Did you know that the number one cause of obesity is something called “emotional eating?” If you use food as a way to deal with stress and anxiety, you are not alone. Here are some steps you can take that will help you to avoid emotional eating:
First of all, it’s important to spend a little bit of time thinking about the things that actually trigger you. Get a piece of paper and a pencil and think about the different life situations you’ve been through. If you’ve been through a divorce, write that down. If you were abused as a child, make a note of that as well. Write down all of the difficult emotional times that you have been through. The triggers to your emotional eating will inevitably have arisen from these emotional events and traumas from your life, even if some of them occurred decades ago. Simply being aware on a more conscious level of the emotional baggage that you are carrying will help you to recognize those triggers.
Another great idea is to start keeping what you might call an “eating journal.” In your case, write down not only what you were eating but also what you were thinking and feeling at the time. When you ate that entire bowl of chips or carton of ice cream, what inner voice were you trying to silence? What specific stress were you trying to deal with? Understanding the relationship between your eating and your emotions is a major key to breaking bad habits.
The most revolutionary idea that I would like to share with you is to start listening to your body. It’s now possible to find out exactly what your energy field “thinks” about that tasty morsel you’re about to put into your mouth!
There are a number of very effective ways to tap into the subconscious mind that are actually quite simple and easy to perform. Let me share the simplest and easiest of these ways. I call this the “Sway Test.”
If you are standing in a relaxed posture, your body will tend to gently sway forward if you are thinking about food that your subconscious mind wants, and will sway backward if you are thinking about foods that it perceives to be harmful!
Here’s how it works:
If there is any music playing in your room, or if the television is on, turn them off, so that you will be able to focus completely on the test. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Drop your hands to your side, and close your eyes. Allow yourself to completely relax.
Try thinking about the word “salad.” Try to imagine the most delicious, healthy salad that you’ve ever eaten.
The moment your inner mind connects with the thought of “salad,” and all the good fiber, vitamins, minerals and nutrients that go along with that salad, you will begin to sway forward, as your subconscious mind realizes just how good for you that salad would actually be. This typically doesn’t take more than five or 10 seconds, and gets easier with practice.
Now, allow yourself to relax again. With your eyes closed, focus your mind on the word “Hot Pocket.” As you think about this ultimate form of junk food, your subconscious mind is somehow aware of the artificial ingredients that are in that product, the humectants, the preservatives, the food colorings and so on, that are going to make you fat. Once again, the moment your subconscious mind makes the connection with what a “Hot Pocket” really is, your body will start to sway backward of its own volition, in an attempt to move you further away from eating something bad for you.
Most people have no difficulty with this test. Remember to relax completely and focus your mind in a powerful way upon the food, whatever food you choose. Test your food before you eat it. It may just surprise you to find that your body actually wants to have a choice in what you are eating
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