I think there's a misconception out there that we're supposed to feel happy all the time. Think happy thoughts. Stay positive. Turn that frown upside down. There is room in this life for every emotion. It's healthy and normal to experience negative feelings. Nevertheless, many of us go to great lengths in order to avoid anything that feels uncomfortable. We choose distraction via food over feeling - time and time again. We think feeling our negative emotions will be so unbearable that we're willing to risk our health. Push it down. Cover it up. Resist. Distract. Pretend. Binge. Pass the wine. If you do nothing else but make the decision that you will be willing to feel your feelings instead of eat, you will lose weight. Let that really … [Read more...] about How to Process Negative Emotion (without food)
Coaching Tools
Trying to Do It Perfectly (+ a peek at my food journals)
When I introduce a new weight coaching tool to my clients, they sometimes feel compelled to do it perfectly - right away. And it usually always backfires. Take the Hunger Scale for example (please click here if you missed last week's post on this topic). The purpose of the Hunger Scale is not to do it perfectly. In order to get really good at something, we have to be willing to be a beginner. For example - it's just not possible to rock out a competition worthy tango after our first ballroom dance class, right? When doing it perfectly is our main objective - it's easy to become frustrated and give up. But when the goal is to learn - we simply cannot fail. To recap, the purpose of using the Hunger Scale is to... get acquainted with our … [Read more...] about Trying to Do It Perfectly (+ a peek at my food journals)
How to Stop a Craving
When my clients ask me what to do when they have a craving I always tell them the same thing. Journal. If we eat, we miss out on understanding why we want to distract ourselves with food. That moment of stopping and deciding to write instead of eat requires an override of our deeply rooted patterns of behavior. Given a choice, we will almost always choose our conditioned habits over what we know is best for us. We tell ourselves that a few seconds of ice cream filled deliciousness is better than a delicious life. But I want it I deserve it It's so good I had a bad day It's my favorite flavor My husband is having some Just a scoop I can't resist it I still sit down with a notebook when I experience a craving. Each entry starts … [Read more...] about How to Stop a Craving
The Surprising Reason I Recommend a Food Plan
Most people blame lack of willpower for their unhealthy choices. I disagree. Sort of. When you make a decision, or resist a donut – you’re expending some of the mental currency you have available that day. Each small decision diminishes your daily energy stores. Check this out… Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg wear essentially the same thing to work every day. President Obama dresses in a blue or gray suit and Zuckerberg wears a gray T-shirt. Why? They know they have a day full of decisions ahead of them and a limited amount of mental energy. They put decision making on autopilot where they can. James Clear explains this phenomenon in his article, How Willpower Works: How to Avoid Bad Decisions… “As it turns out, your willpower is … [Read more...] about The Surprising Reason I Recommend a Food Plan