Nine years ago, I’d not only all but abandoned my New Year’s goal, but in April, I had to buy a bigger size. It was mortifying. The year of 2012 was going to be my year – I was going to lose the weight. I’d lost some of it before, but this was going to be different. YES, it was!
I wanted it to be different, but honestly, I had no idea of how to make it last. I’d been on the Diet Yo-Yo for 40 years. I’d used the pills, special powders, recipes, and I’d worked out hard and consistently at times, and I’d lose some. It would last for a little while before that slow creep back up started again.
This time, however, I was motivated by a significant birthday. I was motivated by the unhappy prospect of being stuck – or larger – forever. I’d watched my mother struggle all my life. She’d do pretty well, but when she gave up, she gave up, and she’d just get larger and larger. I did not want that.
I knew how it happened. I sabotaged my good efforts in nutrition with emotional eating. I’d do great for a few days or weeks, then something would happen, and I’d NEED to soothe myself with food. Cue the beating up of self, which required more soothing, which ended any pretense of diet, and I’d return to my old pattern of eating.
Somehow, it hadn’t occurred to me that I could actually address the emotional eating part. I thought it was just “normal.” I didn’t have to be stuck with that forever? Hmm.
It HAD occurred to me that I could NOT do it on my own. I can buy the programs and videos and all the rest of it, but like many of you, we will move heaven and earth to help someone else, but we need some external accountability to do something for ourselves.
It’s not a flaw. It’s how we’re wired.
I also knew a friend or family member could not do it for me. We’d tried that too often.
To create real and lasting change for myself, my first step was to hire someone to help me to both work through the emotional stuff that drove me to food for soothing and hold me accountable to my goal to help me create the habits that sustained it.
How about you? Have you tried dieting many times? Have you just about HAD IT with the Diet Yo-Yo?
It’s not just another diet – it’s changing your lifestyle, which will make it easier, I promise. When we overcome emotional eating, we can cultivate good habits rather than the ones that trap you in the old ones. Are you ready to overcome your emotional eating so you can shed that extra weight for good?
If you’d like a gentle way to start, check out my group coaching program at packyourownbag.com/group. Spend 8 weeks with me and a group of others who want to overcome emotional eating. I’m opening two groups, Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. Central Time (4:30 PDT/5:30 MDT/7:30 EDT/8:30 ADT/9 NDT) and Thursday a.m. at 11 Central (9 PDT/10 MDT/12 EDT/1 ADT/1:30 NDT/5 BST/6 CEST/7 EEST)
I can only take 12 per group so I can give adequate attention to everyone, so don’t hesitate. We start on May 4th and 6th. See all the information for registration here: www.packyourownbag.com/group.
