How to STOP Emotional Eating!

A dear client was complaining that she believed she would never have her emotional eating under control.  When she had first come to Totell she was bingeing daily, not only hating her body, but hating herself.

She has come a long way; her binges are down to a couple per month, with the duration of each binge being minimized significantly.  But still, she wants to be completely free from emotional eating, and she gets discouraged when she dips.  She asks, "How long does it take to really overcome something, to really change a behavior, to really make lasting change?"

What a great question!  Don't we really give up because we think it is taking too long, or progress is too slow?  Research has shown that in order to master a skill or a talent, it takes 10,000 hours of practice.  This seems like a lot of hours, but when they calculate the practice hours of concert pianists, professional baseball players, computer wizards, or anyone who is an expert at a talent or skill, the numbers all matched up: 10,000 hours.

So how does this concept apply to you and emotional eating?

You have probably put in your 10,000 hours creating bad habits, bad thought processes, bad eating patterns, bad self-talk, bad everything about your body and how you treat it.  What will it take to make all of those patterns positive?  A lot of hours.

Your mind is not going to reverse without the 10,000 hours.  Those detrimental thoughts and patterns create grooves in your brain with your neural pathways, and you have got to take your thoughts literally out of the ruts, and, through practice, make new pathways.

Well, this re-training is easy unless you give up.  The time will pass.  Just conquer your mind daily, knowing that each moment you put in is one more moment towards your 10,000 hours.

Fortunately, you do have some good thoughts of yourself already banked – it is rare that someone has never thought good thoughts about herself.  Build on the good.  Don't berate yourself because you think your progress is too slow.  It's not.  It's normal.  It just takes time.

You can do this.  Conquer your mind!  Conquer your weight!

Metabolism and Weight Management

Metabolism

If you have the opportunity to have your metabolism measured by a professional, it may be worth the extra effort and small fee to know exactly what your caloric needs fall. These tests are simple breath tests by a device called the bodygem. There are many caloric formulas available on the Internet, which are created for the general public; however, much like the mass diet programs available, they do not take into account the unique factors of each individual that impact metabolism.

Why is metabolism different among different individuals? Not only is metabolism affected by weight, age and gender (which most on-line calculators use to compute), body composition or the ratio of muscle to fat significantly impacts the rate that calories are metabolized. In addition, hormone levels can influence how your body uses the nutrients and calories consumed.

If you simply trust a quick Internet formula you may be eating too much or too little for what you need (or what your body needs) in order to meet your fitness goals. For example, two women weigh exactly the same and are the same height, yet have very different calorie requirements. If they follow the same weight management plan, one may gain weight, remain the same, or lose weight when she was simply trying to maintain her weight.

Knowing your metabolic rate gives you an accurate daily calorie target. Regardless of whether you are trying to gain muscle, lose weight, or become more trim and fit, you will know exactly what your needs are and begin to adjust your diet with accuracy.

Foods Without High Fructose Corn Syrup

As always, I am fighting against the impact of High Fructose Corn Syrup in our food. If you haven't visited HighFructoseFighter.com you may want to take a minute to learn about why you want to avoid HFCS. Below is a list of foods that do not have High Fructose Corn Syrup...Yea! Vote with your dollars and fight High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Baking and Cooking Ingredients:
•Betty Crocker 7-Layer Bar(mix)
•Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Brownie mix
•Betty Crocker cake icing
•Bisquick

Beverages
•Northland Cranberry Juice
•China Cola
•Dr.Pepper(original formula)
•Jones Soda (recently announced that they were going back to real sugar)
•Goose Island soda (Root Beer, Orange Soda)
•Calistoga Juice Squeeze
•Simply Orange juice products
•Simply Lemonade
•Tropicana OJ
•Nestle NesQuik Chocolate Milk Mix
•Nestle "Abuelita" Chocolate Syrup (Hispanic Section)
•R.W. Knudsen Recharge (sports drink)
•Fuze Drinks
•TeaZazz
•Vivi Smart Soda

Bread
•Pepperidge Farms whole grain honey oat
•Nature's Own Sugar Free 100% Whole Grain bread link
•Nature's Own -Honey 7 Grain link
•Nature's Own 100% whole wheat link
•Martins Potato breads and rolls
Thomas's Low Carb English Muffins
•Thomas Hearty Grain Honey Wheat English Muffins (?)
•Nature's Own -Healthline SugarFree Wholewheat
•Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain breads (in freezer section)
•Francisco International Extra Sour Dough bread (the regular Sour Dough does contain hfcs)
•Pepperidge Farm Honey Wheatberry
•Milton's Wheat and Multi-grain bread
•Bagels from a local Jewish bakery
•Kirkland brand (Costco) multigrain bread
•Sara Lee Cinnamon Raisin
•Pepperidge Farm whole grain bagel
•Matthew's All Natural Bread
•Amana Multi Grain Bread
•Country Hearth 12-Grain Bread
•Earth Grains 100% Natural 7-Grain Bread
•Orrow Wheat Light 100% Whole Wheat
•Rays New York Bagels
•Whole Foods store brand hot dog and hamburger buns (they are whole wheat)
•FlatOut Bread
•Alternative Bagel --- sweat wheat

Breakfast Cereals
•Post Grape-Nuts
•Life Cereal/Cinnamon Life
•Quaker Oatmeal
•Cheerios
•Most cereals labeled "Organic"
•Kashi Go Lean (original and Crunch)
•Barabara's Puffins
•Chex Cereals (Wheat, Rice and Corn)
•Kroger Apple Dapples
•Post Honey Bunches of Oats
•Great Value fruit and cream instant oatmeal
•Mom's Best Natural Cereals (all varieties) link

Breakfast Pasteries / Waffles / Bars
•Eggo Nutrigrain Blueberry
•Kashi Go Lean and Heart to Heart Waffles
•The TLC granola bars, by Kashi, all are HFCS free
•Bisquick Mix

Candy
•Lindt Lindor truffles (balls)
•Cost Plus World Market has a lot of imported candy from Germany
•Kellogg's Yogos Bits

Condiments
•Heinz organic tomato ketchup
•French's Worcestershire
•Farman's pickle relish
•Mt. Olive Hamburger dill chips
•Annie's Natural Organic Ketchup
•Frenchs Honey Dijon Mustard
•Woeber Sweet And Spicy Mustard
•Consorzio Bbq Sauce Organic Original
•Whole Foods 365 Ketchup (both regular and Organic)
•Kroger coctail sauce

Cookies and Cakes
•Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies -- plain and the new chocolate
•Kedem Tea Biscuits (reg. and chocolate) --- found in the Kosher section
•Paul Newman sandwich cookies
•Kashi line of cookies
•Back to Nature peanut butter sandwich cookies
•Destrooper Almond Thins Cookie
•Destrooper Butter Crisp Cookies
•Keebler Pecan Sandies Cookies
•Keebler Simply Sandies Cookies
•Lu Le Petit Beurre Cookies
•Lu Scottish Recipe Shortbread
•Mi-Del Snaps Ginger
•Newmans Wheat Free Fig Newton Cookies
•Newmans Own Ginger Os Ginger N Creme Cookies
NewmanS Own Alphabet Cookies
•Pepperidge Farms Butter Chessman Cookies
•Pepperidge Farm 100% Natural Varieties

Chocolate
•Cadbury - Most Varieties
•Hershey's Symphony
•Hershey's 100 Calorie Wafer Bar
•Hershey Skor Candy Bar
•Hershey Special Dark Candy Bar
•Dove - Most varieties
•Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
•Most Imported (Europe) and Organic chocolate

Crackers
•Annies - Cheddar cheese bunnies and honey graham bunnies
•Wasa Crisp Breads (all varieties)
•Atheno's baked pita chips
•Stacey's Naked Pita bread chips
•Dare Vinta Crackers
•Triscuits
•Great Value (Walmart's brand) cracked wheat rounds
•Stone Ground (the white square crackers from Canada)

Dairy
•Brown Cow vanilla yogurt
•Southern Home Nonfat Plain Yogurt
•Dannon Plain Yogurt*
•Mountain High Yogurt
•Dannon All Natural Vanilla Yogurt
•Dannon All Natural Coffee Yogurt
•Horizon Organic Fat Free Yogurt
•Nancys Reduced Fat Plain
•Nancy's Whole Milk Honey Yogurt
•Stoneyfield Farm Yobaby Yogurt

Fruits and Vegetables - Canned
•Motts Natural (No Sugar Added)Apple Sauce
•Most no sugar added packed fruit (check labels)

Granola Bars
•Nature Valley Roasted Nut Crunch bars
•Kashi Bars
•Odwalla Bars

Ice Cream
•Breyers - All Natural Coffee
•Breyers - All Natural Cherry Vanilla
•Breyers - All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip
•Luigi Italian Ice

Jam, Jelly, Syrup, Spreads
•Skippy Peanut Butter
•Costco makes an organic peanut butter
•Whole Foods brand peanut butter
•Karo Dark (with Blue label)
•Karo Brown Sugar syrup
•Hero Jams (from Swizterland)
•Darbo Jams (from Austria)
•Whole foods brand (365) strawberry jam
•Sarabeth Jam
•Smuckers organic grapy jelly
•Safeway "O" Organics Maple Syrup
•Harry and David Ancho sweet chili peper spread

Pastries
•Ask Local Bakeries

Salad Dressings
•Great Value (WalMart) Zesty Italian Dressing
•Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
•HIdden Valley Ranch Old Fash.Buttermilk
•Blue Plate Mayonnaise
•Ken's Sweet Vidalia Onion dressing
•Annie's Naturals organic papaya poppyseed salad dressing.
•Annie's Naturals Goddess Dressing
•Brianna's Homemade Blush Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
•Drew's Salad Dressings
•Most Neumann's varieties
•Kraft Honey Dijon Vinaigreette, dressing & marinade
•Kraft Balsamic Vinaigreette, dressing & marinade

Sauces
•Barilla Pesto
•Ken's Steak House Honey Teriyaki Marinade
•Kikkoman Soy Sauce
•Soy Vey Very Very Teriyaki
•Bullseye BBQ sauce Original

Snacks
•Frito's corn chips
•Natural Cheetos

Soups
•Annie's Organic Soups

New Year's Resolutions Re-visited

Today was the first day of the demise of New Year's Resolutions at the gym. How do I know? It was no longer difficult to find a parking space when I pulled into the parking lot at the gym this morning. I knew it was coming, it does every year, but today I was sad thinking that once again the goal to be healthier only lasted a few weeks for so many people.

Here are a couple of insights into how to keep your New Year's Resolutions after the novelty has worn off.

1. The key to change is to focus on what you are doing right. When you do well, or stick to your word, it gives you confidence. Confidence breeds success. Keep a Success Journal. Each night right down everything you did right during the day and re-read those entries to inspire and motivate you to keep going. Remember, success can be measured in little, tiny accomplishments.

2. Believe in the process knowing that it is going to be hard. You have not failed because it is hard. You have not failed because you are tempted by brownies at work. You have not failed because this morning you wanted to push the snooze button one more time. Sometimes we believe that being tempted is failure. Not so. Change is difficult at best. Go into it knowing that it is going to be hard and develop a strategy for those hard moments. You will be tempted!

3. Check it off. Often we become immobilized and don't know where to begin once we have slid off of our plan. Get a small index card and write 3 simple tasks that you will do today towards your goal. Each task gets a big check mark. The one check mark will feel like a victory and usually gives you the emotional boost you need to move on to the next.

Do not abandon your goals! Get up and get going again.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

You may be wondering what is fructose? What is the problem with HF? And how does it affect my health? Fructose is the Sweetener found in fruit; however, when it is taken out of the fruit and added to glucose to make table sugar, HfC syrup, and hundreds of other varieties, it is altered because it no longer has the pulp and fiber to keep it stable, digestible, and safe. When Fructose is stripped from the fruit it becomes a carbohydrate which is metabolized like a poison to the liver. It is metabolized like ethanol, which is alcohol without the buzz. Walk in a public place and look at the people you see and count how many look like they have beer bellies. Well 68% of Americans do and it’s not from beer. So what can we do? First become aware, read labels and ingredients, begin replacing processed foods with fresh foods, start changing your pallet to appreciate natural sweetness. Next, let the food industry know you don’t want sweet, you want healthy. Lastly, be an advocate for your friends and loved ones, educate them about the Health risks including: hypertension, diabetes, obesity, addiction, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. Join me in the high fructose fight. Check out highfructosefighter.com

Weight is About More than Just Eating

I often hear, “I need to get in control of my eating,” from new clients who have struggled with their weight for years. Usually, after a couple of weeks of working together, the client discovers that overeating is actually just a symptom of, “I need to get in control of my life.” Food and health seem to follow the pattern of all other areas of our lives, or better said, food and health seem to follow how we respond to all other areas of our lives.
With the complexity of life what can we do to respond better? What can we do to encourage a healthy lifestyle?

1. Eliminate Negative Mind Chatter: Often referred to as “Mindful Living.” Notice what you are saying to yourself day in and day out. If your thoughts are negative you will look for something to soothe and comfort. Food can be a quick pick me up with a really quick plummet.

2. Maintain Relationships: Keep your relationships healthy and strong. We need real connections that stimulate us emotionally and intellectually.

3. Success: We all need to feel successful. Make goals to ensure you are always progressing. Having a bad day? Make those goals real small and then build on each success.

4. Journal: I hate to even say this because we often envision the boring journal assignment from school. You can journal on a napkin while at lunch. The point is the connection between the tangible process of writing and verbalizing your words engages you emotionally in a new way and problems and feelings become clear.

5. Manage Stress: “Manage” is the key word. If you don’t have a process for managing stress eating can easily become your default. Choose how you will manage stress, find the one thing that helps you consistently and make it your stress manager.

Make your healthy lifestyle about life not food. The shift will give you great results!

How to Stop Emotional Eating When You are Grieving

I wanted to share a great story about a client who found an alternative to eating her way through grief and mourning. This client consented to offer this story in hopes that it will help those who are grieving over one of the many losses we all experience. I’ll refer to this client as Sharon (of course you know it’s not her real name).

Sharon experienced a loss that was not only sad but complicated, frustrating, and far reaching in her personal and extended world. I won’t explain the details, but it was more than she had ever imagined experiencing. Losses come in so many shapes and forms: Death, divorce, job loss, illness, betrayal, and more than could ever be listed.

One morning Sharon found herself in the kitchen picking away at the wonderful chocolate cake a dear friend had brought her family as part of a supportive and appreciated meal. The problem was that Sharon was emotionally eating and headed towards eating the entire cake! Sharon knew this would not heal her heart and remembered her Emotional Ammo, “STOP! What I really need is….” Sharon decided to choose an activity that would raise her feel-good endorphins and actually help herself through her grief.

Sharon, who is a recreational cyclist, decided to choose one bike route that would become her “grieving bike ride”. She chose a route that was challenging for her and ended at the top of a difficult assent. Whenever she was grieving, she would hop on her bike and ride this specific route until she physically and emotionally felt some relief from her grief. Her experience has been life changing and symbolic of her stages of grief.

1. Bike Ride One: Cried the entire ride, actually wailed the entire time, but the physical exertion helped the crying to a crescendo and release; by the time I was to the top of the hill, I felt this huge release, both physically and emotionally.

2. Bike Ride Two: Same course, different experience. I was mad – so mad that my life hadn’t gone the way I had envisioned. Angry adrenaline rush, some pretty intense conversations that I wouldn’t want anyone else to hear. Lots of cursing in my dialogue about how life was unfair. I felt like I could conquer some of my demons when I reached the top of the hill.

3. Bike Ride Three: Felt so blah today. Numb from the pain and frustration. Hate to see my children hurting. Just my luck – a head wind! Slowed me down, way down, just surrendered that it would be a slower ride and a lot more difficult.

4. Bike Ride Four: Starting to like this course. I know when the hard hills are coming and can prepare for them. This feels familiar, not so frightening and overwhelming. Really feel victorious at the top of the hill.

5. Bike Ride Five: Reluctant to go but know I need this today. Oh no! A detour! I can’t handle a detour; I’m use to my course. This is bad for my mental game. I want to turn around; I can’t handle any deviation from what I expected. Hardest emotional day – the detour, the unexpected, life.

6. Bike Ride Six: Fell off and scraped up my leg, hated the music on my iPod shuffle, flat tire.

7. Bike Ride Seven: Went a different route, which I used to consider hard. It was nothing compared to my grieving ride. What a breeze.

8. Bike Ride Eight: So many interruptions. Had to stop at bike store to fix tire, forgot sunscreen, so went back. Had to stop at drugstore for something to eat.

9. Bike Ride Nine: Flat tire again! Called someone to come pick me up.

10 Bike Ride Ten: I’m not crying, not yelling, not scared, prepared for the unexpected, excited to conquer this hill one more time, thinking of everything I can conquer knowing that I can conquer a difficult ride, feel stronger than I’ve ever felt.

Let’s all find the better way to deal with emotions. When it is difficult, choose an activity to represent your hardship, and beat it in a constructive way. No more hurting ourselves with food, or other harmful indulgences!