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
Weight Loss Coaching
Why Fat Happiness is the Key to Losing Weight
There’s a tagline after my signature on every email I send. It says… You can’t hate yourself healthy. Healthy is a place you get to with love. So many of us want to lose the weight so we can escape the pain of being in an overweight body. But here’s the truth – it’s what I had to really “get” before I was able to lose the weight for good. Ready? You won’t accept your body – no matter how much weight you lose, until you learn how to accept your body right now. Did that kind of blow your mind? Yeah, me too. Let me explain. When we think we’ll be happier when we’re thinner, we block ourselves from enjoying life fully right now. We lock ourselves in a prison and the only way out is to become physically smaller. Can you see how painful … [Read more...] about Why Fat Happiness is the Key to Losing Weight
How to Stop Giving Yourself Permission to Overeat
My clients and I spend a great deal of time examining sabotaging thoughts. Food does not magically launch itself into our bellies. We make a conscious decision to eat (or not eat). When we choose to eat for reasons other than physical hunger, there is always a sabotaging thought. We say, “this is okay to eat because _________________”. Fill in the blank. We often remain blissfully unaware of our sabotaging thoughts. “OMG, the whole pint of Ben & Jerry’s is gone. How did THAT happen?” Because you gave yourself permission to eat it darling. Once my clients identify their most common Sabotaging Thoughts, we work together to create a New Response. The New Response has to be convincing enough to make you think twice about finishing … [Read more...] about How to Stop Giving Yourself Permission to Overeat
The Truth About Why We’re Fat
Anytime you eat when you’re not physically hungry is because of a feeling. Inadequacy Loneliness Fear Disappointment Anger Defeat A feeling created by a thought. I’m not good enough. No one cares. I’m never going to pay off this debt. This isn’t what I wanted. She hurt me. Screw it! You’re not overweight because you like food too much or because you just can’t stop once you’ve started or because ice cream makes you feel better. Those are the lies you tell yourself. Your story. We like to blame our weight on our food “problems” - but the reason you overeat has nothing to do with food. The reason we get fat isn’t because we don’t have enough willpower or because junk food is cheap and delicious. We don’t get fat … [Read more...] about The Truth About Why We’re Fat