The Most Important Key to Shedding those Pounds that You Almost Never Hear About:
Overcoming the Emotional Barriers
by www.Sedona.com
Food is not unlike a warm hug when it comes to its ability to soothe, comfort and evoke feelings of security. Far from just providing sustenance, food can make you feel satisfied and fulfilled emotionally. However, while it’s quite healthy to enjoy your food and even take comfort in a favorite meal, it’s easy to let emotional eating get the better of you, and end up gaining weight as a result.
In fact, a full 75 percent of overeating is caused by emotions, according to Jane Jakubczak, a registered dietitian at the University of Maryland.
Emotional Eating Can Sabotage Your Weight Loss Efforts
There are many reasons why your emotions may be tied to food. Perhaps you feel you “deserve” to eat a second piece of cake after a long day’s work because you were given food as a reward when you were a child. Food can also be a substitute for activity or relationships, providing a distraction and something to do when you’re bored. Others eat when they’re nervous or feeling stressed, lonely or angry, depressed or disappointed, and the list goes on.
"Emotional eating is eating for reasons other than hunger," says Jakubczak. "Instead of the physical symptom of hunger initiating the eating, an emotion triggers the eating."
Interestingly, you may be more prone to reach for a certain (usually unhealthy) food depending on what specific emotion you are feeling. Brian Wansink, PhD, director of the Food and Brand Lab at the University of Illinois, led a study published in American Demographics that found:
"The types of comfort foods a person is drawn toward varies depending on their mood. People in happy moods tended to prefer ... foods such as pizza or steak (32%). Sad people reached for ice cream and cookies 39% of the time, and 36% of bored people opened up a bag of potato chips."
Further, when you eat certain foods, such as chocolate, your body releases opiates that improve your mood. So if you’re feeling down, eating a chocolate bar may, in fact, cheer you up. The problem is that the cheering is only temporary, and later your mood will return to normal (or be worse because you’re upset you overate).
How to Determine if Emotional Eating is Impacting You
It’s possible to turn to food for comfort in an unhealthy way and not even realize it. That’s because the habit may be so routine, so second-nature that you now do it as a matter of course. How can you tell if you’re an emotional eater? Here are some warning signs to look out for:
- You eat when you’re not hungry.
- You overeat (to the point you’re uncomfortably full).
- You reach for fatty, salty or sugary snacks when you’re upset, lonely, bored or anxious.
- You crave a certain food, such as pizza or candy, and only that food will satisfy you (if you’re physically hungry, you’ll be open to eating many foods).
- Your desire to eat comes on suddenly, and you feel you need to indulge in the food right away.
- You feel guilty after you’ve eaten.
Overcome Emotional Eating and Reach Your Ideal Weight
If you’re concerned that emotional eating may be causing you to gain weight (or to hold on to weight you’d rather lose), the scientifically proven Sedona Method can help you get back on track. This easy-to-use technique has already helped thousands of people worldwide break the cycle of weight gain and stop overindulging in unhealthy foods.
With The Sedona Method, you’ll learn how to tap into your positive emotions and release negative ones. When you feel a desire to engage in a self-sabotaging behavior (such as finishing off a bag of potato chips when you’re bored), The Sedona Method shows you how to let go of the unhealthy desire, leaving ease and contentment in its place. This technique will help you:
- Stay on your diet and exercise programs
- Make healthier on-the-spot choices (such as when you’re eating out or at a party)
- Eliminate the physical and emotional pain that you feel related to your weight
Meanwhile, the following tips will also help you to overcome your reliance on emotional eating:
- Find outlets other than eating to deal with your emotions. For instance, call a friend, take a walk or listen to music rather than hitting the vending machine.
- If you must indulge, eat something healthy rather than junk food.
· Identify what emotions or situations trigger you to overeat, then address those situations head-on. If you are lonely, perhaps try volunteering to meet new people. Angry? Learning to release past grudges may help.
· If you do eat an unhealthy comfort food, limit the portion size.
· Forgive yourself if you fall off track. Instead of feeling guilty, forgive and start fresh.
Sources:
WebMD.com
MayoClinic.com
Get Ready for a Breakthrough.
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