We humans are pleasure seekers. In fact, in order to ensure our survival, there are mechanisms embedded in our genes that “wire” us to seek pleasure, avoid pain and conserve energy. Unfortunately, since nature’s plan for guiding us towards survival and reproduction is a system dependent on what feels good, the door is wide open
loving ourselves
Happy International No Diet Day
May 6, 2015 – Posted in: diet mentality dieting Elimination Diet emotional eating gratitude hope identifying emotions and needs overeating, dieting, weight loss perfectionism recovery resolving emotional eating self connection self-acceptance self-compassion self-defeating thinking self-doubt self-love self-worth stress and overeatingI bet you didn't know that today is International No Diet Day. Well it is, and its observed annually on May 6th. It's a day dedicated to raise awareness regarding the dangers of dieting and to celebrate body acceptance and body shape diversity. Despite the entrenchment of the diet mentality in our culture, research demonstrates that diets don't
Is Your Eating an Act of Rebellion?
October 7, 2014 – Posted in: compassion depression despair disappointment embracing emotions emotional eating forgiveness grief grieving hurts identifying emotions and needs loneliness and overeating losses and disappointments old pain overeating, dieting, weight loss painful childhood memories perfectionism rebellion reducing stress resentments resolving emotional eating self connection self-acceptance self-compassion self-love self-worth stress eating trauma Uncategorized unmourned losses weight loss worthiness wounds from childhoodShirley, 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
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
Do You Feel Worthy of Self-Love?
May 10, 2014 – Posted in: adjusting expectations compassion emotional eating forgiveness losses and disappointments overeating, dieting, weight loss perfectionism procrastination resolving emotional eating self connection self-acceptance self-love self-worth unmourned losses weight loss worthiness wounds from childhoodWe'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 of worthiness. I asked the
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,
Do you feel worthy of self-love?
February 14, 2013 – 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 worthinessWe'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
Do you have an inner nurturing voice?
April 28, 2012 – Posted in: compassion emotional eating identifying emotions and needs overeating, dieting, weight loss reducing stress self connection self-love stress and overeating Uncategorized weight lossWhen the adult voices of our childhood are primarily warm, kind, encouraging, hopeful, validating, soothing and nurturing, we begin to develop a supportive voice within that can restore us to emotional balance when needed. As we mature into adulthood, this supportive voice becomes the voice of what I call our Inner Nurturer, our main source of validation, approval and
All you need is love
February 14, 2012 – Posted in: compassion emotional eating forgiveness hope loneliness and overeating self-acceptance self-love self-worth stress and overeating Uncategorized unrealistic expectationsIn the previous blog article, I asked if you felt worthy of self-love. Hopefully you're putting into practice some of the exercises I suggested and you're beginning to connect to yourself in a more loving way. Today is Valentine's Day and I'd like you to take self-love one step further. I invite you to be your own valentine.
Resolve to be kind to and patient with yourself this New Year
January 11, 2012 – Posted in: adjusting expectations emotional eating hopelessness losses and disappointments losses and disappointments overeating, dieting, weight loss resolving emotional eating self connection Uncategorized unrealistic expectations weight lossDid you make any New Year's resolutions this year about losing weight, getting in shape or stopping your emotional eating? If your like most Americans, you made one or more resolutions along those lines. And now, almost two weeks into the new year, you may be wondering where all those good intentions have gone. I've
