Let's Talk About...How to Handle that Leftover Easter Candy

The Emotional Eating (and Everything Else) Podcast

If you celebrated Easter yesterday (and even if you didn't), you probably have some leftover candy in your house. Which means you also probably have some parts who are very anxious about this candy. Or who have already eaten quite a bit of it. Or who have put it high up on a shelf so that hopefully you'll forget about it.

Having a lot of candy in the house can be difficult for some of our parts. It can also be a big party for others! Likely, you're going back and forth between wanting to eat it all and hoping your willpower holds out so that you don't eat any.

Both sides of that polarization are extreme, aren't they? No, it's probably not great for your body to binge on a lot of chocolate. But it's also totally normal to eat candy.

On this week's podcast, we're talking about how to handle this polarization. It's a pretty short episode so we aren't diving too deep, but I wanted to at least offer some perspective and support.

So...what do you do about this candy?

First and foremost, remind yourself that these are parts. It's very easy to become blended with these parts quickly and seemingly completely. But these are parts. They are not Self. Yes, your Self may enjoy some candy, but it's not feeling obsessed about eating it. Self is also not adamant that you don't eat the candy. Again--do your best to remind yourself that these are parts.

Second, remind yourself that the parts that want to eat the candy and the parts who want to restrict the candy are all trying to protect you in the only way they know how. Take some time to get to know them and get curious about who they're protecting.

Third, hold a little meeting with your parts. Ask anyone who has anything to do with the candy to meet with you and talk about what's going on for them. And ask them to give you space so that you get to know everyone. Try to figure out a way to handle the candy that everyone can agree to. That may not be possible, but I would almost guarantee that it will be a less extreme polarization than it was previously.

And finally, if and when you do eat the candy, eat it mindfully. Really take the time to notice it, taste it, and enjoy it. Actually, if you slow down and eat it mindfully, you might realize that you don't even like it. Sometimes our kid parts take over and lead us to food that our adult selves just don't even like any more.

I hope that helps, and I hope that you're able to feel more peaceful in your own home. Just keeping getting to know the parts of you that have anything to do with food, and you'll be ready for the next candy season!

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