When I was child, I associated sweets with comfort.
Back then I thought subconsciously, "Food is love."
My mother was a single mom. She worked a lot to take care of my younger
sister and me.
Before she would leave us with the sitter, she always gave me money so that I could go to our neighborhood convenience store to get candy.
I felt deep loneliness when my mother left to go to work. But did not know how to deal with that loneliness.
The only comfort I had as a child was a chocolate bar. Eating the candy made me feel better.
Unfortunately, I took that same coping pattern into adulthood.
Whenever I felt emotionally stressed or upset, I craved candy and other sweets. I never realized
that I was coping emotionally the same way I did when I was five.
I still viewed candy as my best friend.
Can you relate to food being associated with love?
Many people aren’t aware of it when food is meeting an
emotional need in their lives.
That is why they often resist changing their eating habits.
They fear leaving an empty space where that food used to occupy.
If you feel you are
dealing with a similar issue, then I have a question to help you identify foods to which you are emotionally attached.
Then you can consider a new way to get those needs met.