1459The Ultimate Diet Breaker

[evile]

 

Jun. 3, 2003

 

 

The Ultimate Diet Breaker

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Change your mind and your body will follow!

by Dr. John H. Sklare

eDiets Psychologist

The words we use have a powerful influence on our belief system and
our behavior. I consistently hear people say things such as, "I
couldn't stop eating" or "I can't control myself." These are the
words that build your prison.

Saying, "I did not stop eating" or "I did not control myself," would
be closer to the truth. This is one of the issues that speak to the
heart of the matter. The difference between these statements is
significant. One implies control and the other helplessness.
There is a concept in psychology called learned helplessness. The
definition is fairly self-explanatory. It is a process whereby you
learn to be helpless. This occurs when you have experiences that you
believe are uncontrollable events... like the eating episode I just
described.

This is a repetitive experience with the same "uncontrollable"
and "helpless" result. These past events give rise to and reinforce
your future expectations. This is how you get lost in this vicious
cycle. When some emotional event triggers your desire to eat, you get
back in touch with this feeling of being helpless and having no
control.

It is your belief that you can't stop eating that reinforces your
loss of control and your predetermined sense of fate. This is a very
important concept. This is where the "distraction strategies" that I
constantly refer to come in handy. There are so many possibilities:
taking a walk, reading a book, writing in your journal, listening to
relaxing music, calling a friend, posting a message at the eDiets
<http://www.ediets.com/news/go.cfm> Emotional Support Center... the
list is a long one.

So, what's the answer to interrupting this kind of negative thinking?
It's not for me to give you some specific activity to do at that
moment. I don't have the magic bullet. What works for one often has
no impact on another. The answer lies inside you.

As someone said to me recently, this is an "inside job." You already
have what it takes. You just haven't been looking inside -- you've
been searching outside for the answer. Don't over-intellectualize
this. Too much thinking and you become a victim of analysis
paralysis. Look for that moment and make the healthier choice.

The way out of this is through mindful and purposeful decision-
making. There is one moment... one single moment right before you
take the first bite that leads you down the road to ruin. I refer to
these as moments of truth. If you can isolate and manage that moment,
you can solve this problem.
======================

Dr. John Sklare, director of the eDiets Emotional Support Center,
shares his expertise on "emotional eating" with the eDiets community.
Dr. Sklare is also the author of the eDiets Audio Companion Program --
the powerful and innovative new offline support program for your
online eDiets program. With the current emphasis on Mind/Body
medicine and natural healing, Dr. Sklare stands firmly on the leading
edge!

 

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