Hi Genny -
My gosh -- I really relate to your statement about feeling overwhelmed, anxious and out of control. This is the major battle I had to face when getting started with a healthy life plan. And I’m facing it again now. I’ve had a recent emotional setback and find myself struggling to refocus. Everyone one is different, so I can only share what initially helped to get started and what I’m working on right now to recommit.
Control is a big thing for me. I lose control of my eating and thoughts about food when I let other areas of my life get messy. For instance, I’m pretty bad about leaving clutter around my house. For me, clutter breeds more clutter and before you know it, my house is a mess. This makes ME feel like a mess (and overwhelmed, anxious and out of control). Same thing at work when I lose focus on my todo list and start feeling disorganized in my approach to work. When I keep these things in check, I feel more in control of myself in every way - especially with food.
Regarding food, it was easier for me to ease into healthier eating habits than try to change everything in one day. I started by removing the ‘white’ stuff from my diet meaning white bread, white rice, potatoes, etc. (Replacements included whole grain bread, quinoa, yams or butternut squash). Making this change was hard and it required re-thinking my grocery shopping habits, on-the-go lunch choices, etc. I didn’t start worrying as much about potion control until ‘whole food’ choices became more natural and a part of my routine. What ever diet or approach you’re taking, can you break it down into manageable chucks?
You can and you will find your way through this!