How many times have you…
- Found yourself eating mindlessly, not out of hunger but more because it is something to do, while you’re working, watching tv, or while you are bored?
- Stuffed yourself in the moment, and then felt frustrated and guilty afterwards?
- Avoided the scale, nervous about what you’ll see, or avoided a pool party or the beach, because you’re self-conscious of having others see you in a swimsuit?
According to the National Institute of Diabetes, 70% of Americans are considered overweight. The majority of Americans struggle with their weight, and in turn, their health. We tend to blame ourselves for our weight and then restrict ourselves with some fad diet that doesn’t work how we want it to, thus leading to a feeling of hopelessness. This is a vicious cycle of emotional hunger more than physical hunger.
Emotional hunger comes on suddenly and feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly by the food that is craved, whereas physical hunger comes on slowly and can wait. Emotional hunger is often connected to craving a specific food whereas physical hunger can be satisfied by a variety of foods. Even when full, emotional hunger drives a person to keep eating, but physical hunger is satisfied when a person feels full. Emotional hunger can leave behind feelings of guilt, whereas eating when physically hungry does not.
Growing research shows that there is an uncountable number of neurological signals of eating within your brain, sending signals to your hypothalamus to eat or not eat, to keep eating or to stop eating. What is happening in the subconscious brain is below the radar of our rational brain. How our body processes, stores and utilizes our food occurs at a deeper level of consciousness as it does in our rational thinking, after all, digestion begins in the brain. The very thought, memory, sight, or smell of food can trigger cravings. In conjunction with physiological and emotional imbalances in the body, these triggers can lead to cravings and overeating.
Comforts of Home Counseling approaches weight management by addressing weight loss and weight release from a proven perspective of holistic psychotherapy that addresses mind, body, and spirit. Through different modalities of therapy such as, hypnosis for weight loss, mindfulness, hypnotherapy, relaxation, and stress management, as well as utilizing the power of your subconscious through the weight release hypnotherapy program of Trim-Life©. Our goals at Comforts of Home Counseling are to help you differentiate between physical and emotional hunger, increase your natural desire for physical activity, reducing stress, and resolve your underlying emotional causes of eating, to help you change your relationship with food. Through the use of these interventions, you can reduce your emotional eating, abandon the “yo-yo” dieting, overcome food addictions, manage cravings, and make sustained weight loss and management a reality.
Our trained professionals at Comforts of Home Counseling can help you take back control of not just your weight, but your emotions, happiness, and your life.