Shirley, a 37-year-old wife and mother, looks forward to her nightly binges.They are the only time she feels totally free and in control of her life. She resents the fact that her husband doesn’t earn more money and that she has to work full-time while raising their three-year old. She’d like to have another child before time runs out, but can’t
stress eating
Are you eating over losses and disappointments?
September 30, 2014 – 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 childhoodMost 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
Ten Steps for Beating Food Addiction
August 15, 2014 – Posted in: blood sugar imbalances brain chemistry imbalances delaying gratification emotional eating food addiction food allergies high insulin levels insulin resistance mood disorders overeating, dieting, weight loss reducing stress resolving emotional eating stress and overeating stress eating sugar addiction weight lossHow many times have you vowed, on a Sunday night or Monday morning, to start the week clean and stop eating foods containing sugar or flour, stop eating fried foods or rich dairy products, or drinking alcohol, soda and other caffeinated or sugary beverages? Probably more times than you care to admit. So what happens to
Setting Limits Means Delaying Gratification
August 30, 2013 – Posted in: delaying gratification emotional eating overeating, dieting, weight loss overwhelm procrastination resolving emotional eating self-love stress and overeating stress eating weight lossM. Scott Peck, MD, author of The Road Less Traveled,defines delaying gratification as "a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with." Most children learn the skill of delaying gratification early in life,
Loneliness and emotional eating–Part I
August 31, 2011 – Posted in: adjusting expectations depression despair emotional eating greiving loneliness and overeating overeating, dieting, weight loss stress and overeating stress eating weight lossMy 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?
August 15, 2011 – 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 childhoodAfter 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
Hope is everything
June 29, 2011 – Posted in: dieting emotional eating flexibility greiving grief grieving hurts losses and disappointments losses and disappointments old pain old pain overeating, dieting, weight loss painful childhood memories reducing stress stress and overeating stress eating trauma Uncategorized unmourned losses unmourned losses weight loss wounds from childhoodThe Random House College Dictionary defines hope as "the feeling that what is desired is also possible or that events may turn out for the best." It's certainly easy to have hope when everything is going your way--you just landed a great job, met the man/woman of your dreams, lost a lot of weight or won the lottery.
Are you overeating because your life lacks purpose or meaning?
June 11, 2011 – Posted in: dieting emotional eating flexibility losses and disappointments overeating, dieting, weight loss painful childhood memories stress and overeating stress eating Uncategorized weight loss wounds from childhoodNothing feels better than waking up and looking forward to the day. Life feels worth living. We feel a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction because our life has purpose and feels meaningful. And even better if we feel inspired and passionate about what we're doing. We can feel purpose and meaning from many types of
