Those Expensive Diets Do Not Work, But They Will Add To Your Stress!

Emotions are a wonderful thing. But they do play a role in our eating patterns. Consider how much you eat when you are sad as opposed to how much you eat when you are happy, feeling confused or simply content. We really do have emotional ties to food.

If you have tried more than three diet programs in the last five years raise your hands. If you have tried more than five diet programs in the last five years then you certainly will identify with this article. Believe me; I understand the feelings you have had. You find an ad for a program that sounds wonderful.

You think to yourself that this one will be it; this one will be the answer to your weight problem. But again, the diet does not work, no matter how expensive they are, the only thing they seem to do is add to your stress level.

Okay, let us get to the bottom of the problem. The number one thing you need to do is find out if you have a medical issue that needs to be addressed. Many times there is a true medical reason for weight problems. Medications can be culprits. Always look into those possibilities.

Consider your emotional attachments to food. I know that may sound silly but I am serious. Think about when you eat and where and what. I can give you an example of what I mean. I have a few foods that I call my comfort foods. Whenever I am not feeling well, and I mean not feeling well as in sad or physically ill, I want my comfort foods. These comfort foods are pasta dishes, very high calorie dishes. And I seem to eat a lot when I am sad. That is what I mean by an emotional attachment.

I also feel like I need to have something to snack on whenever I watch TV. This is something that I have been working on so it is not such an issue any longer, but until recently I ate chips while watching TV. I have now found that I enjoy veggie trays just as much.

A great way to learn about your emotional attachments to food is to keep a food diary. Jot down what you eat and when you eat it and how much you ate. But here is the part that is important for the emotional record, include the way you were feeling before you ate. Also add a note about how the food made you feel. Although some of us think that eating a certain food will make us feel good what we find is that we only feel guilty afterward.

Guilt is not a pleasant feeling. So if we can learn to associate particular foods with certain feelings it may help us in creating a healthier diet for ourselves. Give it a try.