After having regained weight after weight loss surgery (WLS), many people may feel shame, guilt, or disappointment. According to Brene Brown, Ph.D., LCSW, shame is “an intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging,” (2006). Brown (2006) proposes that some
Strategies to Change Your Mindset: It’s not unusual for me to start and stop a new written piece many times, so I was not surprised that I had that experience writing about “I have to” versus “I want to.” The surprise was the wave of the deep emotion that washed
If we are honest, we have all found ourselves trying to get back on track in life, at one time or another. Whether it is trying to get back on track financially, emotionally, physically, or in some other way, having to obtain a goal we have already achieved in the past
Understand the Anxiety and Compulsive Eating Connection: As a survival mechanism, the human brain is hard-wired with the instinct to eat in response to hunger cues. Beginning in infancy, the brain rewards eating with “feel good” neurochemicals that produce a sense of pleasure. As children grow, feelings that are more
Being overweight or obese in America is a different type of “new normal” that is often overlooked. Statistically, over one-third of Americans are overweight or obese. The sad reality is that we are bombarded with mixed media messages containing images of beautiful, slim models indulging in manufactured, junk foods. It takes
“It’s not just what you are eating… Have you considered what’s eating you?” Have you ever been told a story from someone else and you initially believed it? Then upon further information gathering, you realized that the story was wrong or inflated in some way? Moreover, sometimes it can even
If so you are not alone. We all want this. In fact, current research shows that over half of Americans report they are trying to lose weight and become healthier. As a weight loss counselor and coach for the last 18 years, I have had the privilege of hearing my
Eating and Living Without Shame: What Is Shame? Shame. It’s a popular topic in the blogging world right now. We’ve all heard of it. There’s talk of body shame, fat-shaming, and shame spirals. But what is shame, exactly? Is it an emotion? An action? A thought? And can it really
Before Eating Off Track: If you’ve decided to commit to a healthy eating plan but find yourself reverting to old habits or feeling tempted by foods that you know are unlikely to help get you to your goal, you’re not alone. Don’t beat yourself up! Old habits die hard, and
So, you had another binge followed by the usual verbal barrage of self-inflicted unmerciful cruelty. Somehow, your inner critic’s efforts to keep you in line with your food plan failed again, because low and behold, the pattern repeats itself. Want a different outcome than binging? Binge and Behavioral Chain
