Yesterday there was tragedy in my new city, Yellowknife, the place I now call home. A Twin Otter float plane crashed in to a parking lot in Old Town and the two pilots that were flying the plane passed away and the seven passengers were injured. I’ve only been here for four months but Yellowknife is a very small community that is very close and tight-knit and everyone knows everyone or has a connection to someone. I did not know the people on the plane personally, but I do know many people who knew both pilots and some of the other passengers and I was there when they received the news of their passing. It was devastating!
I’m an emotional person but for the most part I keep things bottled up and to myself. I have my own ways of dealing with things which most of the time involves food (and sometimes booze). I’ve lost close friends in the past and I always react the same way and even though I didn’t know these people who lost their lives yesterday, it did affect me emotionally and I’ve been feeling down in the dumps about it ever since. Seeing my friends today and seeing how they’re trying to deal with the loss of their friends and trying to be supportive for them and then remembering how it felt to lose those people who were close to me, it just makes for a hard time and a lot of feelings and emotions come up.
Last night when I got home from work I didn’t feel like doing much. I didn’t go to the gym, I didn’t want to cook and I didn’t want to go anywhere, so I popped a pizza in the oven and proceeded to eat the entire thing which made me actually realize that I’m an emotional eater. I’m not sure why my feelings trigger my unhealthy actions and cravings but they do. Today hasn’t been much better. I don’t want to go to the gym, I don’t want to eat healthy and I’m pretty sure I’m going to pound back a few beers when I get home.
I know I have the right to feel sad and down but I don’t want it to undo all my hard work that I’ve done in the past few weeks to get myself to where I am now. I’m not sure what to do. So instead of giving advice today, I’m looking for it. What do you do when you’re sad or down or tragedy strikes? Do you not care about your diet and exercise? Do you keep going?
Any help or advice would be great.
And please, take a moment to think about those you’ve lost in your life and say a prayer for the friends and family of the victims of this sad and devastating incident in Yellowknife.
I too am an emotional eater and I struggle with it every day. I have to have an actual out loud conversation with myself when I start to feel the urge to eat my emotions.
I ask myself if the brownies I am about to eat, straight out of the pan, will make me any less angry/sad/stressed/lonely. Sometimes the answer is “Yes, these brownies are my best friend and they love me and want me to eat them, while crying, in the middle of the kitchen”, and sometimes the answer is “No, but a long run or a hot shower might help and do less damage to my body”.
It is tough, and never gets any easier. However I applaud you for at least recognizing what you are doing. That step is the hardest of them all!
I am keeping you and the citizens of Yellowknife in my prayers.
Thank you! It’s been a tough week around here, but it’s shown me how strong this town is.
Honestly? Lean on a friend with healthy habits, and ask them to cook you dinner. It sounds imposing, but it’s a favor you can easily repay later. It also gets you out of your house and in the company of someone you can vent to. Best wishes for your community in this tough time.
I don’t have a whole lot of friends who are “healthy” here. The North isn’t the healthiest place in the world. I think the stat is 60% of people in the north are overweight. I do have a strong social community, so I hope to pull on them.
Thanks for your support!
I’m so sorry for the loss in your community! That’s terrible…but just like your friends and neighbors, it will come to pass and everyone will move forward. (Easier said than done, I know…)
I am the mother of an 11 year old boy fighting cancer (leukemia) for the 2nd time and 4th year straight. I, too, am an emotional eater (especially with Cole’s life on the line every day), however whenever I get the urge now, I down a bottle of water. Literally. I fill it as many times as I need to to get past the anxiety… Sounds silly, but it works for me.
Good luck & God bless everyone in Yellowknife tonight
Sarah @ Thinfluenced
Do you pee a lot?
In all seriousness, you’re a very strong woman to be dealing with this and I pray for you and for Cole.
Thanks for your support and you have mine in return!
Like you, I am definitely an emotional eater. It’s a tough issue. I don’t have any advice, really, other than you have to forgive yourself for what is already done and move on.
Beating yourself up gains you nothing.
Just move on and decide to do differently next time.
I’m not one to beat myself up about what I eat, at all. I don’t let one meal or one decision ruin or unwind all of my hard work. It’s just days when I’m down that worry me. I’m generally a VERY happy person, so these days are few and far between, but when they hit, they hit hard.
Thanks for the advice!