| Weight loss doesn’t have to be an emotional | | | | Internal emotional eating occurs when you plop |
| affair. Discovering your emotional eating habits | | | | down on the couch with a bag of munchies and |
| before you begin to lose weight can go a long | | | | say, “I’m bored” or “I’m |
| way in helping you lose weight, and keep the | | | | depressed.” A study by the Miriam Hospital's |
| weight off. | | | | Weight Control & Diabetes Research Center |
| Weight loss experts report you’ll gain | | | | found that “external emotional eaters” |
| confidence after you lose weight. Although true, | | | | were better at retaining their weight loss goals |
| science is proving that it’s more important for | | | | than the “internal emotional eaters.” |
| the success of your weight loss program that | | | | Internal emotional eaters end up regaining weight, |
| you gain confidence before dieting, or even during | | | | and go on and off endless weight loss programs |
| dieting, to be able to successfully reach your | | | | to continue losing weight. Recognizing your internal |
| weight loss goals. Emotional eating often leads to | | | | emotional eating habits gives you the knowledge |
| binge eating, particularly if you’ve been | | | | to fight emotional eating when your emotions try |
| denying yourself your favorite foods to lose | | | | to override your motivation to lose weight. |
| weight. Weight loss gets significantly more | | | | You may see yourself as a self-confident person, |
| challenging when you turn to food for boredom, | | | | however, after examining your diet patterns, you |
| loneliness, comfort, depression, insecurity, | | | | might find that you lack self-efficacy; which |
| celebration or anger. Losing weight to gain | | | | believes you have the ability to reach a specific |
| confidence means you have to gain confidence in | | | | goal. Self-efficacy was a contributing factor in a |
| your ability to lose weight first. | | | | Queensland University weight loss study. In this |
| Emotional eating is common, and some studies | | | | study, the women with higher rates of |
| estimate that 75% of the population participates | | | | self-efficacy were able to meet their dieting goals |
| in “emotional eating.” Short bursts of | | | | because they believed they could, and they |
| emotional eating certainly isn’t harmful to | | | | sought the education to do so. Gaining education, |
| healthy diets, but more often than not, our | | | | believing in you, and getting encouragement from |
| emotional eating doesn’t result in bingeing on | | | | others are recommended to increase self-efficacy |
| bowls full of celery sticks. If you’re thinking | | | | levels that would have a positive affect on a |
| about participating in a weight loss program to | | | | dieter’s weight loss program. |
| lose weight, or you’re currently trying to lose | | | | Weight loss plans must consider the emotional |
| weight with your own diet plan, keep of journal of | | | | aspect of losing weight. If emotional behaviors, |
| when you feel the need for “emotional | | | | weight loss education and dieting confidence are |
| eating” and what foods you typically eat | | | | gained at the beginning of the weight loss plan, |
| under the circumstances. Being aware of yourself | | | | the weight loss is more likely to stay lost. Science |
| and your habits is the first step when trying to | | | | is proving that if you believe you can lose weight, |
| lose weight with any weight loss plan. | | | | and then you’ll be able to do it. Start your |
| Stress can lead to overeating. This could be | | | | journal and get a grip on your emotional eating, |
| ingrained. Studies from Emory University showed | | | | especially while you’re trying to lose weight. |
| that subordinate monkeys ate more often, and | | | | Gain a few pounds of self-confidence, and lose a |
| ate more foods high in fat than the dominant | | | | few pounds of weight. If you need help, try a |
| females. Another factor is whether your | | | | weight loss program like the Atkins Diet Weight |
| emotional eating is “external” or | | | | Loss Program that has a strong support group. |
| “internal.” External emotional eating occurs | | | | You can control the food instead of letting it |
| if you eat more socially at parties, or overeat | | | | control you. Just learn and believe. |
| because you are with someone who is overeating. | | | | |