When you have a headache, you take an over-the-counter pain
relief medication. If you have an uncomfortable emotion,
do you take the relief self-medication of emotional eating?
For many of us that have weight issues, emotional eating
is the result from attempting to change the way we feel.
Diet programs are effective temporarily. How many times
have you joined a diet program to lose weight only to
regain, possibly a few bonus pounds added in the process?
The reason why diet programs rarely work long-term is
because they address food and exercise and, at best,
mention emotional eating issues. Dealing with emotional
eating is the key to overcoming weight loss ups and downs.
We eat for a reason and it is not because we are hungry.
We eat to suppress or lessen the intensity of emotions,
make an uncomfortable situation more manageable, or just to
numb out by self-medicating ourselves with food.
I was in a reception room waiting for an appointment the
other day. The receptionist had a bowl of candy coated
chocolates. While she was working, she was popping the
candy every few seconds. Whatever she was feeling, she was
medicating herself. She was not eating out of hunger or
even conscious of what she was eating. She was zoned out
on the hand-to-mouth action of emotional eating. I waited
for approximately 15 minutes and she unconsciously ate
consistently the candy the entire time. The reason this
struck me is because it is a behavior I've indulged more
times that I'd like throughout my life.
Do you self-medicate or numb your emotions with food? Do
you check out of situations by emotional eating? If you
do, there are some steps you can follow to stay in control
without using food as a numbing agent for life.
* The first step is to answer honestly if you self-medicate
or numb out with food. Can you identify with the
unconscious eating of the receptionist?
* Now that you've identified the behavior of
self-medicating your life with food, you are aware.
Awareness of the behavior and habit is a big step forward.
* With your awareness, when you find yourself wanting to
eat, ask yourself if you are truly hungry or if you are
reaching for the pain relief medication equivalent of food.
* Next, ask yourself what it is you are attempting to
medicate and numb with food. Are you bored, overwhelmed,
angry, or feel anxious and need to feel calmer. All of
these are common emotions for medicating with food.
* Once you've identified the emotion or situation you
desire to medicate, make the choice to move forward without
the crutch of emotional numbing with food.
If we sit with uncomfortable emotions, they will pass.
Many of us don't know that because we haven't allowed
ourselves to experience this. Often, we short circuit the
process by immediately popping our favorite foods for
self-medication rather than feel the feelings.
Just as over-the-counter pain relief is temporary and
treats the symptoms of pain, so does the behavior of
self-medicating by emotional eating. Get to the source
causing the pain rather than the temporary fix of numbing
yourself. When you numb yourself, you live a life less
than you deserve. A full life has ups and down, joys and
challenges. Fully participate in your life without
stuffing down your life by abusing food as a
self-medication. You deserve more than popping candy as a
form of living. Give yourself the best and live the full
range of life.
----------------------------------------------------
Cathy Wilson is a certified life coach specializing in
weight loss. Cathy lost 147 pounds seven years ago. Her
passion is to help clients achieve weight loss and life
goals. Cathy works with clients to create a weight loss
life plan custom to each client. Cathy is a member of the
International Coaching Federation, International
Association of Coaches, and Obesity Action Coalition.
Visit Cathy's website:
http://www.LoseWeightFindLife.com
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