Dealing with Setbacks in your Life

So much for “losing the last 5 kilos by the end of Ramadan,” I had vowed not to binge eat during Ramadan as a means of finally achieving my goals of stopping binge eating. If I hadn’t experienced these strong binge urges; I would have never believed that such strong urges for something so irrelevant and irrational actually exist and I wouldn’t have believed that simply saying no to these binge urges and convincing my brain logically does no good, either. 

I’ve been experiencing a lot of setbacks during Ramadan. I had always been a person who made conscious choices about every aspect in my life, but giving in to my binge urges always made me feel like a failure. Because of that, my goals for Ramadan had changed from “losing the last 5 kilos” to maintaining my weight the way it was before Ramadan. This major setback has inspired me to write a new post on how I deal with setbacks and take control over my life again. 

The first thing I would do is take full responsibility of what I’ve done. This means that I should accept the bloated feeling and puffy cheeks (I always get them the day after a strong binge!). I should also accept the temporary weight gain. By acknowledging this, it helps me start my transformation and believe that there’s another face to a setback which is being a stronger person. 

Next, I eliminate all negative self-talk by venting out all the bad energy at the gym and then I remind myself that I need to give my body time to lose the weight and get back on track. Basically, I just need to acknowledge these few steps before I take control over my life again:

1. Take full responsibility

2. Eliminate negative self-talk

3. Patience 

I’m dealing with a challenge right now but this is where I’m at and I choose not to be a victim of this. Nobody’s immune to setbacks. A wise man once said: “Fall seven times. Stand up eight.”

Use Ramadan to Detox

The fasting month is here and that means 15 hours of fasting with endless temptations, right? Not this time!  To me, every Ramadan was a month where I would completely stop working out and take the time to indulge in all the food they prepare at home. Until I read the endless benefits of fasting.

Fasting allows your digestive system to rest, promote mental clarity, and reduce allergies, skin conditions and asthma. Basically, fasting allows your body to go through complete detoxification.  That’s right! Complete detoxification! I don’t know about you but the term “detox” struck my mind; I’ve been thinking a lot about detoxifying my body but I haven’t really figured out how to except when I read about the health benefits of fasting.  

But how do you know if your body is detoxifying the way it should? There are a few signs to look for especially in the first few days of Ramadan

1. Headaches:

The most common symptom that your body is detoxing; this usually means that your body is experiencing caffeine or sugar withdrawal symptoms

2. Fatigue

At this point, your body is working extra hard to get rid of the toxins within (no wonder you feel exhausted!). You might require more sleep which is totally okay. Allow your body to do what it knows.

3. Diarrhea

All that unwanted junk will be coming out. It’s not pretty, but it is necessary. Again, allow your body to do what it knows to do and help to literally release.

4. Skin Acne/Rashes

Some people report breakouts during the first few days of fasting, that is also natural as your body is probably detoxing through your skin.

5. Brain Fog

Sign of insufficient calories, or it could be a sign you’re experiencing sugar withdrawal.

If you’ve experienced these signs then you’re not alone. Your body is trying to tell you that it has been exposed to way too many toxins and it needs to undergo this process. It’s going to be hard at the beginning, but I’m sure it will be worth it. Happy fasting everyone! 

Identifying your Binge Triggers

Over the past month and a half, I’ve been fighting my binge urges quite frequently and I have to tell you that each time I overcome it; I learn something new in the process. My recovery didn’t involve me following a strict nutrition plan. Instead, it was more about listening to my body and identifying the difference between emotional hunger and real physical hunger. It was a mental challenge rather than a physical one. In the process of fighting my binge urges, I learnt that there are a few things that can trigger my binge eating and so I decided to list them down, for it might help to find out your triggers and hence overcome it.

I continue to emphasize and stress on how important it is to identify your binge eating trigger points and catch them before they take over your sanity. 

1. Protein Bars:

As weird as this sounds, I just cannot have one protein bar without eating 12 other ones with it. My solution? Stay away from protein bars at all costs. 

2. Skipping Meals:

For someone who has 5-6 meals a day, skipping one meal makes me extremely hungry and would relapse on me so I would literally eat everything in sight. 

3. Negative self-talk:

*Has one piece of chocolate* “Great, now my weight will fluctuate tomorrow I might as well just give up and eat everything in sight.” That’s exactly how it all starts, negative self-talk. 

4. Post Family Gatherings:

Leftover food from family gatherings the day after is a huge binge trigger for me. I would eat one thing and my negative-self talk would start. 

5. Other:

- Being alone in a place that I binged before (such as the house kitchen) would trigger my binge eating.

- Feeling unattractive and ugly (that’s where negative self-talk begins and binge is triggered)

These are my major binge triggers, once you start identifying them, it will be easier for you to catch your thoughts before it takes over you in the kitchen. 

So, what are your binge triggers?

Conquer Your Binge Eating Thoughts

This week has been a bit hectic for me, in terms of trying to keep up with gym and proper nutrition. Most of my days were fighting my binge urges. I gave up once. I’m glad though, because it was only once and it did not continue to a series of “binge episodes.”

What got me thinking is how did I fight my binge urges? What were the tactics that made me overcome my thoughts? 

I came across a self-help book called “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle; it basically focuses on how you should focus on the present moment and avoid thoughts of the past or future. This book greatly helped me because it made me realize that I am not my thoughts.

The primary cause of my binge urges was my thoughts about it. I was so attached to binge eating that I thought my world entirely depended on it, like I would feel better when I binge ate, or that I truly needed to binge to make up for an emotional need. It took me time to realize that giving up on binge eating is mental rather than physical. 

In the very moment that I would have the urge to binge, I would go to the kitchen but then I would stop and listen to my mind; I would listen to it complain as much as it wants but I would not act upon the thought. I let the thought pass, I do not resist. I am not my thoughts; I am the silent observer (my higher self) that is aware of my thoughts. I would imagine myself as a higher being, and my negative thoughts are “noise.” This would help me conquer my thoughts, and I would feel a sense of achievement when the thought passes.

I can’t tell you that I am completely recovered from binge eating, but I’m certainly getting better in controlling my thoughts and redirecting it to my fitness goals. First few days were the hardest; I would literally lock myself in my room until the thought passed. 42 days binge free and counting; this binge eating is starting to become history! 

How did you fight your binge urges? Please share your methods; you never know who you are inspiring.

Please Be Careful About What You Say when Kids Are Listening!

We live in a country where “dieting” and “depriving yourself from food” is a normal part of growing up. It has become common knowledge that “dieting” is not referred to as nourishing your body and changing your lifestyle. In fact, dieting is referred to as a temporary and ineffective weight loss mechanism.   

Growing up in a house of constant criticism about my weight and physical appearance and how it contributed to my eating disorders are the main reasons why I feel that this topic is extremely crucial for the well-being of your kids. 

Being aware of how you talk about food and weight when kids are around can prevent them from developing a series of eating disorders throughout their life. We need to be role models to our kids and younger siblings; we need to be more thoughtful when we say negative comments about weight and food in their presence! 

I’ve noticed mothers who comment on how they should lose weight, or talk about who lost or gained weight. They might do it unintentionally, but it teaches kids that people are their appearance. Mothers who comment on their kids’ weight, please stop doing that. There is no need to redirect your kids’ thoughts to their size. Teach your kids that food is nourishment and that exercising makes you feel energetic and is fun. Please do not criticize people who are overweight, there are overweight people who have a healthier lifestyle than you do. Develop healthy eating habits in your kids from the start, this will teach them to get in touch with their natural hunger and satiety. 

Modeling a healthy, balanced lifestyle is the best approach for your kids to maintain a healthy weight and mind throughout their life.