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By Joe Blaschke

Most overeating is emotional!

Very few people realize that they are eating for emotional reasons and then go after specific problems behind their eating to try to cure them. If you are an overeater you need to understand the reasons why you overeat which will help you change your eating patterns. If not, you end up getting stuck in a self-defeating cycle like this one; "You overeat because you're upset, you gain weight because you overeat, you get upset because you've gained weight." And you never seem to break out the cycle long enough to lose weight or keep weight off.

If you have many pounds to lose, you've got to realize that your life can be so much better than it is right now. If you're not happy with yourself, you sure don't have to accept yourself the way you are. Nobody's perfect, and we all have problems. Everybody has something to improve in their lives whether it's changing a negative habit or losing weight, the only way to achieve is beating negative thinking by a positive attitude.

Too often, we tend to find good reasons to justify ourselves.
For some reason, many people will not admit the real cause of their overeating and will make up all kinds of excuses such as: "My parents are fat so that's why I'm fat, it's hereditary." or "I have a very stubborn metabolism, it's so slow." Making excuses not to eat right or exercise regularly is only a way to justifying why you can't change.

Do we inherit fat?
You grow up not knowing the right way to eat and you grow up overweight. In fact, it’s a pretty good bet that your overeating habits are identical to your parents’ and that your figure much resembles theirs. Actually, what really happens is that we inherit the bad eating habits of those we grow up with. While obesity is sometimes hereditary, it can be controlled by good eating habits, exercise and a positive mental attitude.

What is Metabolism and how does it affect your body?
You eat food, the body then goes through a process of breaking down all the food and turning it into usable energy to keep you going. To maintain a healthy weight, you need to balance your energy IN and your energy OUT. More "in" than "out" = overweight problems. The majority of us has a normally regulated metabolism but many want to think it's slow as a reason for their weight gain. For too many people, the result of sedentary living is a losing battle against those extra pounds. Through moderate daily exercise you will eat less and therefore lose the extra pounds.

Others may say "I can't afford to be thin".
Our supermarkets are filled with convenient, tasteless plastic foods. Shopping carts are overflowing with precooked, ready made, frozen foods with lost nutritional values. All of these are high-cost and high-fattening foods. You can afford to eat right and you can't afford not to!

Emotional eaters will use food to manage their feelings because food relieves tension. When focusing on food, it distracts our minds from uncomfortable feelings (boredom, stress, anxiety, loneliness...) that we would rather not tolerate. We reach for food whenever we don't feel good about ourselves and emotional eating becomes an ingrained habit.

The first step is to figure out what triggers your emotional eating and learn how to deal with the worries and stress that cause your overeating. Figure out why you are frustrated or upset and begin looking for a cure to the problem. Whatever is bothering you mentally needs some fresh air - not a bag of chips. Talk them out. Discuss them with family or friends and if you don't want to talk about it, do something, get active.

Begin understanding yourself and your needs. Before reaching for another piece of cake, ask yourself "Am I really hungry?" or before you automatically pop something into your mouth keep asking yourself "Why am I feeling hungry?" Learn to recognize your hunger. Don't be scared to question yourself and get to the bottom of the problem.

Keep a food journal. By tracking your eating habits, it will help you see your consumption level and understand what triggers your binges. Make a list of other things you can do. Try going for a walk, cleaning the house, exercising, calling a friend or listen to music.

Never focus on dieting or weight loss!
If you feel out of control around food, stop being obsessed with your weight. Most diets require you to ban your favorite foods leaving you unsatisfied and setting off negative feelings. Diet deprivation only sets up cravings and causes you to eat more than you really need to. Just forget about dieting and focus on self-care, eating well and being fit.

Start focusing on changing your lifestyle habits by eating healthy, exercising regularly while keeping a positive attitude. The day you stop being obsessed with your weight, will be the day of your success. Remember one thing, you have control over your life and it's your decision to change your lifestyle. You're worth it!

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