Most people who crave think they lack willpower, and that cravings and stress eating are due to weakness, but that’s simply NOT the case.

Sometimes, we can’t stick to healthy eating, simply because we mismanage our willpower.

We push ourselves to do do do all day, to get everything done, when what we really need are some breaks. We forget to slow down and just BE.

When we ignore our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs; and push ourselves throughout the day, we can end up craving.

You work all day, at your job, at your home, with your kids, or a combination. You have so much TO DO, and you push through in an attempt to get everything done. You can’t actually get it all done! It’s impossible as you’ve set such high expectations for yourself as you’re a high achiever.

You move through your day, handling things the best you can, making decision after decision. You push yourself beyond what’s natural. A the end of the day, you collapse on the couch, and all you want is to feel some simple pleasures and enjoy some time for yourself. Out comes the wine, or the sugar or your favorite comfort food.

You’ve used all your willpower up, by pushing yourself!

Does this sound familiar?

Then you realize you’ve “done it again” and are not able to stick to your intentions of eating a healthy dinner and if you’re not careful, you descend into a shame spiral.

You have a limited amount of willpower on a daily basis, and when you make decisions to keep going and override your need for rest, you drain your willpower tank. It gets replenished the next morning, but once it’s gone it’s gone. It’s important to be mindful and to conserve your willpower.

What if you did a few simple things that could prepare you for a relaxing and satisfying evening instead?

Taking the following four areas into account, you can prepare yourself so that you don’t end up overindulging and feeling all that guilt and regret.

Instead, you can feel satisfied and trustworthy around your favorite foods.

Paying attention to these things preserves your willpower, instead of spending it.

• Physical:Front load your day with the nutrients you need to fuel your physical body so that you’re taking care of yourself. Eat a healthy breakfast with protein, fats, and carbohydrates in a perfect combination for you.

• Mental:Keeping your thoughts in the present moment. Resist the urge to let them spin out into anxiety and stress thinking. Simple tools can help curb this habit.

• Emotional:Pausing to tune into the sensations of your body that are actually the wisdom of your body directly speaking to you. When you learn to do this, you no longer fear stress or strong emotions as you know how to navigate them with ease.

• Spiritual:What are you doing on a regular basis that nourishes your heart and soul? This is SO important and gets so overlooked in the busyness of our days. When we don’t feed our soul, we can end up in the refrigerator or going through the drive-thru or just being depressed.

If you’re interested in this topic of how to manage your willpower and learn a few simple tools to turn the tide of stress eating and overindulgence, click the link to email me at info(at)karasorensen.com and let me know. I have a pdf I’ve been meaning to share and will do so if there’s enough interest.

All the best,

Kara