Hard times can break us - or they can help us grow into deeper + more compassionate human beings. And (I think) the difference between the two has to do with giving ourselves grace. It’s been a difficult winter. My husband lost his father suddenly a few months ago and my own Dad (who was very ill) passed three weeks later. Navigating two terribly sad events in a row reaffirmed that I am a strong woman. Stronger and more resilient than I gave myself credit for. But I am no superwoman. About a week after losing my Dad, I sat down on the trail during a hike because I was overcome with emotion. Some people might consider that a moment of weakness, but I considered it a victory. A few years ago, I would have pushed … [Read more...] about Giving Ourselves Grace
You Probably Won’t “Conquer” Emotional Eating – and That’s Okay
Many of my clients tell me they want to eliminate emotional eating forever. As someone who has struggled with emotional eating, I completely understand the desire to make this behavior go away forever. To never feel compelled to turn to food for soothing or stress relief or out of boredom again. Some people get there, but most don’t – and that’s okay. You can make mountains of progress without conquering emotional eating altogether. In my opinion, it makes more sense to work towards less frequent and less intense episodes of emotional overeating. Attempting to “end” emotional overeating once and for all sets us up for disappointment. Any time we overeat, we feel as though we’ve failed. And feeling like a failure is not … [Read more...] about You Probably Won’t “Conquer” Emotional Eating – and That’s Okay
Eliminating Triggers
The path to changing our behavior has very little to do with resolve. We achieve control, not through willpower but by finding ways to take willpower entirely out of the equation. The central force for eliminating bad habits, according to social psychologist Wendy Wood, author of “Good Habits, Bad Habits,” is friction. In other words, making bad habits inconvenient. She cites the ways in which increased friction has produced a decline in smoking: laws that ban it in restaurants, bars, airplanes, and trains; taxes that have helped triple the price of cigarettes in the U.S. in the past twenty years; the purge of cigarettes from vending machines, and of tobacco ads from TV and the radio. We can apply the same concept to eating … [Read more...] about Eliminating Triggers
The Potential BENEFITS of Weight Cycling
For years we’ve been told that losing + regaining weight might be detrimental to our health and metabolism. In 2016, a New York Times article about weight regain among The Biggest Loser contestants went viral. Many lost hope. However, little is known about hormone regulation and body fat composition after multiple episodes of weight cycling. Today, a University of Washington team released a first-of-its-kind study, published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology—Endocrinology and Metabolism that highlights the potential benefits of multiple weight loss attempts. Repeatedly losing and regaining weight may lead to improved insulin levels and lower body fat percentages in the long term, even during weight … [Read more...] about The Potential BENEFITS of Weight Cycling