry in the first place.
Perhaps today, Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, is the perfect time to commit to the fine art of distracting yourself.
Instead of giving something up, you’d be taking something on: switching your thinking from your stomach to another person or task.
I guess in a way, you would be giving up something: self.
I tried intentionally to practice the fine art of distraction this week.
Guess what?
It worked.
The scale was down 2.4 lbs. :-)
Now, how about you?
In what ways can you think of to distract yourself?
And, how was your week?
Let us know so we can be praying.
Oh, and I’m still trying to figure out if we’ll add a Facebook group to our little band of sisters here.
Rest assured, from the comments last week I have decided not to totally switch to Facebook since many of you can’t get on it at work and a few of you don’t use it at all.
So, if we add it, it will be in addition to our post here. Still trying to sort it all out.
In the mean time, let’s hear from you. How are you doing?
Can you add a distraction to the list above? Will you try, for the 40 days of Lent, to switch your thinking from your hungry brain and self to another person or task?
Sweet Blessings (of the calorie-free kind!),
Yes, I’ve experienced the same thinking. Especially at night when the T.V. is on and the commercials are doing their job.
There’s a list on my refrigerator with other things, good things to do instead. I try this first: Like curling up with a blanket and paper and pen while I talk to our Heavenly Father about it. Doing something nice for my husband and children. The small jobs around the house like clean a mirror, or tidy up a corner of a room, , water an indoor plant, etc.
This weekend we decided to cut TV watching Mon.-Thurs. and so far it’s working. We have scheduled other activities like going to the library or bookstore and coming home to sleep and not eat again. I’ve put alarms for every scheduled hr. of the day. I’m disciplining myself until I form new habits and a new lifestyle. I’ve allowed myself flexibility and much grace, and I’ve been able to just eat three meals and if we’re late, an apple while cooking or on the road.
There’s some books I’m reading on eating, but I’ve only added the breakfast green smoothies when I’m in a hurry and as many greens and veggies as possible. I’ve started to exercise again, but just a few minutes and I will add more time next week.
Due to several changes in our home, I didn’t get to go grocery shopping so we’ve been eating whatever is in the pantry and eating out, but in smaller portions and only three meals a day. Apples are so easy to carry anywhere and these have helped!:)
Guess what… This morning I weighed myself and I lost 4 lbs.!!! Thanking God for all His help and for you Karen. Thank you for your prayers!!!!
If I remember correctly from last year, your birthday is tomorrow Karen!:D
Have a blessed Happy Birthday tomorrow, Karen!!!!!!:D
Karen, Great post!! Really hit home for me as well. I will take your challenge of distrations for 40 days. I finally got my act together last week and made good choices for the first time since Thanksgiving. Last Friday I had lost 2 1/2#. Then the weekend. Yesterday I weighed and had gained 3 1/2#!! I didn’t think I’d done THAT bad over the weekend. So far this week I have not been able to get a grip again. Hopefully I am now inspired to do better. Thanks for all you do. It’s great to have a place to come and I look forward to WLW every week.
Sounds like a plan -self denial. Something I’ve been convicted about for a while & haven’t found the courage to persevere. Lord help me. Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I’m in. Thank you for the reminder. Spring is close and I’m feeling it in the heat of the sun (finally) when I step outside.
Actually, OA (Overeaters Anonymous) has taught me a lot about how to depend on God (they use the term “higher power”) to help me with my compulsive eating issues. My favorite thing I’ve learned is “when only your brain wants to eat the worste thing you can do is try to talk yourself out of eating … it’s a loosing battle”. OA teaches me how to “give my issue to God” and allow Him to help me. It’s a LOT harder than it sounds, and I am thrilled I’m taking this journey.
Thank you for realizing some folks can not get on facebook at work. Facebook was recently “Blocked” on all computers at my worksite. Unfortunately, so are all “religous” websites, so I’m not able to read Proverbs31 “Daily Devotionals” any longer. I was pleased to see I can get on this website. THANKS!
What calls me to tasty snacks or food in general is ‘drama’, ‘issues’, ‘stress’, ‘upset’ – all that emotional stuff! It is all ‘head hunger’ not real hunger. Now that I have recently learned this about myself I am trying to identify it as emotional need before I give into it. I distract or deter the urge with PRAYER!
Thank you for a great blog post. Looking forward to next week already!
I love facebook-I keep my settings private as far as I only allow friends to see, and am somewhat picky about my friends ;) That said I am trying to do a better job of not giving in to those times that I want something “tasty” without being really hungry. Trying to identify those times when I am eating to “feel better” and go to God instead. I am trying to use God as my distraction (I just finished reading through Made to Crave, now going back to try and really implement it ;)
Your post was so encouraging to me today. Great ideal about giving up something for the next forty days. The word distractions has been coming up in my life a lot lately. But, I have been looking at in a different way. Distractions that keep me from doing …….whatever. If I had this done…..It would be easier for me to stay focused and start this…..The enenmy is so good at keeping me distracted with things that keep me from accomplishing what God wants me to do. I need to get busy and start removing the distractions in my life that keep me off focus from God. Praying for you today as you pray for me.
I eat to avoid what I need to be doing. a wonderful diversion would be to get up and clean something! I plan to do this and to list on my food list for the day as an “instead of”.
Great blog content today….why is it we like to eat late in the evening? I am focusing on not eating after 7:30p.m. You mentioned the tea you like, me too. Wouldn’t you know it is one of the most expensive teas, so I don’t buy often.
Back to work, anyone who likes Avon, please take a minute today to visit my safe and secure website with lots of great sales. I would love to have you as a customer.
http://www.youravon.com/bgillette
Your blog is perfect for today! I’m not a facebook person so please keep your blog too!
For lent, which I usually do not do, however, this year I am giving up eating anything after 7:30p.m.! That is my toughest time. I’ll try reading a good book or my Bible!
Have a great week!
OOOO – good blog for me today! I hear the siren call of my kitchen after the kiddos are in bed often! Love the idea of distracting myself with something else instead. Especially during the season leading up to Easter.
The last week has been an especially difficult struggle with food. I’ve been sick for nearly 3 weeks, so no exercise. No exercise, no energy, feeling sorry for myself….bad food choices. Basically comforting myself with the food my mom game me to entice me to eat when I was sick as a child – hot fudge sundaes, etc. Add PMS for the last several days, and forget it! I made short work of a bag of Lay’s potato chips. But last evening, I was alone with the kids as the hubby was working late. Without the divide and conquer routine I was busy and still tired. My throat was hurting, so while the kids had their bedtime snack (of fruit!) I sipped a cup of hot tea. This morning when I woke up I realized I had not had my ice cream – and I hadn’t even missed it. Your idea of distraction and teaching the kids is a good one. I guess I am going to have to ‘baby’ myself in a different way. I don’t know about the lent thing – have never made it a practice to give up or add anything for lent – so now I will have to consider it.
I am aware of the distractions but lack the will power to follow through with them.
In past years during lent I have given up chocolate cold turkey and failed miserably. This year I have decided to eat it only one time once a week; on a Saturday when my husband is home and can encourage and motivate me to stick to the limit. So Sun-Friday I will be relying on the Lord to help me with the distractions I need in order to stick to my committment.
One distraction that I thought of was repeating related scripture out loud to the enemy. One is I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; another is Man does not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Thanks for the encouragement. My husband has decided to up his committment to excercise this Lent season and even though today was his first day I already sense strength and confidence in him. That is the mighty power of God; that when we simply decide to surender our strongholds to Him; He starts the transforming work immediately.
Have a blessed day, Karen!
Today as my husband and I begin the Daniel Fast.. whenever I am craving something I cannot eat or drink I will open my bible and feast on it and use it has a reminder to pray!
blessings & giggles
Jeanie
Karen, thank you for another encouraging post! I’ve been really good diet-wise for the past 3 weeks (and I’m so thankful to God for enabling me to be this way) but I’ve had in the past such head-hunger incidents. What a great idea to distract oneself by serving others, like calling a lonely friend or dropping a line of encouragement. Taking focus off oneself always helps.
Boy oh boy did you ever hit on my weak spot….late night wanting of “something”. I could probably clean out the fridge looking for that something that will fill my longing.
Gonna try your method of sipping something and distracting myself. Since I’ll need to keep not just my mind but also my hands busy, cleaning out a drawer or maybe adding to my blog sounds like a good distraction for me. Thanks for the idea! (And I’ll try to NOT be jealous of those pounds you’re losing. I’m pretty sure I found them and will gladly return them to you!)
Donna
anotherbattlewon.blogspot.com
Oh for the discernment to realize what is actual hunger and what is head hunger. I love that phrase. I have fallen prey to head hunger many times. The analogy of distracting a baby is beautiful. We distract the wee ones away from what is harmful toward something that is safe for them. To apply the same principle to our food choices is brilliant.
Congratulations on dropping a couple of pounds! February was a huge struggle for me, but I am feeling strong mentally, physically and emotionally in this new month.
Thanks Karen, what a wonderful idea to focus on someone else instead of my wants. I will try to write a card, encouraging email or call someone when I need the distraction. Awesome. Again great encouraging words.
I can not get on Facebook at work–please keep sending e-mails!! I would be to sad to not get to read your blessed up-beat words!! I am going to pray for others this lent and pray constantly that I LOVE GOD more than food!!! Many blessings, Barb
I stayed the same this week. I have never participated in lent either but this year I’m going to. I have a couple of things in mind and I guess I should be deciding before the day is over. One is giving up something and the other is adding something.
I don’t usually practice lent, but this year, I decided, I’m going to give up after dinner snacking/eating. Whenever I am doing good – I usually do bad after dinner because of habits. Thank you for your support.
Oh my. I guess you’ve got my number! I eat to distract myself. Or I need the distraction so I eat. I am going to try some of the things you listed – call someone, clean out a drawer, etc. Thank you!
This is exactly what my hubby and I decided to do this Lent…to add something to help us…namely exercise. Hopefully exercising for the 40 days will become a habit.
Blessings to you.
I know I need to pray when I’m feeling that way, but usually the temptation gets the best of me, and I feel the same way— with guilt and disappointment.
I’ve been doing a bit better with reaching for something nutritious, but there have been moments when I’m doing grocery shopping that I get myself into trouble with the bakery!
Great blog…as always. I do not like to go onto facebook, myself, maybe for others it is fine. The one thing I do not care for on facebook is the whole world can see what I write and I am not a sharing, reveal all person that way.