UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVE YOUR HEALTH GOALS

You need more than food, oxygen and water to live a healthy life. Learning to differentiate between your needs and your wants will benefit your total health in the long run. You need food; however, you don’t need to eat a whole box of donuts. You ate a whole box of donuts because you wanted something.

FOOD FUELS YOUR BODY

You need food to nourish your body and that makes it initially difficult to handle when you begin your weight loss journey. However, as you begin to re-train yourself to pay attention to your triggers and consistently practice the healthy habits that you have re-discovered, you will get stronger (mentally). You will learn to recognize when the need to eat is a want for something else.

emotional eating OFTEN LEADS TO WEIGHT GAIN

Are you an emotional eater? Do you often eat when you are frustrated, anxious, or tense (F.A.T.). Has the years of using food to treat your emotional discomfort or pain caused you to gain weight?

Learn how to handle your emotions by becoming mindful, sit with your emotions (improve your distress tolerance) and note them without judging or taking action. Unfuse the emotion from your thought by practicing other cognitive defusion techniques and gain the clarity to make healthier choices. Also remember that you are creating your emotions and feelings by what you believe and think.

feeling HELPLESS CAN CAUSE FRUSTRATION

I know the pain and frustration of wanting to lose weight only to be sabotaged by beliefs, emotions, feelings and thoughts. However, when you learn to utilize the above techniques and combine them with either deep breathing practices, meditation, prayer, or yoga, you will find the strength to change and/or replace the unhealthy habits with habits that lead to improvement of your total health.

YOUR WEIGHT IS A SYMPTOM of your underlying health

Understand that your weight is a symptom of more than what you eat. How your brain functions as well as your improper handling of your emotions play a role in your weight issues.

Now that you are equipped with these tools, use them to create the positive lifestyle change you desire. You can accomplish your goal with P.A.C.S. (patience, acceptance, consistency, and support). Lean on your support (a close friend, coach, accountability buddy, God, or counselor) especially when you are vulnerable (tired or stressed).

EVERYONE NEEDS SOMEONE, ACCEPT THAT REALITY AND STOP BELIEVING THAT YOU HAVE TO GO IT ALONE!