Finally - you are alone. No one else is around. Maybe you've waited until they are all soundly asleep. You find yourself in the kitchen sneaking food. Sometimes it's cake, sometimes it's ice cream. Other times you're standing in front of the refrigerator eating leftovers without a plate. Once in a while, you plan ahead, stocking up on your favorite goodies on the drive home.
Almost in a trance-like state, you begin eating the foods you don't want anyone to know you eat... in volumes you don't want anyone to know you want. You eat quickly, not wanting to get caught. The irony is that you're not really enjoying the food, you're not really hungry, and you don't know why you are doing it. Initially there is a sense of freedom, exhilaration, and relief. But something odd also occurs. When eating becomes secretive, it becomes both more exciting and more difficult to give up. A devastating cycle begins. The lure of sneak eating progresses, but so does the sense of guilt and failure. Of course, this leads to more sneak eating and on it goes. It becomes a overwhelming cycle that generates a life of it's own.
EMOTIONAL NEEDS
Sneak eating is a metaphor for real needs. These are needs that are typically not addressed. We think we shouldn't have them. Or we don't know how to deal with them. It's usually a time we can be alone, with all our wants and desires. It is a time we don't have to pretend to be capable, competent, pleasant, likeable, strong, and without needs. It is a time to be entirely self-centered, where you don't have to take care of the needs of anyone else and can focus completely on yourself.
Sneak eating is about hunger. Hunger that develops because of the deprivation of strict diets, restrictive food plans, and the list of "bad" foods that you "shouldn't" be eating. Sneak eating is also a substitute for emotional comfort. A way to nurture the unaddressed feelings of shame, guilt, low self-esteem and loneliness. These feelings may be with you most of the day. It is only when the pace slows down, that the emotions begin to emerge. Not knowing how to handle these powerful emotions, eating follows. Eating in isolation can be a way of stuffing down emotions that seem overwhelming. Eating alone can provide down time without the interruption of family, work, or other responsibilities.
THE 10 MOST POWERFUL FEELINGS YOU EAT TO KILL
1. Hurt
2. Guilt
3. Anger
4. Shame
5. Lonely
6. Anxiety
7. Self-hate
8. Disappointment
9. Emptiness
10. Deprivation
These feelings are normal for every human being. We each need to take the time, and learn the skills, to sit with our emotions. Recognize that it is essential to know what is going on within our bodies. Know that you are important enough to take the time to be still and be with who we really are. Every person has wants, needs, and desires. We need time to focus solely on ourselves and satisfy our needs. Many of us were taught that these things were selfish and unimportant. We learned to disconnect and hide, lie and make excuses about our needs. We pretend we don't need or want pleasure. We substitute food for what we really needed in life. We end up with a love/hate relationship with food. We try to force ourselves not to eat, especially not to sneak eat. And we punish and criticize ourselves for not being able to stop.
Recognize that sneak eating is not about your having shameful desires that cannot be controlled. Instead, sneak eating indicates that you have healthy, natural, human longings that you were not taught how to address.
QUESTIONS
There are a variety of things you can do to help build-up your willpower and let go of the need to sneak eat. Discover what motivates your behavior by asking yourself a few questions as each incident occurs.
* Where are you when you sneak eat?
* What were you thinking about right before you ate it?
* What were you feeling before you began eating?
* What need is this food filling (or stuffing) in your life?
* What else, other than food, would fill the wants and desires that you have?
* What is it that you really need?
Answering these questions and keeping a journal of your answers for future reference will help you understand what prompts your behavior. Your journal entries will serve as a starting place towards noting ideas. These ideas will help you work towards solutions once you are able to more readily recognize your pattern.
Dr. Annette Colby, RD
Nutrition Therapist & Master Energy Healer
For free inspirational newsletter, articles & info visit: http://www.lovingmiracles.com
972.985.8750
"Opening Creative Portals to Success"
If you are overweight and searching for the diet program... Read More
Are you ready to lose some weight? Perhaps you're surfing... Read More
Yes and no. Moderate calorie restriction helps in controlling and... Read More
The loss of fat comes from fat cells all over... Read More
The Sour Truth -------------------------- Question: I had a baby 6... Read More
Many gastric bypass patients report frequent spells of dizziness. In... Read More
One common question I receive is, "What do you do... Read More
If you are a fan of horse racing, you are... Read More
As I become acquainted with many of our LivingAfterWLS.com community... Read More
The overweight and obesity epidemic is a worldwide problem. There... Read More
There is no doubt about it; Americans are eating in... Read More
These treadmill weight loss tips are a great way to... Read More
If you've been on a low carb diet for any... Read More
In March 2003 our then 13 year old daughter, Helen,... Read More
Weight loss is never easy. Although this is stating the... Read More
In our quest to get that "perfect" body, we actually... Read More
Looking for Diet Programs on net is like looking for... Read More
There is no such thing as spot reducing. Any fat... Read More
The percentage of Americans who are overweight and obese is... Read More
Trash Your TV! is pleased to announce the easiest weight... Read More
Are you committed to losing weight and keeping it off?... Read More
From driving up your blood pressure and cholesterol, to increasing... Read More
It was bad enough hearing almost daily that obesity in... Read More
Summer is about to be in full swing, and it's... Read More
If only there were a 'better body boot camp', we'd... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..Do you want to lose weight fast? While there is... Read More
Cellulite is a condition for which cures are commonly sought.... Read More
No doubt about it, when we feel stressed we want... Read More
All of us that have had a love-hate relationship with... Read More
Getting enough of the good fats will help you lose... Read More
Dealing with your sweet-tooth can be one of the greatest... Read More
Weight loss plans come in all shapes and sizes. Some... Read More
Body Mass Index (bmi) A Misleading measure of ObesityMany professionals... Read More
? Can you give me an exercise that will get... Read More
More than any other time in history, people are all... Read More
Get to the ROOT of the matter: If the plants... Read More
Plan to eat two to three hours and pack health... Read More
It is not recommended to lose more than 1 pound... Read More
Can You Lose Weight Where You Want?If you have excess... Read More
To begin this article I must start with it's conclusion.The... Read More
After the post-Halloween sugar surge, everyone coaches you to get... Read More
There are a few different ways to determine if you... Read More
The perfect diet should be combined with a healthy weight... Read More
5 Easy Steps to A Healthier WeightAlthough different people have... Read More
The following are weight loss tips that you can start... Read More
I just finished working my quads on a weight machine.... Read More
It's really difficult for a person to socialise if he... Read More
Many people have asked me what foods they should eat... Read More
The main reasons most people have difficulty maintaining their ideal... Read More
This little known secret has been used by bodybuilders for... Read More
Weight Loss |