Posts Tagged ‘emotional’
Guest Blog: Five Strategies to Stop Emotional Eating
By Lisa Goldberg, Licensed Clinical Nutritionist
In the 15 years that I have been helping my clients lose weight by changing their mindset, habits and behaviors around food and eating, I have observed that more than any other influence, our emotions seem to sabotage our eating behavior.
If emotional eating is something you struggle with and it keeps you on the diet roller-coaster, I want to offer you some strategies that you could start to implement so you could change your behaviors and begin to stop emotional eating. The next time you find yourself wandering into the kitchen or thinking about the fast food drive-thru, try implementing these strategies:
5 Strategies to Stop Emotional Eating
Strategy #1
When you “feel like” you want to eat, ask yourself “ AM I HUNGRY”? If you are not, try to figure out what you are really feeling that is making you want to eat. If the feeling isn’t hunger, make a cup of tea, drink some water or brush your teeth. (Believe it or not, this really works!)
Strategy #2
When you want to eat because of how you feel and not because of hunger, use the acronym H.A.L.T. and decide if you are Hungry, Anxious or Angry, Lonely or Tired. Find another way to soothe those feelings rather than through turning to food. And remember: Food won’t ever fix your feelings — and can often leave you feeling worse after a binge!
Strategy #3
Be sure you are pre-pared and pre-planned for all of your meals and snacks. Always have a healthy snack in your bag or your desk so you do not get too hungry and make bad choices. Have food in your home to prepare healthy meals and take a few minutes to look at the restaurant menu online before you go out to eat so you make the better choice before you get to the table. Planning ahead helps you make good choices and if you fear getting hungry, you are prepared.
Strategy #4
Always remind yourself what you really want. You think you want the pastry in the moment, but what you really want is to lose weight and feel better about yourself. Also remember WHY you are telling yourself no. If you remember your why it will feel less punishing. Dropping a few pounds and feeling good about yourself will last longer and taste better than the pastry. Trust me on this!
Strategy #5
Each morning when you start your day, spend some time thinking about staying mindful in regard to your choices and what you really want for yourself. Any time you eat, you choose what goes in your mouth. Practice asking yourself “Why would I choose to eat something that makes me feel bad longer than it makes me feel good”? When you make choices that make you feel good, it prevents that voice in your head that says “I’ve blown it so I may as well keep going”.
The fact is, when you learn how to honor your hunger and learn how to get comfortable feeling your feelings, you will feel better both physically and emotionally and set yourself up for long-term success.
About the Guest Blogger:
Lisa Goldberg is a nutritionist with a Masters degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University. In addition, her certifications and Licenses include: Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Dietician/Nutritionist licensed by New York State, Certified in Adult Weight Management by the ADA. Lisa is also a personal trainer certified by the American Counsel on Exercise since 1994. She was the Nutritionist at the New York Stock Exchange from 2003-2007 and for 10 years served as the nutritionist to traders on Wall Street. Anyone who would like to discuss their weight loss goals with Lisa can schedule a free 30-minute weight loss consultation with her by clicking here. (Simply let Lisa know you found out about her on the Just Stop! blog.)
A Note from Gregg:
As some of you Just Stoppers might remember, I have been lucky enough to be a guest in nutrition rockstar Lisa Goldberg’s recent weight loss summits not once, but twice. I love Lisa’s total approach to wellness, which not only includes getting to a healthy weight, but also enjoying life and learning to love and appreciate yourself in the process. And because we’ve had such a good time working together and sharing ideas, Lisa has graciously asked me to participate in her upcoming 6 month online group weight loss program (for the body, mind and soul) – during which you can discover how to break old habits and behavior patterns that keep you from losing weight once and for all. Holistic Health Coach Nicole Benson will also be joining us to add her knowledge and expertise.
Any Just Stopper who wants to find out more information (without any obligation), can click here to schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Session with Lisa herself to find out more about the upcoming 6 month online group weight loss program.
Are you ready for a real transformation?
Are you ready to give yourself what you need to change how you eat, why you eat and re-wire your brain around food so you can lose your excess weight once and for all? To make self-care a priority? To be your best self? Would you love to learn how to lose weight and transform your life with the support of a community of people who share your goals and dreams?
As some of you Just Stoppers might remember, I have been lucky enough to be a guest in nutrition rockstar Lisa Goldberg’s recent weight loss summits not once, but twice. I love Lisa’s total approach to wellness, which not only includes getting to a healthy weight, but also enjoying life and learning to love and appreciate yourself in the process. And because we’ve had such a good time working together and sharing ideas, Lisa has graciously asked me to participate in her upcoming 6 month online group weight loss program (for the body, mind and soul) – during which you can discover how to break old habits and behavior patterns that keep you from losing weight once and for all. Holistic Health Coach Nicole Benson will also be joining us to add her knowledge and expertise.
Any Just Stopper who wants to find out more information (without any obligation), can click here to schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Session with Lisa herself to find out more about the upcoming 6 month online group weight loss program.
Some of the topics that will be covered:
➢ Low-Glycemic Impact Eating
➢ Improving Metabolism
➢ Self-Care
➢ Planning & Dining Out
➢ Managing Stress
➢ Overcoming Obstacles
➢ Emotional Freedom Technique for Weight Loss
➢ And many, many more
If you are ready to learn the best way to feed your body without feeling deprived, stop eating your feelings and stop the diet madness once and for all, then this could be the program for you. Enrollment is open now for this exclusive group, which begins in July! Anyone reading this who wants to find out more information (without any obligation), can click here to schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Session with Lisa herself to find out more about the upcoming 6 month online group weight loss program.
P.S. Even if you’re not sure if this program is something you want to commit to, I encourage you to take advantage of the free 30-minute personal phone call with Lisa. She is so warm and friendly – and sure to offer some valuable tips for whatever you might be facing in your journey to total health. She really is amazing. And if you do talk to her, please tell her Gregg says “Hi.”
Photo Credit: CFS
Guest Post: Different body, different life?
A guest post by Women’s Health and Lifestyle Expert Shannon Sullivan:
Have you ever thought to yourself, “My life would be different if I had a different body?”
For me, that was the thought process throughout my high school and college years. Almost anything that didn’t go my way — when I didn’t get invited to the party I wanted to, when I didn’t get the attention of the boy I wanted to, and when I didn’t feel right in the clothes I had. I can vividly remember making a loose set of plans with the popular kids in high school and then waiting by the phone at home (this is all b.c.p. — before cell phones) for a call from them. I was showered, hair done, new outfit on and ready to go! As the time ticked by, I started losing hope. I started feeling stupid, lonely and went into this spiral about how no one liked me. So what did I do? Did I call other friends? No. Did I try to salvage the evening and make other plans? No. Did I think of an activity that would improve my mood? No. I bee-lined it for self-sabotage. I went to my “go-to” comfort food: white Wonderbread and Skippy peanut butter. This was the quickest, easiest way to make me feel (slightly) better.
This was emotional eating at it’s finest (or worst, depending on how you look at it). I was hurt and thought if I were only hotter, with a better body I would be out with the popular kids right now. There are a couple funny things about this situation:
1) The lack of phone call was not nearly as malicious as I thought. These loose set of plans were just those, and I didn’t bother calling them to confirm. All of this was in my head.
2) If I thought I wasn’t thin or attractive enough, why on earth would I do something (eat junk) that pushed me even farther away from this goal?
After half the loaf was gone, I felt sick. Slathering creamy, sugary peanut butter onto slice after slice of white bread will do that to you, especially when you’ve already had dinner and you are not the least bit hungry. I was stressed and using food to both ease the stress and punish myself, but I’m not the only one:
Fact: In the past month, 26% of teens say they have overeaten or eaten unhealthy foods because of stress. More than half of these teens (52%) engage in these behaviors weekly or more.
After overeating or eating unhealthy foods, teens report feeling bad about their bodies (41%), disappointed in themselves (40%) and sluggish or lazy (39%).
Unfortunately this kind of repeated behavior not only affected my waistline, but also my mindset — I felt worse about my body, I was disappointed in myself and didn’t feel like moving at all. And that mindset stayed with me for over a decade. Everyday I was in this constant struggle of wanting to change the way I thought about food, the way I used food, and the way I treated my body. And more often than not, my emotional eating would win out over my willpower.
27% percent of adults say they eat to manage stress and 34% of those who report overeating or eating unhealthy foods because of stress say this behavior is a habit.
I stopped volunteering for things, stopped going to parties, just put everything on hold, thinking that as soon as I found the diet that works, or go to the right boot camp I’ll get the body I want. And then (and only then) will I be able to be happy and start living the life I want. But c’mon — that can’t happen without the perfect body, I don’t deserve it until I have that perfect body. Boy was I wrong!
You see the big game changer for me was to actually get out and start living first. I needed to start laughing more, enjoying life more, and figuring out what made me authentically happy. Then, I focused on getting a whole lot more of that in my life, and stopped relying on the food. I had a void that I was trying to fill with food, and, big surprise, it wasn’t working!
Now I relate to so many women who are feeling exactly how I used to feel. I know the frustration and I know the struggle, and now my mission is to do something about it! It took me well over a decade to change my mindset, but I love helping women expedite that process and learn from my own mistakes, learn from my own trial and error. Because I lived it, and it was painful, and if I didn’t make a change I knew it would rule and eventually ruin my life.
So will your life be different if you have a different body? Yes! But it’s so important to put things in the right order, and if you’re someone who IS putting their life on hold, who has tried every diet under the sun and failed, and who is ready for a major change before heading into 2016 — great! There’s no better time than the present!
I’m here to help! Join me at a free virtual summit that will help you understand how to stop putting your life on hold and stop “weighting!” It’s called The Fat Girl Slim Summit: Learn to Love your Body, Release the Weight, and Confidently Live the Life of your Dreams and features interviews with over 20 women’s health and lifestyle experts (including Just Stop Eating So Much’s own Gregg McBride) — each of whom will teach not just the nourishment factors, but also the mindset strategies and emotional components that will allow you to fall in love with your body and release the weight that has been holding you back. If I had access to this sort of expertise all at the same time, I know my past would have looked a lot different! I’m inviting you to make that change possible for you, now, in your own life! Click here to reserve your spot!
For statistics source, please click here.
About the author of this guest post:
Shannon Sullivan is a women’s health and lifestyle expert. Shannon, along with sister Meg, co-founded Whole Food Love, a company dedicated to helping women combine real food and real life.
After working with so many incredible women, it became clear to Shannon that today’s modern woman doesn’t need just meal plans and food education. She needs a way to prioritize herself and her health, learn to love her body and design a lifestyle that works!
Shannon believes that when we view each action as an “act of love” toward our body, we make better decisions about what we put into our bodies, lessen the negative self-talk, and ultimately learn to live life confidently!
Editorial Photo Source: gistsdey.com
Shannon Photo Source: Shannon Sullivan
3 more obstacles, 3 more solutions (part 2 of 2)
Guest Post by Nutritionist & Health Coach Lisa Goldberg, host of the Right Mind, Right Weight Online Summit
Once again, the never-ending desire to lose weight no matter how much or how little. It seems so elusive and difficult for so many. No matter who I speak with, when I mention that I am a nutritionist, someone will always say, “I need to lose weight”. What I find so interesting that most people know what they need to do to lose weight. The problem is they just can’t do it. Here are 3 more obstacles that usually keep people stuck and 3 more solutions on how to move past them. To see the first 3 obstacles and solutions (part 1 of this article), click here.
OBSTACLE #4: That Old Voice in Your Head
We all have it. That voice that tells you “what’s the big deal” it’s only a little bite or I had a really bad day, I know I’m trying to lose weight but I DESERVE THIS! Or this cupcake is going to make me feel SO much better. That old self-sabotaging voice in your head that always pops up with old ingrained beliefs about what you think and how feel about yourself and how you relate to food and eating. That old voice is one of the reasons why you may not be able to lose weight. That old voice is so used to justifying all the reasons why you should eat vs. justifying the better reasons why you shouldn’t.
Solution: Start to practice listening to the OTHER voice in your head. The logical, practical voice that we all have in there but we tend to ignore. Start exercising your brain to listen to that practical voice because that voice will always lead you towards a better choice that will ultimately help you stay the course and reach your goals.
OBSTACLE #5: Lack of Support
I hear all the time from clients that they feel unsupported by a spouse or a partner. I had one client tell me that when she was trying to lose weight her spouse would get upset if she did not want to drink wine at dinner with him or if she wanted to eat something a little different than what he was eating. It made her feel terrible and it was very difficult to make the long-term changes that she wanted to make.
Another example of lack of support is when out in a group situation. Its crazy that when you tell your friends you are trying to incorporate healthier eating into your life, how they try to push the bread basket or dessert when you say that you don’t want any. You feel self-conscious and judged. What you have to realize is that often when someone is insisting that you eat when you say no, it’s because they feel badly that they are unable to make healthy changes themselves and that they can’t pass up the bread or the dessert.
Solution: When it comes to your spouse or partner, sit down and let them know you are about to embark on a process of change to develop a healthier lifestyle and it is important to you to have his/her support. Ask for them to be supportive especially when the going may be a little tough.
When it comes to your friends be firm when saying ‘no thank you’. Keep in mind that when they start to push it could be in part because they are transferring their stuff onto you.
If people in your life still won’t support you then still stay firm. You need to practice getting comfortable taking care of yourself by asking for what you want and giving yourself what you need. This is about you. When you take care of you everything in your life gets better.
OBSTACLE #6: Emotional Eating/Compulsive Eating
This is a big one. Eating your feelings. The majority of my client coaching revolves around emotional eating. Using food as your drug of choice to stuff down or numb your feelings. This type of eating involves more than just stuffing down a few cookies. Emotional/compulsive eating is usually the whole box or the whole box and a pint of ice cream and then some. If you’ve experienced this, you know that it’s only or those moments the food is in your mouth that you may feel good. When you are done, not only will you still be stressed, depressed, angry etc., but now you feel horrible both emotionally and physically. Food does not fix your feelings. It doesn’t have that much power. Its just food.
Solution: Practice the acronym H.A.L.T. Determine if you are Hungry, Angry or Anxious, Lonely, Tired.
Identify the feelings that are driving you to eat when you are not hungry but feeling emotional.
Find a Plan B. Figure out what else you can do with those feelings you are experiencing. Be sure to steer clear of the kitchen. Go into your room and breathe.
Do some yoga poses, meditate, call a friend, walk the dog. Find another way to deal with the feelings other than eat. Spend sometime trying to figure out where those feelings are coming from. Try journaling to get your feelings out on paper. My clients tell me that they feel more present and in touch with their feelings when they journal. Rather than holding it in it helps them to get their feelings out by writing it down.
If emotional eating is something you have struggled with for years, schedule an appointment with a health professional that can help you overcome overeating due to emotional or compulsive eating.
il it has become almost involuntary. Once you adopt healthier habits you will never have to worry about having willpower.
[Lisa shared 3 different obstacles and solutions in part 1 of
this article: 3 Obstacles, 3 Solutions]
About the guest columnist: Lisa Goldberg is a nutritionist and weight loss coach with a Masters in Clinical Nutrition from NYU. You can register for Lisa’s FREE Right Mind, Right Weight Online Summit by clicking here. Lisa is a Certified Nutrition Specialist and a Certified Dietician/Nutritionist licensed by New York State since 2001. Lisa specializes in personalized weight loss coaching, emotional eating, mindful eating, lifestyle and habit/behavior change. She helps her clients create the changes they desire so they can lose weight for good. Lisa also counsels clients on overall wellness, restoring health from chronic disease states, sports nutrition, and vitamin supplementation. Lisa has her private practice in New York City.
Main Photo Source: Become Gorgeous
Guest Columnist Photo Source: Health Coach Lisa
Have you discovered Mindful Eating?
It’s not too late to be part of the 2015 Mindful Eating World Summit.
Registration is free and offers you ways to take your health, your body and your mind back. The many insights you’ll gain include:
• Learning to love your body NOW (no matter what size or shape you’re currently in)
• Learning to create the nurturing relationship with food and eating that you were always meant to have
• Learning to regain optimal levels of physical and emotional health (no matter what level you’re currently at)
• Support from host Dr. Kellee Rutley, D.C., and an amazing array of like minded experts who will help you turn the corner on mindless eating once and for all
I was honored when Dr. Kellee Rutley asked me to participate in this year’s Mindful Eating World Summit. In fact, I and several other experts are offering free gifts to participants. That’s how important this message is and how strongly we all feel about it. You can see Dr. Kellee Rutley’s video by clicking here. And you can register for the summit by clicking here.
Follow
-
