emotional eating 101

for every fat person their is a story but I would say almost all have one thing in common EMOTIOANL EATING. we eat because we're happy/sad/scared/lonely/bored/angry almost anything will cause an eating response. and many times dear old mom is the root of the problem, food = love. you get a booboo get a cookie, do good get a treat, fail get a treat. Christmas, thanksgiving, birthdays, religious gatherings, family gatherings everything is all about food. it becomes a pattern you eat to feel special or because you're not feelin special.
it may be the way we were raised but it's time to break the cycle, and forgive your mama she was only repeating the bad patterns grandma taught her and back and back in time. when we were struggling to survive as a species it made sense. but that holiday apple or orange they got as a treat in the 1800s turned into the sugar laden crap of the modern world it doomed us. we are not obligated or chained to the past though so now it's up to us to break those bonds of obesity, and while it's not gonna be easy it is certainly gonna be worth it.
I can relate personally  I'm an orphan both my parents died by the time I was 10 and was raised by my granparents. my granny was a very unhappy lady and she self medicated with food. she also wasn't equipped to handle the angst of a child whose world was ripped asunder. so I ate and I ate and ate some more. when I was young and living on the farm it was fine I exerted so many calories I remained at a normal weight but as soon as I moved away and started working in the "real" world I started packing on the pounds and over the years I turned into a butterball. I'm still thick and I still have about 40 pounds to go to goal weight but havin lost 80 and kept it off for over a decade I do actually know a little something about the weight loss wars.
so the first step is to change the type of food we eat as a treat. apples, oranges, raisins, nuts are wonderful treats and perfectly good for us in moderation.
the second step is to redirect the focus of our celebrations into no food based activities. why not go for a hike as a family, go bowling (skip the food at the alley) , play cards, do a board game night, play hide-n-go seek, go swimming, do a 5k together, volunteer as a family for habitat for humanity, have an art day or craft day, go to the movies or a play, or put on a play/concert for family and friends, have a scavenger hunt (with a non-food prize obviously) this one is all about thinking outside the box and using your imagination
third change the type of food you serve, basically I avoid anything white................bread, rice, potatoes and anything made with white sugar and their ilk are simply poison to the human body. a simple truth our bodies are NOT designed to digest processed foods and it is directly harmful to us.
make muffins with wheat flour and applesauce (non-sweetened) , serve unbreaded broiled lean meats, skip the sauces and condiments. focus on the quality of what you eat and that goes for what you give your kids as well. so many people start eating well but still make those extras for the "kids" so they wont feel deprived. REALLY? so you want to doom them to repeat your mistakes and suffer the pain that bein fat has brought to you emotionally and physically. love them enough to be a parent and do whats best for your family (not whats popular)
once you get the what taken care of you need to make portion control a priority we (people) have decided erroneously that bigger is better. we king size, value meal, upsize, add on ourselves into an early grave. a serving size of veggies is the size of a balled fist (yours not andre the giants) and a serving of protein is the size of a playing card...............yes really that is a portion! those small bags of chips are like 3 servings, a small candy bar is 2.5 servings, even a bottle of soda is multiple servings.
we're so used to eating till we're stuffed for many of us being full is not something we recognize. start cutting back and drink a glass of water before you eat. also take smaller bites and chew more. it really does help you to feel satiated. and by the by fat is NOT the enemy fat actually makes you feel full quicker. it's also what gives protein it's flavor. when companies make low fat foods they add sugar to make it taste better which is a false economy and will ruin a diet. don't take my word for it check the label.
it's also important to drink enough water, yes water. not tea no coffee plain old water. soda is bad for you diet soda is WORSE for you. it actually makes you gain weight in many cases. some of the artificial sweeteners actually make you hungry and slow your metabolism. many of us get more than the recommended daily caloric intake through our beverages. your weight loss journey is doomed to failure long term if you don't address these issues.
also if you weigh 500 pounds and you cut back a bit obviously you'll lose weight and quickly too but as you get thinner you have to address these issues to keep your weight loss on track. the most important thing is to make a decision to do something about your weight and get off your arse and do it!

and of course while eating the right food in the right amount is important so is exercise and we'll be going into that on tomorrow post

oh and if you MUST have "PI" I suggest you try this one! lolol