How to Lose Weight by Eliminating Emotional Eating–Step Two
Posted on December 29, 2007
Filed Under Weight Loss |
“An unexamined life isn’t worth living.”—Socrates, (469 BC - 399 BC)
As previously stated in my last two posts, emotional eating is an eating disorder that if left unchecked has serious health consequences. To lose weight successfully, one must address the food issue as well the emotional factor of eating.
Discover Emotional Eating
In addressing the emotional issue, some self-discovery is in order. If you don’t know what’s bothering you, it’s important to keep a journal on the computer or a diary, especially in the beginning. Write in your journal when temptation strikes. Ask yourself what just happened that triggered this particular incident of emotional eating? Write down how you are feeling. Are you bored, angry or sad? Obviously, pay no attention to grammar or structure. Sometimes people eat because they don’t want to be alone with their thoughts when this is exactly what they need. Over time a pattern should emerge, helping you identify the problem area in your life that needs improvement. By then you should know the real differences between real hunger and the pseudo pull of emotional eating. Before reaching for that morsel of food, you’ll know if the hunger is real or emotional. Don’t worry if at first this doesn’t stop you from eating, but it’s a step in the right direction, which will most likely lead to an improvement in exercising self control. “Know Thyself,” said Socrates. You DO need to know yourself before you can change.
Eating Disorder Help
Depending on your situation and your support structure, if you suffer from depression consider seeking professional help. I would also recommend a visit to your medical physician first to rule out an underlying medical condition. Once you have a clean bill of health, counseling and/or some form of anti-depressants should help. This is your life and as far as I know, it’s the only one we have. Don’t let your it slip through your fingers.
Find another form of therapy or a healthy outlet to your eating such as phoning a friend, gardening, taking a short walk, reading a book, or surfing the web to name a few. Find something that you like to do, then do it. Needless to say, any form of exercise is best. Studies show that even moderate exercise releases endorphins and has many positive physiological effects.
Beat Emotional Eating
In conclusion, the goal is to fix the personal issue that is stopping you from having the life you deserve. We cannot divorce our minds from our bodies. If we are unhappy, our bodies suffer too. A wise teacher once told me, “If you’re unhappy, your body will find a way out.” He’s is so right. You owe it to yourself to examine your life and see what is making you unhappy. Ask yourself what needs to change. It’ll take courage to hear and accept the answer that comes forth. Remember everything in life requires effort. Again, change is GRADUAL. Don’t expect to change your situation overnight and lose weight fast. However, taking these steps to improve your quality of life will certainly give you a boost of self-esteem and give you the courage to carry on until your attain your weight loss goals. Best wishes for success!
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2 Responses to “How to Lose Weight by Eliminating Emotional Eating–Step Two”
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I definitely know where you’re coming from on this.
I lost 50 pounds two years ago, and managed to gain 40 pounds this past year.
One kind of depression takes weight off, another kind puts weight on. I haven’t figured out how to properly balance it yet, though.
Dear Tommy,
Thank you for your comment.
It’s a bummer to gain back weight. I bounced up and down with my weight several times over the years. If you’re interested, check out my new post on growing up as a child of an emotional eater.
I think the key to balancing the weight issue is curing the depression (unless it’s medical) by creating a life that balanced and fulfilling. I wish you the best of health.