Emotional Eating: A Prime Ingredient for Obesity

Sandra found her weight ballooning 60 pounds after her separation from her husband.  While part of the weight gain was apparently tied to the medication she was taking, the rest appeared to be the result of what can be described as emotional eating.  In recent years, greater attention has been focused on the problem of emotional eating for both women and men.  In fact, some experts have gone so far as to claim that most weight gain can be blamed on emotional eating.  According to Women Today magazine, it has been estimated that as much as 75 percent of overeating is attributed to the emotions. 

For a number of people, overeating stems from anxiety.  For instance, if you find yourself consuming an entire bag of potato chips, it’s possible that anxiety is the cause.  While many people realize that alcohol and illegal drugs are not an antidote to anxiety, they may not understand that indulging in comfort food in order to combat anxiety can be dangerous as well.

In other cases, overeating may be the result of depression.  If you feel tired, hopeless, and have lost interest in your normal activities, you may be suffering from a depressive episode.  In order to deal with these uncomfortable feelings, people may turn to food in an effort to cheer up.  The problem is that the food can lead to weight gain, which can lead to further depression.

At times, overeating may be a symptom of boredom.  An individual may figure that he or she has nothing better to do than overeat.  This can be particularly true when one is watching television or surfing the Internet.  Rather than trying to determine a cause for the boredom, an individual may just try to “fix” it by indulging in high-fat, high-calorie food.

How do you know if you are an emotional eater?  Ask yourself some key questions:  Do I tend to eat when I’m worried?  Scared?  Sad?  Do I find that eating lifts my spirits?  Am I spending more time eating than engaging in other activities I enjoy?  Do my binges come after I’ve suffered disappointment?  Am I turning to food in order to deal with the death of a loved one…a divorce…or the defeat of my favorite team?  If the answers to any of these questions is “yes,” you may be overeating purely for emotional reasons.

After you’ve identified yourself as an emotional eater, you’ll need to take steps to correct your behavior.  Perhaps the most effective technique is diversion.  In other words, if you find yourself reaching for the cookie jar, find another activity to engage in.  The answer could be taking a walk, kickboxing, or dancing.  Or it could be something less physically demanding, such as needlepoint or crochet.  The idea is to get your hands…and perhaps the rest of your body…moving.  In time, you might find the urge to overeat subsides as you become involved with other activities.

Another effective step you can take is to identify the triggers for your emotional eating.  Do you tend to binge in mid-morning, mid-afternoon, or right before bedtime?  Are you snacking while watching television, while at the computer, or when you’re sitting in your favorite chair?  By asking yourself these questions, you can identify the time of day when you overeat, as well as the location for your binging.  With this information, you can learn to re-direct your behavior to less fattening pursuits. 

Yet another helpful technique is to develop a support network to help you combat overeating.  The members of your support team could include your spouse, children, parents, friends, or other over-eaters.  You may even consider joining a support group which specializes in helping those who engage in binge eating.  If you feel the need to overeat, contact a member of your support team.  Talking through your emotions could provide you with the emotional release you need, making overeating unnecessary.

If your anxiety or depression persists, consider seeing a psychotherapist.  He or she can help you develop more effective coping mechanisms.  If you find it difficult to talk to friends or family about your overeating, a psychotherapist can provide you with the talk therapy you need to overcome your problem.

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Learning to Say No—The Secret to Weight Loss

From the time you were a child, you might have been a people pleased.  You tried to ace your schoolwork in order to win your parents’ approval…you practiced soccer for hours on end to win a vote of support from your coach…or you diligently practiced your piano chords in order to earn the gratitude of your music teacher.  There’s nothing wrong with aiming to please.  It can make you a respected leader, a valued friend, a comforting mentor.  However, it should be recognized that some food addictions begin with an inability to say “no.”

It might have begun with a Thanksgiving during your childhood when your mother asked if you wanted a second helping of mashed potatoes.  Or a teacher at your elementary school might have given you a gold star if you cleaned your plate.  You were probably taught that it is wrong to waste food and that a hearty appetite was a good thing.  The problem is, such cues from your environment might have caused you to learn the wrong lessons when it came to food consumption.

In our society, many people have difficulty saying “no.”  They want to be part of the crowd and they don’t want to stand out for non-participation.  They will do all they can to blend in and that leads them to say “yes” more times than they’d like to.  In fact, the epidemic of alcohol and drug abuse may be due in part to the refusal of many people to say “no.”

Admitting that you have a problem over committing yourself is the first step to progress.  It shows that you have a great deal of insight into your own problems with food and you want to change your bad habits and replace them with admirable ones.  But this can be difficult, given the fact that so many families have a number of rituals involving food.  Also, unlike cigarettes or marijuana, food is not considered inherently bad—nor should it be.   However, you need to learn how to use food effectively.

Part of your training begins with learning the power of “no” or “no thank you.”  You need to learn to assert yourself, to recognize that you do not have to go along in order to get along.  You realize that you are doing yourself no favors by accepting extra helpings of pasta—in fact, you could be doing your body a great deal of harm.  The key now is to do something about it.

What’s the best way to undergo assertiveness training?  One method you can use is role-playing.  Practice saying “no” to extra servings with the help of a friend playing the role of adversary.  In this “pretend” situation, you may feel more comfortable saying “no.”  You will also learn that saying “no” isn’t the end of the world; that you will not automatically lose friends by taking a “negative” stance.

Another trick you might use is making sure that you do not slouch while sitting at the table for your meals.  Slouching indicates defeat—a belief that a situation is hopeless.  With your head held high you will gain the confidence you need to say “no”—and to mean it. 

Yet another effective strategy is to keep a journal recording your thoughts after you’ve said “no”—either to more food or to a commitment you just can’t handle at this time.  Putting your feelings in writing can be quite cathartic.  It can also help you with problem-solving, enabling you to figure out ways that you can say “no” without hurting another person’s feelings.

Something else you will need to learn is that it is not necessary for you to fulfill another person’s expectations.  In other words, whether your Aunt Mary thinks you’re eating enough really doesn’t matter.  If you recognize that you are overweight, Aunt Mary’s opinion shouldn’t be taken into account.  You must do what you think is best in order to take control of your eating.  Assertiveness will not happen immediately.  But, with practice, you can learn to say “no” like a pro.  And you—and your waistline—will be better off as a result of what you’ve learned.

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Green Tea The Miracle Weight Loss Drink

Green Tea

Do you deprivation to pour off those added pounds you're carrying? Do you requirement to someone a better perception embody? Now, fill are so into fast fads, much as the great accelerator low carbohydrate diet that they don't couple that this is not real growing for the embody. It may slim you feather, but you present put so such afflict in your kidneys and liver that the insides of your embody may not be as thriving as you might imagine it is. If you rattling poverty a rosy body and also a slimmer one, then eat the justness kinds of food and imbibe, naive tea. For thousands of years, the Sinusitis and the Nipponese love been ingestion this miracle inebriate because of its medicinal properties. Only latterly, this tea has been introduced to the westside and it definitely was a outstanding hit. Today, you faculty see all sorts of fill crapulence greenish tea. From the elderly, to region older group and equal teens, virtually everyone is now intemperance this miracle tea.

So, what's so unspoiled most it and how can it helpfulness you worsen metric?

Forward of all, unengaged tea is notable to include physical antioxidants that helps pugilism someone. And, if that's not conclude sufficiency for you to nutrient this tea, then added cerebrate is that it helps adipose group to decline unit.

If you are obesity, then you leave definitely require to drinkable this tea as it has properties that naturally provide the body exhaust fat and at the aforesaid experience, living the embody wholesome.

The minuscule abstraction almost this tea is that it has vital vitamins that helps rise the metastasis appraise of your body. This capital that you module be fit to make fat such statesman expeditiously and change it in to drive. Parenthesis from increasing your body's efficiency to mar fat and convert it in to force, it faculty evidently head you writer physical and statesman alive.

So, if you are somatesthesia rattling weary or you conclude that you impoverishment an redundant aid of life, then you give need to deglutition chromatic tea. By doing so, you module be careful that you give appear the difference. You will seem as if you beggary to do something physiological, such as travail and you faculty see as if you are so filled of strength that you can expend all day at the gym having an intensive utilize possess a higher metastasis value, you testament be fit to produce writer fat overmuch statesman expeditiously. Com-mix grooming, then you testament definitely be healthy to lose weight often faster. Notwithstanding, it doesn't needs link that ambition immature tea faculty make you turn overnight. You comfort condition to play calculating and practice. You score to name that this brew give not m

{Another uppercase attribute near this tea is that it helps cell the bad cholesterol out. It gift tight it module alter the try of bleeding and bosom disease for a better body that can oppose tight utilize.

This is how veggie tea activity. If you necessary to retrogress weight the spontaneous way, then eat justice, utilize and drinking at lowest quartet cups of veggie tea a day.

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The Psychology of Weight Loss

 

You see the razor-thin models gracing the covers of magazines…you watch actors and actresses on the big screen who seem to never gain a pound.  And you wonder:  How do I differ from them?  You may be surprised to learn that a number of famous people at one time had difficulty maintaining a healthy weight.  But they were able to conquer their problem, thanks to a new-and-improved, healthy view of eating.

You may not realize it, but there is a certain psychology at work in successful weight loss.  It is no surprise, then, that the magazine Psychology Today has explored the issue in-depth.  In October of 2004, the magazine posted an article on its website detailing the experiences of Diane Berry, a nurse practitioner who studied women who had shed at least 15 pounds and had maintained their weight loss for an average of seven years. 

The women shared some important things in common.  For instance, they all achieved their weight loss through either Weight Watchers or TOPS, which meant that they had a firm support network as they tried to maintain their weight.  The group meetings were highly important, because they learned to recognize that they were certainly not alone in their struggles with weight.   The women were also quite unusual because up to 90 percent of individuals who have lost weight end up putting it back on within five years.  

Another common trait of these women is that they appeared to undergo a profound mood shift as they made the transition from fat to thin.  From all indications, they appeared to be depressed when they were heavy but, as they attempted to lose weight, their mood brightened. 

For these women, healthy eating became a habit—a habit they refused to break.  They themselves recognized the tremendous role that psychology plays in weight loss.  They refused to give in to negative feelings of frustration and denial and chose a positive path instead.  The women also made it a point to weigh themselves regularly so that they could chart their progress.

And they recognized that maintaining weight loss would be a lifetime struggle.  They knew that they could not attempt a weight loss program then put it back on the shelf.  They had to learn new eating patterns that they could continue week in and week out.  In some cases, they likened their struggle to that of an alcoholic.  In other words, they recognized the gravity of their problem and took steps to correct the situation. 

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of these women’s experiences was the fact that their weight loss actually came in spurts.  At times, they regained their weight, but they did not let that deter them from their final goal.  They simply viewed their setbacks as challenges that they needed to overcome.  This may be the key psychological trait that separates successful dieters from unsuccessful ones—perseverance.   In essence, these women were able to change their personalities in a positive way in order to achieve their long-term weight loss goals.

Another interesting aspect of this study was that it showed that the women who had undergone weight loss transformation were genuinely happy.  This shows the tremendous psychological impact that weight loss can have on an individual.  Once an individual is free from the burden of extra weight, he or she is better able to meet the challenges of life head-on.  The dieter benefits from positive reinforcement, as relatives, friends, and co-workers congratulate him or her for the weight loss.  In this way, losing weight can be quite a life-affirming experience and can lead to a more optimistic outlook on life.

It must be noted here that the psychology of weight loss is a complicated matter.  There is no single ingredient that can turn a fat person into a thin one.  However, recognizing that there is a psychological component to successful weight loss may, in fact, be half the battle.  Once an individual recognizes that he or she is engaged in a psychological fight, he or she is better able to do battle.  By retraining oneself to seek healthy approaches to diet, one can, in effect, mold oneself into a new individual—one that no longer lives to eat, but simply eats to live.  

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The Raw Food Diet: Will It Work for You?

A relatively new food trend has appeared on the diet landscape.  It’s known as the raw food approach, and from California to Connecticut, the trend appears to be gaining strength.  The centerpiece of the diet is uncooked, highly nutritious foods.  The idea behind the diet is that a number of foods lose nutritional value when they are cooked.
For the most part, those who subscribe to the raw food diet eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes.   Beverages consist of unpasteurized milk, water, juice, and tea, but the diet excludes beer and liquor.   It is a revolutionary way to eat, and many of those who use it say it keeps them thin and healthy.
However, while the raw diet is rich in some nutrients, it lacks others.  For instance, it tends to exclude such vitally important nutrients as protein, iron, and calcium.  Therefore, it may not be an appropriate diet over the long term.  Also, one disadvantage to the raw food diet is that the food tends to be loaded with pesticides.  Therefore, it might be best to consume only organic raw food.
For health reasons, the diet is not recommended for children, women who are pregnant, people suffering from osteoporosis, and those who are anemic.  Critics of the diet also note that it can be extremely time consuming trying to prepare food with all the chopping and blending that’s involved.  As a result, a raw food diet isn’t for everyone.
If you decide to turn to a raw food diet, you may have to have supplements to make up for the nutrients you are not getting.  These supplements include vitamin B12, zinc, copper, and chromium.   Also, since proteins from plants do not have as many amino acids as animal protein, you’ll have to consume a number of different raw foods in order to remain healthy. 
Some medical experts have suggested that a raw food diet is a good antidote to eating disorders.  This is because such food provides nutrition without creating fat.  Eating raw foods can give you a positive outlook on food in general, enabling you to combat psychological addictions to fatty and high sugar foods.
Some supporters of the raw food diet believe that some raw foods are superior to others.  These experts recommend focusing on fruits and vegetables and eating only minimal amounts of nuts and seeds.  They also say that the fresher the food, the better.  In other words, the best raw foods come from your own garden rather than from a supermarket.
At this point, it might be helpful to say some additional words about proteins.  According to the World Health Organization, people need to consume five percent of their calories from protein.  Interestingly enough, five percent of the calories in fruit are derived from protein, while as much as half of the calories from vegetables are protein-based.  Beans and grains derive about a quarter of their calories from protein.   Backers of the raw food diet insist that raw foods provide a better source of protein than cooked foods, since the cooking process itself may make as much as half of all protein unusable.
Some medical experts see great benefits in the raw food diet.  In addition to enabling weight loss, the diet can ostensibly increase one’s metabolism, making calorie burning easier.  One’s immune system can become stronger, and the body may rid itself of harmful toxins while following the raw foods program.  The raw foods diet is also advertised as a stress-reliever and a method for enhancing digestion.  The diet may enable you to balance your PH level and lessen your risk of heart disease.  Some dieters even claim that the raw food regimen improves the look of their skin.  Finally, the diet is seen as a healthy way of responding to hunger.
If you decide to try the raw food diet, you should attempt to plan your meals in advance.  That way, you can assure yourself that you are receiving the maximum amount of nutrients.  Also, those who follow the diet recommend eating fruit early in the day in order to boost your energy level and improve your digestion.

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Childhood Obesity—The Modern Health Dilemma

You see it on the playgrounds, at roller rinks, at swimming pools, and in classrooms.  Obesity is a modern health dilemma for today’s children, who are struggling with weight as never before.  It is a difficult problem to combat, given the fact that you want to make sure that your children are receiving sufficient amounts of nutrients in their diets.  While some children may outgrow obesity, others carry it with them into their adult lives.  Obesity in children can result in feelings of fatigue, worthlessness, and hopelessness.  It can also place them at greater risk for diabetes and heart disease.
Just how widespread is the problem?  The National Institutes of Health has determined that, over the last thirty years, the number of young people with weight problems has increased two fold.  Interestingly enough, the problem is affecting children of all ages as well as children from all ethnic groups.
Children who are overweight may not develop socially as fast as their peers.  They can become loners, finding it difficult to make friends.  They may think that their weight is beyond their control and they may not know what to do in order to attempt to prevent weight gain.  In essence, obese children can become our lost generation.
The parents of these children may not realize how detrimental obesity is to their children’s emotional health.  They may consider the obesity just a passing phase and they may not understand the psychological devastation that obesity can cause.  They may even dismiss the concerns of their children, hoping that the problem will simply go away.    
The causes of childhood obesity can be complex.  However, there do appear to be a few identifiable triggers.  For instance, many families now eat on the run because of their many commitments.  Parents may not think they have time to prepare nutritious meals for their children, so they rely on fast food and sugary snacks to fill in the gaps.  As a result, children end up eating a diet that’s rich in fat and sugar but which offers little in the way of nutritional value.    According to the American Obesity Association, one third of parents believe their children’s dietary habits are worse than theirs were during their own childhoods.
Another key problem is inactivity.  Children watch more than a full day’s worth of television each week.  That’s in addition to the hours they devote to their computers.  As a result, they’re not playing outside as much as children of generations past.  Also, many children may feel as if they cannot participate in sports because of their weight.  Feeling defeated before they even start, they pass up opportunities to engage in physical activities.
It has been shown that children tend to be heavily influenced by advertising.  Unfortunately, many commercials tout foods that can be best classified as unhealthy.  Children crave what they see on TV and in movie theaters and they may not realize what these foods will do to their bodies.
Luckily, childhood obesity can be successfully conquered.  Here are a few tips to help your child overcome a weight problem: Encourage your child to take part in sports or dance.  If your son or daughter is self-conscious about being a part of a team, exercise with him or her.  Take out a ball and shoot a few hoops or turn on the stereo and begin to dance.  You may be surprised that, with just a little encouragement, your child will get up and start moving.
Consider limiting TV time.  Research clearly shows that TV time is unproductive time for children and teens.  If your children spend less time watching TV, they may spend more time exercising.
Ban junk food from your home.  With a little push, children will become accustomed to eating healthy snacks such as fruit and vegetables.Check with your child’s pediatrician to see if he or she can recommend some specific weight control strategies.Childhood obesity is a problem, but it is not insurmountable.  The greater the interest you show in your child’s diet and exercise regimen, the more influence you will have over your child.  In time, your child can learn the strategies necessary for a healthy life.

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