As a mentor I have worked with so many people who associate their self-worth with their physical appearance. They create a vicious cycle of emotional eating, feeling bad and continuously punishing themselves for their unhealthy habits. Emotional eating can take us on either ends of the spectrum; being overweight or underweight. But, my clients have made the decision to better their lives and recognise that they need help and I am so proud to support them.
Emotional eating – I have been there and I can relate. I used to look in the mirror and feel guilty, unattractive and drained. I found myself making various excuses for the way I looked and felt. Until finally, self-understanding changed the way I approached the problem and I began to heal emotionally and physically.
My biggest weakness was anything chocolate. I often asked myself, “Is this who I want to be? Is this what I want to look and feel like?”
During my psychology studies in London my perspective changed. I learned why most people choose to sabotage their happiness by acting on impulse rather than following logic.
I truly believe that our choices, including mindful or emotional eating, are predetermined based on our six core human needs:
Food is one of the most common ways we fulfil our needs. It can give us a taste of Variety simply by changing what we eat. We feel Love and Connection as we often eat and drink in social situations and we feel like we are Contributing in some way by feeding ourselves and others. Thus, we satisfy our need for Significance.
Basically, even while eating all the wrong things, we feel great, IN THAT MOMENT.
This is the paradox of behavioural psychology. We know something is harming us, but through repetition we keep conditioning ourselves to behave that way, while expecting different results. Change can only occur once we commit to altering our thought processes. We must look at the long-term effects of our choices and most importantly follow through.
In the course of my journey, I learned how to deal with negativity better. I started to be more open to constructive criticism and even now when I get stuck, I get help from others. I finally understand that change has to start from within.
The price of success is much lower than that of failure.
We should take responsibility and know that there people who can help us including Nutritionists, Personal-Trainers and Self-Development Mentors.
You have the power, so what will you do with it?
Important Fact: You can create a reality that is not really there by affecting your physiology. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods and control pain. Furthermore, approximately 90% of serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, which is directly affected by what you eat!