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Are you eating over losses and disappointments?

– Posted in: depression despair embracing emotions emotional eating grief grieving identifying emotions and needs loneliness and overeating losses and disappointments old pain overeating, dieting, weight loss painful childhood memories resentments resolving emotional eating self-love stress eating unmourned losses weight loss worthiness wounds from childhood

Most of us don't like to spend much time thinking about our losses and disappointments or painful childhood experiences.Yet, without much effort, they are brought to the forefront of our minds when something in our environment triggers thoughts of them. We see a happy couple and think "Oh, yeah, I had a loving relationship with

Do You Turn To Food When You’re In A Transition?

– Posted in: delaying gratification depression dieting emotional eating loneliness and overeating overeating, dieting, weight loss procrastination resolving emotional eating stress and overeating transitions weight loss

The Random House College Dictionary defines a transition as "a change from one position, state, stage, subject or concept to another." Many emotional eaters have difficulty with transitions and turn to food as a way to comfort and soothe themselves during the transition process. Here are a few examples of what I call "transition eating":

Do you feel worthy of self-love?

– Posted in: adjusting expectations compassion depression emotional eating forgiveness gratitude greiving overeating, dieting, weight loss perfectionism resolving emotional eating self-acceptance self-love self-worth weight loss worthiness

We've all heard it said that you can't love anyone else until you love yourself. And although we know there's truth to this old adage, most of us persist in looking for love outside of ourselves, often in all the wrong places. In one of my emotional eating groups this week, we discussed the concept

Spiritual Depletion and Emotional Eating–Part I

– Posted in: depression despair emotional eating hopelessness loneliness and overeating overeating, dieting, weight loss spiritual connection Uncategorized

Just as a wholesome meal nourishes our body, spirituality nourishes our soul.  The spiritual component of well-being involves a search for meaning, serenity and joy that goes beyond our day-to-day concerns.  You may be sensing that some deeper longing or hunger within you is fueling your emotional eating.  Perhaps the concept of spiritual depletion resonates with

Do you tend to emotionally overeat when the days get shorter and darker?

– Posted in: brain chemistry imbalances depression emotional eating mood disorders overeating, dieting, weight loss reducing stress Seasonal Affective Disorder stress and overeating

At this time of year, many of my clients come in complaining of the shorter, darker days.  Understandably so.  It's not just that the Summer has ended and the longer, lazy days are behind us.  With this particular season change, those who suffer from mild to moderate mood disorders (especially depressive and bipolar) can all of

Loneliness and emotional eating–Part I

– Posted in: adjusting expectations depression despair emotional eating greiving loneliness and overeating overeating, dieting, weight loss stress and overeating stress eating weight loss

My client Alexis (name-changed), a forty-four year old web designer, has been single her entire life.  Without partner or child, she often feels invisible at social gatherings filled with couples and families.  Her parents passed away in the last few years and as an only child without much extended family, she often feels a painful, overwhelming and

The emotional eater’s expectations: are they realistic?

– Posted in: adjusting expectations depression emotional eating greiving hurts losses and disappointments old pain old pain overeating, dieting, weight loss reducing stress stress and overeating stress eating unmourned losses wounds from childhood

After spending Saturday afternoon with a close friend, Jackie came home and baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies.  The time spent with her friend Carol did not feel nourishing.  The two dishes of ice cream and the plate of hot, fresh baked cookies did. Just baking the cookies felt more nourishing than spending time with Carol. Jackie knew that an afternoon with Carol meant