Do you believe that dieting actually helps you lose weight? It is a known fact that for most people, dieting is stressful, unsatisfying and frustrating. And these are the same irritants that make people want to eat too much in the first place. Stress, alone, can induce gorging on too much and too many of the wrong foods.
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Stress-Eating
We tend to head straight to Starbucks, the local bakery or ice cream shop in times of stress. I know I do! Feeling bad is not a good excuse to further punish and abuse yourself. What that cycle does is create more of the same– stress-eating and then self-abuse. This self-defeating behavior will more than likely put the weight on rather than take it off.
What To Do
First of all, check in with yourself and see what is really going on inside of you. Chances are you may not even be hungry, but just want to stuff what you are feeling with food. This is so common in most of us that volumes of books have been written on this issue. “Wherever you go, there you are.” In other words, you can’t run and hide from yourself because you take you everywhere you go all the time.
What Do I Do Instead?
Exercise!. Go look at a beautiful sunset or the ocean. Read. Take yourself away in a good book that literally transports you to another place. There are so many alternatives to eating the wrong way. And there are so many healthy ways in which to feed and nurture ourselves. Buy yourself something that you like that is affordable, even if is only a momentary pleasure. And here’s another idea! Write about whatever it is you feel and get it outside of yourself. It is extremely therapeutic, helpful and can give you insight into what really makes you tick.
What Other Help is There?
There are counselors who will meet your budget, and there are programs like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and Over-Eaters Anonymous that are specialized, renown and available for everyone. No one has to go on this journey alone. Over-eating is a serious problem all over the world, but especially in the United States, which has the highest obesity statistics in the world.
These problems can be addressed, acknowledged and surmounted. All it takes is the awareness of the issues we face and a willingness to find a way through them. We are the captains of our own ships and we have the power to make healthy choices!
To Diet or Not To Diet?
The answer is: dieting is not the answer. Right thinking, feeling and an understanding of ourselves are the answers to eating badly, too much and creating more unhappiness and self-deprecation. And there is a lot of help out there. Google for help and you will find it!
