What kind of emotional demons are lurking in your closet (or refrigerator)? Not sure? Well, it's time to find out, and to exorcise them once and for all. To succeed where you have failed, sometimes you have to take three steps back to take that first step forward. In terms of reaching your goal weight, "stepping back" means reviewing past and current self-defeating behaviors to identify where you got stuck, discouraged, or overwhelmed.
Here are several of the most common causes of overeating. I want you to grab a pen and paper and list all the excuses that are familiar to you.
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Emotion
Do you overeat as a coping mechanism, to numb suffering, allay fears, combat loneliness, and so on?
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Reward
Do you indulge in eating to reward yourself when you've done a good job on something?
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Seeking acceptance
Do you overeat because you're seeking social acceptance? Do you eat fattening foods at parties so as not to offend the host? If you're out with friends, do you feel the need to have a drink just to fit in?
Add to your list any other situations that have derailed your success.
