I don't know if any of you stay at or work from home all day like I do. I'm a homeschooler who teaches writing online, so my day usually involves pacing a triangle between the kitchen, my computer, and the bathroom (so many times since I upped my water intake ;)).
I'm sure you can sense the dilemma of having constant access to my kitchen. When I'm feeling bored, stressed, or fill-in-the-blank-with-an-emotion, I have instant gratification waiting a refrigerator door away. It becomes a game of resist the temptation all day long.
Amazingly, since I started a bet in early January, this hasn't been too hard. Something about filling up on whole foods and keeping my water flowing have clamped down on the cravings. Today, though, I felt a moderately big one. I had just finished lunch, and my body was all "Food. Something. We don't know. We're not hungry. We just want it."
I actually said out loud to myself, "It's just a craving, dearie." Then I remembered someone's advice about mint gum, and dug a piece out of my purse. Miracle stick of minty goodness! It broke the cycle for that essential five minutes. Now I am back to "I got this!"
Tuning in to the small life changes has been my theme this month. For an emotional eater like me, deflecting triggers is so important. So, if that description fits you too, open a stick of gum for me and chew, chew, chew.