Have you tried every diet, lost the weight and then gained it back? Want to find out why diets don’t really work in the long run for most people?

Maybe you never had an issue with weight until you went to graduate school, where your were too busy studying to eat healthy. Perhaps it was after the birth of your first child. Then again, you started eating to ease the pain of a “break-up” and now you can’t seem to lose the weight.

diets won’t work until you know why

I tried just about every diet and/or weight loss program that was available: Medifast, Slim Fast, Nutri-System, Weight Watchers, Fasting, Jenny Craig, Zone, Atkins, NOOM, OTC appetite suppressants, Military and Cabbage diets, and Keto. I lost the weight strictly on will power and when my will power fizzled, I went back to same old eating habits and gained the weight back. I was on the diet roller coaster for many years (28 years) until 2018.

THE OBVIOUS reasons for weight gain

• Eating too many calories daily without enough energy expenditure (lack of exercise)
• Eating excessive amounts (binging) of food often
• Living a sedentary lifestyle (not enough physical activity in your life)
• Eating too close to bed time

WHY YOU EAT, MAY EXPLAIN WHY YOU GAIN WEIGHT

1. Do you eat for pleasure or strictly for nourishment?
2. Do you eat obsessively and at times you cannot seem to stop?
3. Does every commercial send you into the kitchen for something else to eat?
4. Do you eat when you are angry, anxious, frustrated or disappointed?

IF YOU ARE STILL READING, you probably answered yes to at least two questions

If you have lost the ability to recognize and respond appropriately to the normal physiological cues of hunger, then you are probably struggling with weight issues.

These cues normally help you to stop eating when you are full and satisfied.

WHAT INTERRUPTS THESE SIGNALS?

While there is evidence suggesting that genetics may play a role in some cases of weight gain, most experts agree that one’s emotional state may play a bigger role in weight gain for the majority of people struggling with weight issues.

Food has a long history of being used to provide comfort and to help ease the pain. Remember when you bruised your knee? After it was cleaned by Mom, you got a cookie. Social, cultural and psychological cues influence how, what, when and why we eat.

your body does not differnetiate between emotional and physical pain

You feel pain and you seek relief (it’s automatic). In fact, your defense mechanisms kick in to protect and/or prevent further hurt; however, there is the problem. While the “emotional pain” you are feeling is real, the solution you desire if not food. What you need to “ease the pain” are better skills to cope with the emotions that will allow you to get a different perspective to make healthier choices.

strategy to handle your emotions

• VALUES CARIFICATION -breathe, observe body sensations, list your values and decide on actions that are aligned with your values.
• MINDFULNESS -keeps cropping up and I think it has tremendous value in helping one to achieve a healthier style of living (mindful eating)
• DISTRESS TOLERANCE-increase your ability to tolerate your “emotional pain” by practicing these two acceptance techniques (“surf the urge” and “drop the rope“)