When these emotional ups and downs come along, often I noticed that yes, I was grabbing food that made me feel better. My weakness is chocolate and peanut butter!!
I will continue talking about the book "Shrink Yourself, Break Free From Emotional Eating Forever."
I told you that I found the great web site www.healthbooksummaries.com that allows you to read some of the books. I was reading part of this book and thought I would share some of it with you.
Part 2....Emotional Eating
When we use food to make us feel better instead of dealing with our problems, it creates a viscious cycle. We may be able to avoid our problems for a while, but the longer we wait to deal with them, the worse they become. We may then eat more.
As I said in the last post that emotional eating has to do with the feeling of powerlessness.
- Powerless about how to deal with your self-doubts
- Powerless about how to get real satisfaction in life
- Powerless about being safe and secure in your relationship, financial state, job, home, etc.
- Powerless about feeling empty inside or unfulfilled
- Powerless about being able to do what you really want to in life
The goal of the book is to help you become aware of the pattern you are running so that you can find the space between when you have one of the above experiences of powerlessness and when you begin to overeat. Only by observing your mind and finding that space will you begin to change your emotional eating pattern.
Diets do NOT work because you are emotional eating. The way you REACT to a situation, event, or person sets it off. Not the situation, event or person itself.
Your end up replacing the bad feelings with the pleasurable experience of eating.
The author also goes on to explain why some people may sabotage their diet when they are nearing their goal. He states that the reason could be because if you didn’t have your weight to think about, you might have to deal with what’s really bothering you. It is frightening because you feel powerless to change the things that really bother you.
When you are afraid to stay and explore your feelings, you have already come to the conclusion that you are defeated in some way.
The author states that you need to understand how covering up emotions with food sets you back physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Your feelings aren’t there to make you unhappy. Rather emotions provide you with information about your inner world. They are full of messages you need to hear.
If you are an emotional eater, every time you feel that you are not worthy, you become hungry. Feeling inadequate makes you desire food as much as biological hunger.
It is your own lack of self-esteem that triggers the eating.
Something to think about ..... isn't it.
I know I can relate to this and I am going to practice being more conscious. When I go to grab for chocolate or a spoonful of peanut butter I am going to ask myself "What is up?" When I do, I know that there will be a feeling of being powerless in some aspect of my life. I have already done this in the last few days and sure enough - that is exactly what the issue was. Now I have to work on not being powerless. Work on finding solutions to the areas that I feel I am powerless.
I can change my future, I can affect my present. I am the only one who can - THAT IS POWERFUL! THAT IS WHERE MY POWER LIES
I hope this also works for you. It is the first step.
Check out the site http://www.healthbooksummaries.com/ and take some time to read some of the books that are up to. There are many and you will be very surprised.
Let me know which book spoke to you.
It is full of fiber is really helpful in helping to cleanse through the digestive system and it all helps to satiate and keep us fuller for longer. It helps us detoxifies and acts like a sweep that cleanses out body.
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