It’s 1pm and I take another handful of the plantain chips I’ve been nibbling on since 12pm. It’s the 4th pack I’ve opened already. 

“Hmm, They have really reduced the size of this thing. Na wa o”

I’m waiting for Glory, our office assistant to get back with the Ofe Nsala and pounded yam I ordered for lunch.

Let’s do a quick flashback…

It’s 7am, I’m dashing out to beat the morning traffic and I grab some Jacobs cream crackers from the fridge. 

“Something light for the road.”

My mind is fixed on meeting up with Iya Nkechi at the office junction for my regular Okpa and Bread breakfast, washed down with a mug of Nescafe 3 in 1 coffee.

It’s 10:30am…  I spot our office cleaner and i plead with him to run an errand of getting two superbite sausage rolls and one seven up drink at the gate, just in case I get hungry before lunch.

Fast forward to 5pm…

I’m driving home from work and I spot the ‘Kokoro’ seller,

“Yum, my mum used to buy a lot of these from Abeokuta then”

I think it’s a good idea to wash it down with cold malt.

“This traffic is thick, i wonder when I would get home I should get igba and groundnut sauce just in case. That one is healthy and very filling”

Emotional eating

Hey! If you can totally relate with my story so far, and you feel like I’m your soul sister, then you should pay attention to what I’m about to write next.

There is a possibility that you are unconsciously practicing emotional eating.

Now, you should also know that it is not a good thing for your health in the long run. It is a bad habit.

Emotional eating is a pattern of eating where people use food to help them deal with stressful situations.

This means that you tend to eat as a response to emotional triggers. Eg. You’re bored, you had a long day at work and feel you deserve icecream, you’ve not had enough sleep so you’re nibbling to stay awake, you want to watch a movie and need a snack to pass the time etc.

‘Wahala really be like bicycle’

Before you get alarmed. You should know that it is controllable and reversible.

Here are three quick ways you can curb emotional eating and it’s side effects:

1. Replace with healthier snacks. 

You cannot stop a bad habit by total withdrawal from day one. So, the first step is replace unhealthy snacks with healthier alternatives. Plantain chips with granola bars. Soda drinks with fresh juice or fruits and so on.

2. Gradually reduce the number of snacks

A good way to do this is by eating full meals that are more of protein and fiber. These keep you feeling fuller for longer. Oats, avocado, eggs, whole wheat foods are all great sources of fibre and protein

3. Identify your triggers

When do you tend to eat most? When you’re bored, when you have spare cash? When you are upset? 

For the Ladies, watch your eating patterns around your monthly period.

It is good to document what you eat and when you eat. It can help you uncover unhealthy patterns.

I hope you feel somewhat relieved. You can catch yourself if you pay enough attention to triggers.

Don’t be absent minded when dealing with emotional eating, or else things will fall through the cracks real quick and you might lose control. Being absent minded can be a costly mistake.

Be intentional about what you eat and how you eat it. I dare say you should be as intentional as you are about reminding HR when salary is late.

Start tracking with one day, then track for a week. I’m sure by the time you review over a month’s period you’d have identified patterns and started course correction.

In the meantime, I’ll be having my lemon and ginger tea infusion with my sugar free crackers tonight.

I should keep those grapes by the bottle of water on the side table, just incase I get hungry by 11pm.

Yes, I’m also on my own course correction path. #WeMove

Love and Light

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Edited by: Oluwanifemi