tion to

food. As aforementioned, the first step is identification. Keep a journal for

a minimum of one week that records everything you've eaten, when you ate, where

you ate, and how you were feeling emotionally when you ate. Then, at the end

of the week, look through the journal in search of patterns in emotions linked

to your eating behaviors. If you need to, take a second week to record more

data.

Once you have identified the patter

You'd think that something like this would be relatively simple, but unfortunately

- as with everything today - that just isn't so. Weight control and weight loss

aren't just something that happens; they take a complete understanding of why

we eat, goal setting, and effort in order to achieve any kind of long-term success.

So if you do plan to lose weight, your first step needs to be the understanding

of why you are eating the way you do.

We eat for two main reasons: physical and emotional.

The physical reasons for eating are more obvious than the emotional ones.

We feel hunger pangs - the body's signal that it needs fuel for building and

maintaining itself - and we respond.

On the other hand, emotional reasons can be much less direct. There are a large

variety of reasons that we may choose to eat, and it is important that each

of those reasons be identified before we begin any kind of weight loss effort,

including diet change, habit change, and nutritional reprogramming.

We learn from a very early age that food serves an important purpose in our

lives other than basic nutrition. Consider the following common experiences

• Being given a lollypop from the doctor after being "brave" through the

  booster shot.

• Snacking through exam time to keep energy levels high for more efficient

  studying.

• Being rewarded with a special dinner or dessert after achieving well on

  an exam.

After all of the positive reinforcement that food makes you feel better, it's

no wonder so many of us look to food to help fill our emotional needs when they

are not being otherwise filled in our lives. Unfortunately, that lifestyle is

also a fast road to weight gain.

Fortunately, it is possible to break away from that emotional connection to

food. As aforementioned, the first step is identification. Keep a journal for

a minimum of one week that records everything you've eaten, when you ate, where

you ate, and how you were feeling emotionally when you ate. Then, at the end

of the week, look through the journal in search of patterns in emotions linked

to your eating behaviors. If you need to, take a second week to record more

data.

Once you have identified the pattern

eat for two main reasons: physical and emotional.

The physical reasons for eating are more obvious than the emotional ones.

We feel hunger pangs - the body's signal that it needs fuel for building and

maintaining itself - and we respond.

On the other hand, emotional reasons can be much less direct. There are a large

variety of reasons that we may choose to eat, and it is important that each

of those reasons be identified before we begin any kind of weight loss effort,

including diet change, habit change, and nutritional reprogramming.

We learn from a very early age that food serves an important purpose in our

lives other than basic nutrition. Consider the following common experiences

• Being given a lollypop from the doctor after being "brave" through the

  booster shot.

• Snacking through exam time to keep energy levels high for more efficient

  studying.

• Being rewarded with a special dinner or dessert after achieving well on

  an exam.

After all of the positive reinforcement that food makes you feel better, it's

no wonder so many of us look to food to help fill our emotional needs when they

are not being otherwise filled in our lives. Unfortunately, that lifestyle is

also a fast road to weight gain.

Fortunately, it is possible to break away from that emotional connection to

food. As aforementioned, the first step is identification. Keep a journal for

a minimum of one week that records everything you've eaten, when you ate, where

you ate, and how you were feeling emotionally when you ate. Then, at the end

of the week, look through the journal in search of patterns in emotions linked

to your eating behaviors. If you need to, take a second week to record more

data.

Once you have identified the patter

kind of weight loss effort,

including diet change, habit change, and nutritional reprogramming.

We learn from a very early age that food serves an important purpose in our

lives other than basic nutrition. Consider the following common experiences

• Being given a lollypop from the doctor after being "brave" through the

  booster shot.

• Snacking through exam time to keep energy levels high for more efficient

  studying.

• Being rewarded with a special dinner or dessert after achieving well on

  an exam.

After all of the positive reinforcement that food makes you feel better, it's

no wonder so many of us look to food to help fill our emotional needs when they

are not being otherwise filled in our lives. Unfortunately, that lifestyle is

also a fast road to weight gain.

Fortunately, it is possible to break away from that emotional connection to

food. As aforementioned, the first step is identification. Keep a journal for

a minimum of one week that records everything you've eaten, when you ate, where

you ate, and how you were feeling emotionally when you ate. Then, at the end

of the week, look through the journal in search of patterns in emotions linked

to your eating behaviors. If you need to, take a second week to record more

data.

Once you have identified the patter

g.

Being rewarded with a special dinner or dessert after achieving well on

an exam.

After all of the positive reinforcement that food makes you feel better, it's

no wonder so many of us look to food to help fill our emotional needs when they

are not being otherwise filled in our lives. Unfortunately, that lifestyle is

also a fast road to weight gain.

Fortunately, it is possible to break away from that emotional connection to

food. As aforementioned, the first step is identification. Keep a journal for

a minimum of one week that records everything you've eaten, when you ate, where

you ate, and how you were feeling emotionally when you ate. Then, at the end

of the week, look through the journal in search of patterns in emotions linked

to your eating behaviors. If you need to, take a second week to record more

data.

Once you have identified the patter

tion to

food. As aforementioned, the first step is identification. Keep a journal for

a minimum of one week that records everything you've eaten, when you ate, where

you ate, and how you were feeling emotionally when you ate. Then, at the end

of the week, look through the journal in search of patterns in emotions linked

to your eating behaviors. If you need to, take a second week to record more

data.

Once you have identified the pattern, try using an alternative action to deal

with your emotions other than eating. For example, if you're most likely to

eat chips while you watch Sunday night television because you're feeling antsy

about work on Monday, drink water and take up an activity such as knitting,

keeping a diary, folding laundry, or anything else to keep your hands busy so

that you won't eat.

You can also take the time to deal directly with the emotions that you have

identified. Call a friend to vent, join a yoga class, or talk to a counselor

or therapist. If you work on the emotions that are causing you to eat in the

first place, the triggers won't even be there anymore.

By recognizing your emotional habits, you're well on the right path to controlling

your eating habits, and achieving much more effective weight loss.