People who work a lot often find rest to be a waste of time. At best, they allocate time in their schedule to maintain physical fitness (do fitness) or take vitamins. And imperceptibly for themselves, they turn into “big bosses” … In the truest sense of the word.
Each of us needs a good rest – time to replenish our own resources. Moreover, the more intense and longer the stress phase, the better and more complete the rest phase should be. A person who “abuses” work accumulates excess stress. At the same time, food and alcohol often become the only way to relax for him. Almost every big boss is familiar with bouts of almost unconscious overeating – when a person, without noticing how, eats a large amount of food. Or food becomes the only available pleasure: often such people consider themselves “gluttons”, lovers of food, and try to solve the problem through proper nutrition, cutting back on diet and controlling what they eat. Neither one, nor the other, nor the third helps, since the main reason for being overweight is that a person is in constant stress, does not allow himself to rest, does not know how to switch and relax, which as a result provokes overeating and hormonal changes.
Read more:
- Internal vs. External Eaters: What’s the Difference?
Willpower works against us
There is one more important detail. Purposeful, career-oriented people are used to total control of everything that happens around them. As a rule, they live by the principle “everything is possible if it is worked on properly.” However, they cannot control excess weight or bouts of overeating. Why? The fact is that nutrition is a self-regulating system, just like breathing, sleep, thermoregulation, sexuality … Each of these systems has its own “sensors”, “regulators” and “indicators” that allow it to function normally. If it’s cold, we put on a sweater; if it’s hot, we take it off. Everything works on its own, it is enough for us to learn to perceive the body’s signals and follow its “instructions”. We cannot force ourselves to sleep, sweat, or get excited. On the contrary, the more we concentrate on it, the worse the result will be.
Controlling the diet, counting calories, restricting consumption, dividing foods into “right” and “harmful”, eating on a schedule… All these attempts lead to the fact that the natural regulation of the body goes astray. A person ceases to understand whether he is hungry or full, cannot determine what exactly he wants at the moment, and what causes disgust. Food becomes an obsession, metabolism slows down, energy consumption by the body slows down.
Read more:
- “Healthy Eating” Leads to Obesity and Diabetes
If a person is accustomed to the “shock” way of solving problems – quickly and powerfully, “once and for all”, he is perplexed why such a trifle as food and his own weight remains an unsolvable task for him. He has a hard time losing control, and the idea that being overweight is a deep problem seems far-fetched and too complicated to him. With excess weight, the mood for long-term, painstaking work on yourself, which does not involve quick results, is the key to success. Only when we learn to be friends with our body, hear its signals and give it what it asks for (not only in terms of food), the extra weight will go away on its own.
How not to fall into the trap
What can you advise a purposeful person who is used to working hard?
- Observe the regime of work and rest, do not ignore lunch breaks, take breaks between tasks.
- Learn to say “no”: to superiors and subordinates, to all those who constantly need your help. Don’t take on extra work, resist your own urge to take on more projects.
- Restore not only physical, but also emotional resource. In addition to work, there should be something in your life that fills you with energy and allows you to relax. Attention: no TV, food and alcohol! Fishing, walking, yoga, dancing, drawing are the main criteria for choosing a hobby so that the process (and not the result!) brings pleasure.
Read more:
- Mood food
- Listen to the signals of the body, try to be a friend to your body, and not a “taskmaster”. Respect your hunger – do not ignore meals. When choosing food, listen to what you want, and not what you think you “need” – in this case, you will be satisfied with much less food. While eating, notice its taste, texture, richness, watch how hunger goes away and satiety comes. Do not be distracted by the phone or thinking about the next project. Refuse to discuss business during meals and business meetings combined with lunch.
- Take care of yourself: This advice is very suitable for people who are overbearing, hyper-responsible, immersed in business and forgetting about themselves. Periodically treat yourself like a small child – ask what he needs, what he wants, how to take care of him.
- If there is no time for sports, try to move more during the day: take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk part of the way to work, go to a cafe in the next building / block during your lunch break.
Have a question?
Center for Psychological Correction of Food Addictions and Overweight “Bereg”, t. (495) 729 9536,