Smart, busy women overeat for lots of reasons that have NOTHING to do with food. There’s a way to break the cycle and it’s easier than most people think.
I’ve created a free, simple process to pinpoint the hidden reasons that people overeat.
Contrary to what you may believe, you’re probably not lazy, you likely don’t need more willpower, and success could probably be a whole lot easier.
Read on to discover:
- Why most of us don’t have a take it or leave it relationship with food
- Why it can feel like food has so much power over you
- Hidden Hungers – what they are, why you need to know about them, and how they can point you toward peace with food and freedom from overeating.
Why most of us don’t have a “take it or leave it” relationship with food
Overeating is complicated. It’s not a simple choice – like whether to wear boots or sandals. Overeating is a behavior that most of us have learned to associate with many different situations and states. If you overeat, your decision to do so (even if it feels like it happened automatically) was likely driven by feelings, or triggers, or needs that have nothing to do with your body’s need for fuel.
This is why most attempts to change your eating (or your weight) ultimately fail. Most programs (even the nutritionally smart ones), treat eating like it’s a simple choice. People talk about “recognizing problem behaviors” and “making different choices.” If only it were this simple!
Most of us don’t have a take it or leave it relationship with food. We overeat for powerful reasons. “Making different choices” may be possible for a while, but it’s going to require a fair amount of disciple and willpower…
Where food gets its power
When I said we overeat for powerful reasons, I meant it. The urge to overeat deserves our respect and our understanding. Yes, I know that this isn’t the choice you want to keep making, but until you understand the heart of your overeating – the reason that food has the power that it does – food and overeating will continue to have the upper hand.
Where does food get its power? Most of us have learned, some of us from as far back as we can remember, to use food for lots of things. Food is love, food is comfort. Food is the way to celebrate or reward yourself. Food is soothing.
In addition, food is easy.
Food is almost everywhere, it’s something that’s quick and easy to grab (we don’t even need to get out of our car!). We can eat when we’re busy, stressed, and overloaded. We can grab something to eat without taking anyone else’s time or having to say no to something in order to take care of ourselves. We can eat when we’re too exhausted to do much else.
Food is convenient.
Eating is a sensory pleasure. It tastes and smells good. The chemicals in food can energize and calm us – at least in the short term.
Additionally, every time we eat to cope with or numb an emotion, get energized, push through a time crunch, or comfort ourselves, we strengthen our belief that food is a good tool for these things.
Overeating can become a self-reinforcing cycle.
It’s important to know these things, but don’t get discouraged. Now you understand why deciding to “just stop overeating” isn’t a real solution. Until you address the reason you’re overeating, you haven’t really addressed the problem.
Understanding that there is always a reason that you overeat gives you the key to dissolving your struggle with overeating
Hidden Hungers
There are five very common reasons that smart, busy women overeat. I call these Hidden Hungers. Hidden Hungers not only lead to overeating, one Hidden Hunger can contribute to another, and over time Hidden Hungers can lead to vicious cycles with overeating.
Here’s where things get interesting though – if you can identify your Hidden Hungers, you can learn how to nourish them – without overeating. When you do this, you don’t need food to feed those hungers anymore.
Feeding Hidden Hungers breaks the cycle!
How to get started with Hidden Hungers
I’ve created a short quiz that you can take to identify Hidden Hungers. Not only will the quiz tell you your primary Hidden Hunger, you’ll also get information about the best first action step to take and some resources that are likely to be helpful for you.
Go here to take the free quiz.
Talk soon,
