People often balk and feel sorry for themselves when they start a weight loss program. That’s the quickest path to failure. There’s a lot of psychology that can help improve your chances of losing weight. Why do you love the food you love? When do you find it more difficult to avoid certain unhealthy foods? Focusing on your eating habits, when you eat, and why you eat can help you make changes to a healthier future. There are reasons for choosing unhealthy foods and reasons for overeating. If you address those issues, you’ll be more likely to make the necessary changes.
You may be an emotional eater.
Are you hungry, or are you eating for another reason? What does ice cream or those mashed potatoes represent? In many cases, these types of foods are comfort foods, and you eat them for more than filling your belly. You eat them for comfort. Comfort food tends to have a soft texture, while foods you eat when angry are often crunchy. Learning why you eat some foods instead of others can help you find a healthier option with similar qualities.
Is it nature or nurture that makes us love sweets?
There are theories that man is hardwired to seek sweet foods. Sweet berries were often not poisonous, while bitter ones were. Sugar, like drugs, and alcohol, also fits in opioid receptors in our brain to trigger the dopamine release and give the pleasurable rush that can be addictive. Many sweets and fatty foods link to childhood memories. Most mothers don’t give kale or spinach as a treat, but they do offer sweets.
If you feel deprived, it’s time to change your mind.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you can NEVER have your favorite food. Just don’t eat it as often and choose smaller portions. Make small changes and adjust your palate. Instead of drinking a soft drink, opt for water. If you drink soft drinks three times a day, start by replacing one with water, then move to two times, and finally all three. Switch your mid-morning snack of a candy bar for a healthier option, like an apple. All those small changes build a healthier lifestyle and diet. Rejoice in those changes and embrace them. Don’t feel sorry for yourself. It sabotages your weight loss efforts.
- Some people eat their feelings, instead of expressing them. Learn techniques to avoid using food as an emotional outlet. If stress is a problem, learn meditation, breathing techniques or use exercise to control it.
- Get help from a professional. There’s no longer a stigma to getting emotional help, especially if you use food as your emotional outlet. Professionals can provide help with self-expression.
- Be a food adventurer. Make eating more fun by learning ways to use new foods. You can even include making new healthy snacks. Have you ever heard of aquafaba? It’s an excellent replacement for eggs for a vegan diet.
- Don’t label food as bad or good. It’s just food. Changing how you look at food can help you control what you eat. When you take the emotion out of it and eat intuitively, you’ll be more satisfied when you eat and eat less.
For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy
