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Now let’s talk about reward eating and procrastination eating and I want to offer you some suggestions, lots of suggestions, actually, that will help remove this from being an obstacle to you, getting at a healthy weight. And I love to call these two sisters because one is at the beginning of the task and the other one is at the end of the task. 

And I will tell you, I know procrastination eating all too well, boy, that used to be my emo on things that I just didn’t want to do. I need to snack. I’ve got to get some energy, right? So you might find yourself saying the same things. So let’s begin with looking at procrastinating, eating. A procrastinating eating is usually because our brains, hey, doing anything that takes up energy.  Things that aren’t easy. And our brains hate anything that isn’t pleasurable, right?  

It just likes to do the easy, yummy feel, good thing. And a lot of life isn’t easy, yummy and feel good. Just know that our brains are always trying to stop us from doing anything that isn’t yummy pleasurable and easy. So let’s look at the things, our brain offers us these thoughts that it offers us to get us to not do something. And  how you can rebuke your brain and really talk to your brain so that you can coach yourself through this procrastination. Not simply go to your refrigerator. Alright. 

So the first thing that my brain likes to always offer me is, I don’t really want to do this, or I have to do this. I don’t feel like it’s my choice. I feel like a victim. Oh, poor me. Poor me. And the truth is, I might not want to do something. 

But I might not want to not have that effect even more. And so to rebuke this or overcome this, what you want to do is to actually see where your choice is. Because the truth is you don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to clean up your kitchen. You don’t have to clean your house. You don’t have to drive your children anywhere. You don’t have to do any of that. But what you might want more than not doing it is you might want a clean house. 

You might want a clean kitchen. And you might want your children to be in these activities. And so just recognizing where you do have choice we’ll make you feel so much more in control. And recognizing that it is your choice. And you don’t have to do it. One of the things that really helps me is maybe I don’t want something. But I don’t want the opposite even more. So I might not want to clean up my kitchen, but what I don’t want even more is to wake up with a kitchen full of dirty dishes. 

I might not want to pay my bills, but what I don’t want more are late fees. I might not want to drive my kids to practice. But what I don’t want more is for my kid to be on video games and not involved in this team. And so sometimes that is the way that you coach yourself to say, ah, but if I don’t do this, then I have this other thing that I don’t want even more. To just see where you’re actually getting what you do want from doing this slightly unpleasant task. And the truth is that being unpleasant just means it’s uncomfortable. 

And what I’d like to also say is this will take me 15 minutes. This will take me 30 minutes. This will take me five minutes. And if I can just set my timer on my apple watch, which I do so often. All right, Denise, we’re just going to do this for three minutes. And if I just get myself started for three minutes it pulls me away from thinking, I just need a smack. I just need some energy. It just gets me started. Another thing that feels like procrastination is spinning out in that tornado thinking of, I don’t know how to. I don’t know how to do this. 

It just feels complicated. It just feels overwhelming and I’m guessing that you’ve lived on this earth long enough to know what those tasks are or to detect that feeling in your brain. And so the truth is that you might not have clarity on what the steps are. And so the first step is to sit down with a piece of paper when you’re calm and write down the steps. That might be the first step where you strategize for the first 15 minutes. Mind dump all the tasks. Mind dump. All of the steps. 

And just see what the clear path is so that when you do start you actually just do the tasks instead of strategizing. For me, it’s really hard to strategize and do a project at the same time. And I mean, simple things, gang, I mean, things like meal prepping. I will even make a list of the things I have to do in the kitchen before I go in the kitchen because my brain cannot do and strategize at the same time. But if I put a plan together we’re going to make the hard boiled eggs while we’re chopping the:  A, B, C, D E F G. 

And we’re marinating the chicken. And I can kind of create some sort of what looks like multitasking, but it’s not. It’s finding pockets of where something needs to be started. Like hard boiling eggs. Before I do another task while the eggs are boiling. Just really helps me make that time a lot more efficient. Which then makes it more enjoyable. 

And then I’m not as prone to procrastinate because I have a plan. I know how to get in. I know how to get it done and I don’t waste time spinning out on it. I don’t know how to do it, or what are the steps? It just doesn’t feel clear. So just that concept of strategizing the first 15 minutes might be helpful. And as you get into this, if you know that there’s a project that you tend to procrastinate on, perhaps at a different time than when you actually will do the project, you will do that. 

Strategizing, just put the steps down on paper. Now another thing that’s really helped me. Overcome this, I don’t know how to do it, or this delay in getting started because it feels unpleasant. Is pudding time. Estimates down by steps. For example, when I sit down at my desk to work, I’ve recently started putting the time allotments next to what I’m working on that day. And wa. And that really, really helps me. Recognize. 

I never put anything that takes less than five minutes. I never put, like, it takes three minutes. But it usually does take less time. And if something does take longer, Then I just know better next time, but again, I’m just offering you strategies that will help remove that procrastination from you. Recognizing that some tasks only take five minutes and I can put them into little nooks of time. really, really helps me Oh, just do this. It’ll only take five minutes.  

Honestly, adding the time that something will take has just been a game changer for me. And it helps me really decrease the time it takes me on getting started on a task. I just tackle it. Saying that’s how long it’ll take. Another thing that can help with the procrastinating is planning. When you will do a task. Knowing that you’re going to do it at one 30 on Tuesday. Okay gang, you can have some flexibility. 

Totally fine. This is just something that helps me at two o’clock. That’s not even true. I usually like to plan. Bigger thinking brain things, early in the morning when I have my most brain energy, but you might be a night owl. And so that might be when you plan your tasks that take more brain energy. I love cleaning my house in the afternoon when I don’t have a lot of energy, I put on my podcasts and I just. It’s almost like. I don’t even know that I’m cleaning because I get to listen to some of my favorite podcasts. So plan. Your tasks to match your energy. If you can. 

That might not always work out, but it may be one thing that helps you with procrastination and then honor that plan. And like I just said, you guys. The I take unpleasant tasks that don’t require me to have a lot of brainpower. Like cleaning my house or doing meal prep. And I make it fun by listening to podcasts or listening to music, folding my laundry. I call a friend so you can start to layer in things that actually make them more enjoyable. 

And when you plan things. Especially unpleasant things or things that take up a lot of your energy. It prevents you from overextending yourself. And I have a podcast about overextending yourself and how that leads to reward eating truthfully. Because we’re so exhausted and we feel like we need a reward. And one example of this is I have one client who drives an hour to grocery shop, which is just crazy for me because I lived in the Chicago suburbs. And everything is like 10 minutes away. And so we strategize that on those days that she goes to the grocery store, that she will not tackle other house projects. 

And she is also  an NFP per practitioner. So she will only take one client on those days. So she’s just really honoring her energy. And not overextending herself. Now, when I used to work at a gym, I do everything virtually now, but I do still personal train. Some clients virtually. When I’m working, when I was working at a gym, it was sensory overload. because of. Not only the work. But also the gym environment as an introvert. 

I would find that I could not then grocery shop on the same days. It just felt too overwhelming and I just felt way overextended. I didn’t like grocery shopping. I thought I hated grocery shopping, but I learned that I didn’t mind grocery shopping if I didn’t do it on a day that I felt over extended. Okay. 

So we’re just going to start noticing your energy and honoring your energy in that way. So I hope that you have heard something that will help you with procrastinating. And Turning to a solution. Instead of something that will make your life harder, which is 32 food. Alright, now let’s talk about reward eating. Oh, my gosh, you guys. You do deserve rewards. 

You do deserve appreciation. You do deserve to treat yourself. What I find. So what I find happened. With so many women and, you know, I think it’s just so common in our culture is that when we want to show appreciation, when we want to show love, when we want to show gratitude, when we want to treat ourselves. It seems like the easiest answer. Is food.  It’s a cultural thing. 

It’s habits that we’ve developed. And the truth is, is that it’s really easy and effective, especially when our energy is low. Food gives us that dopamine and it physically makes us feel good. So I want you to know that there’s nothing wrong. With. Having that habit. Until that habit isn’t serving you well anymore. And the truth is, is that there’s way you have so many more interests in so many more ways. To show yourself love. Then food. And so this is a little bit of a journey.  But it’s not hard. It’s an exciting adventure. So why do our brains even want rewards? So let’s just understand what’s happening in the brain. You have a craving. So every habit is broken down into three parts. There’s the cue, which is like the trigger. What are you craving? What are you trying to fill? And we’re usually trying to feel this feeling of wanting to feel rewarded. Appreciated, loved, seen. Affirmed approved of. And then we have this habit. 

Go to the refrigerator, get our favorite treat. Sit on the couch. And then the reward is that your brain gets that while you were craving, your brain feels appreciated and treated and loved and seen. And it continues to think over and over and over. This is how we get that. This is how we get that appreciation, that approval, that being seen that treat. And that’s just one of those neuropathways that have been created and mowed down in your brain. And when I say mode down, it’s like this pathway.

That’s been created, like you’re going through a forest and you mow down a path. And then it grows back up and you mode on a path and it grows back up. And the more you mow it down and walk on it and mow it down, the more well-worn it becomes. And it just becomes instant. It becomes automatic. Like brushing your teeth, you guys, I’m sure you’ve done brushed your teeth so many times that it’s so automatic that you’re rarely can be that you can even be unconscious of it. And you even ask yourself, did I even brush my teeth and you have to like, kind of taste your mouth to see if you did it. And that is what turning to food. As reward does. And so just know that it’s going to feel automatic. And it will feel a little odd and take effort. To create a new pathway. But I promise you it will be worth it. So to overcome this habit takes intention. And our goal though, in this is to find what is a real reward for you. Notice I said real reward because what do I meet? 

See, there’s a difference between a real reward and a fake reward, a real treat and a fake treat.  And a real reward feels good in the moment. And you don’t regret it.  Fig reward feels good in the moment and you regret it.  And so often we’re just turning to these fake rewards because they feel good in the moment. And of course we’re turning to fake rewards that feel good in the moment. 

Cause we’ve never taken a time. The time to find out what real rewards are. So how do you even find them?  Well, that’s a great question.  Because you do your find them. It’s a discovery. It’s an adventure. But lucky for us. There’s a few places to find  real rewards. for you First of all.  You can look at what you actually enjoy. 

And so we’re going to keep a list on you. The things that are real rewards for you and this list will be ongoing, and you’re not going to make this list in the moment when you’re looking for a reward. No, you’re going to do it when you have a fresh brain, you’ll even keep the piece of paper out so that you can continue to add to it. And you can put this in the note section of your phone. But we’re going to ask yourself, what do I really enjoy? 

What do I love? And please don’t. Censor yourself and believe that it has to be realistic or that it’s too expensive. I just want you to start getting the juices flowing. And I challenge you to create a list of 50 things that are fun for you. That feel, goodness shows you appreciation. And our treat and show you that you approve of you. And that you’ve love you and that you see you and that, you know, you. As I’m talking things. Like that for me. Would be taking time to journal. To sit outside to go on a bike ride. A pedicure manicure. I love facials. I love coloring. I love adult coloring books. I really don’t give myself time to do that. I like organizing. I like listening to this. One playlist. I love my colored gel pens.

I love going to TJ Maxx and looking at their journals and all of their papers stuff. I love getting candles. I like essential oils too. And we should just list the things. That just feel it. Ah, yeah, I like that. Oh, I like that. Yeah. I like that. And it’ll just get the juices flowing.  You can also Google search. Non-food rewards. Cheap non-food rewards. And you can put that on your list. I’ve even created a PDF with 68 non-food ways to reward yourself that are free or very little cost. So you can look at my list and get ideas. From that idea. From that list. You might want to circle the things that are low energy. And high energy..  

And you’ll start to notice the ones that you want to do more at night. Or during the day. Or may not be absolutely after a task that you’ve done, but you know that on Saturday morning, you’re going to be taking that walk and you’ve already made arrangements with your husband to take the kids. So you can just start to look at those fun things. Maybe you take. A trip to a store. And give yourself some money to just spend on something frivolous.

But I want you to know that this list and identifying and finding what it is that our non-food rewards for you, that light up your brain that gives you that dopamine hit. Having this list is only half the battle. The other half is absolutely doing it. So the way to do that is to start to know when it is that you’re looking for that food reward. Keep the list handy and make sure that you’re clear on what items on those lists on that list would be appropriate. 

So for example, a woman in our community today was saying that she was looking for a reward.  And she ended up eating, but what she noticed is that she wanted a list of. Non-food reward that didn’t take a lot of energy because she was spent by the end of the day. And it wasn’t even that she was looking for non-food rewards game. Was she really was looking for is feeling appreciated. And I want to tell you. Start to notice when your brain wants to add a girl. When your brain wants to feel appreciated and noticed. 

And that’s when you’re going to grab that list so that you have. A concrete way to show your brain. I appreciate you. I notice you. This woman was feeling that her children weren’t being appreciative. Even on something small, like taking the garbage out. And what’s so crazy gang.  It’s the things that we want from people. Like I’m one of those people that really seeks approval from my husband. It’s I’m seeking something from another human being. That I’m not even willing to give myself. Isn’t that crazy. And so I want us all to start to be women. Who gives us. What we expect other humans to give us. 

And once we do that, when we can start to show ourselves appreciation, when we can start to show ourselves affirmation and approval. And tenderness. We can let other humans be, as they are. We don’t need them to change. Because we filled up our own cup. And I think these non-food rewards are beautiful, concrete way. To show yourself that affection. 

And the last thing, once you have this list, to implement these non-food rewards. Is to choose and plan your reward. You know, when you’re going to have a hard day. You know, when you’re going to have an unpleasant task. You know, when you might feel that. Your children, aren’t appreciating you.  

And just plan when you’re going to do this. It’s, this is really cool. One woman in our community lists three to five of these non-food rewards. She calls them her pleasures that she’s going to do each day, just because she wants to practice getting better. At giving herself non-food pleasures. She puts them like she puts them on her to-do list. That’s amazing, I think that’s such a cool practice. So you can either plan your reward after a task. Or maybe just because you woke up in the morning. You’re going to give yourself some non-food rewards, some non-food pleasures. This is something that’s so simple. It’s a beautiful way to show yourself that you deserve. Appreciation and to be seen and fun in your day. So hope this will help you overcome that obstacle, but hope that you are also recognizing it’s just a skill. 

All we have to do is keep practicing it. And I hope that this episode has made this feel fun and light, and you feel like you are ready. To discover. Non-food rewards. And that you can feel like you are. Can overcome procrastination. All right, everybody. I hope this has been helpful. And if you’re done, trying to figure out how to lose weight and and  trying to fit yourself into other people’s weight loss programs and want somebody to walk by your side every single day to help you lose weight in the next six months, then I encourage you to click the link in the description and chat with me about what that can look like. And about how it could be possible. For you to learn, to lose weight in a way that feels. Natural and possible and fully supported where the results are a hundred percent guaranteed. Where else are you going to find that. 

You deserve to finally be at your goal weight. Likely you’ve been struggling for years. If not decades. It’s time to end that struggle. And I’m here. Let’s chat and see if now is the right time for you. Click the link in the description. Okay. Everybody have a blessed day. Thank you for listening. If weight loss has felt hard, you aren’t doing it wrong. You’ve just been starting in the wrong place. Take our free five day weight loss challenge for Catholic women to discover what’s keeping you stuck. Visit WeightLossWithTheHolySpirit. com