Overcoming Secretive Eating

Finally - you are alone. No one else is around. Maybe you've waited until they are all soundly asleep. You find yourself in the kitchen sneaking food. Sometimes it's cake, sometimes it's ice cream. Other times you're standing in front of the refrigerator eating leftovers without a plate. Once in a while, you plan ahead, stocking up on your favorite goodies on the drive home.

Almost in a trance-like state, you begin eating the foods you don't want anyone to know you eat... in volumes you don't want anyone to know you want. You eat quickly, not wanting to get caught. The irony is that you're not really enjoying the food, you're not really hungry, and you don't know why you are doing it. Initially there is a sense of freedom, exhilaration, and relief. But something odd also occurs. When eating becomes secretive, it becomes both more exciting and more difficult to give up. A devastating cycle begins. The lure of sneak eating progresses, but so does the sense of guilt and failure. Of course, this leads to more sneak eating and on it goes. It becomes a overwhelming cycle that generates a life of it's own.

EMOTIONAL NEEDS
Sneak eating is a metaphor for real needs. These are needs that are typically not addressed. We think we shouldn't have them. Or we don't know how to deal with them. It's usually a time we can be alone, with all our wants and desires. It is a time we don't have to pretend to be capable, competent, pleasant, likeable, strong, and without needs. It is a time to be entirely self-centered, where you don't have to take care of the needs of anyone else and can focus completely on yourself.

Sneak eating is about hunger. Hunger that develops because of the deprivation of strict diets, restrictive food plans, and the list of "bad" foods that you "shouldn't" be eating. Sneak eating is also a substitute for emotional comfort. A way to nurture the unaddressed feelings of shame, guilt, low self-esteem and loneliness. These feelings may be with you most of the day. It is only when the pace slows down, that the emotions begin to emerge. Not knowing how to handle these powerful emotions, eating follows. Eating in isolation can be a way of stuffing down emotions that seem overwhelming. Eating alone can provide down time without the interruption of family, work, or other responsibilities.

THE 10 MOST POWERFUL FEELINGS YOU EAT TO KILL

1. Hurt

2. Guilt

3. Anger

4. Shame

5. Lonely

6. Anxiety

7. Self-hate

8. Disappointment

9. Emptiness

10. Deprivation

These feelings are normal for every human being. We each need to take the time, and learn the skills, to sit with our emotions. Recognize that it is essential to know what is going on within our bodies. Know that you are important enough to take the time to be still and be with who we really are. Every person has wants, needs, and desires. We need time to focus solely on ourselves and satisfy our needs. Many of us were taught that these things were selfish and unimportant. We learned to disconnect and hide, lie and make excuses about our needs. We pretend we don't need or want pleasure. We substitute food for what we really needed in life. We end up with a love/hate relationship with food. We try to force ourselves not to eat, especially not to sneak eat. And we punish and criticize ourselves for not being able to stop.

Recognize that sneak eating is not about your having shameful desires that cannot be controlled. Instead, sneak eating indicates that you have healthy, natural, human longings that you were not taught how to address.

QUESTIONS
There are a variety of things you can do to help build-up your willpower and let go of the need to sneak eat. Discover what motivates your behavior by asking yourself a few questions as each incident occurs.

* Where are you when you sneak eat?

* What were you thinking about right before you ate it?

* What were you feeling before you began eating?

* What need is this food filling (or stuffing) in your life?

* What else, other than food, would fill the wants and desires that you have?

* What is it that you really need?

Answering these questions and keeping a journal of your answers for future reference will help you understand what prompts your behavior. Your journal entries will serve as a starting place towards noting ideas. These ideas will help you work towards solutions once you are able to more readily recognize your pattern.

Dr. Annette Colby, RD
Nutrition Therapist & Master Energy Healer
For free inspirational newsletter, articles & info visit: http://www.LovingMiracles.com
972.985.8750
"Opening Creative Portals to Success"

---

The Truth About Low Carb Dieting

Every day you walk down the street it is becoming... Read More

South Beach Diet - South Beach Diet Plan Information

Perhaps you've had them too, nightmares about rice cakes, granola,... Read More

High Carbs/Low Fat Diets and Cardio Vascular Disease

For the past 20 years, the American public has been... Read More

Winter Weight Loss

As our bodies move from Winter into Spring we can... Read More

Diets May Have Long Term Side Effects...Do You Know What They Are?

To see the "low carb" diets on the way out... Read More

I Cant Weight (One Mans Diet)

From the book Spider's Big CatchLike many people, I've decided... Read More

Diet Tips ? Common Sense Rules

We, as a society, are always trying to lose weight.... Read More

High Protein Diets Can Have a ?Bad? Impact on Your Career

With all the excitement regarding high protein diets, one area... Read More

The 5 Keys To Finally Lose Fat Fast!

Losing fat in my opinion is not all that difficult.... Read More

Sensible Approach To Weight Loss

Losing weight is a tough and demanding task for most... Read More

A Holistic Approach to Weight loss & Fitness

World Health Organization has observed that obesity has now reached... Read More

Breakfast and Weight Loss

Some people think that skipping breakfast will help them lose... Read More

Healthy Hydration

Water is an essential component of the human body and... Read More

3 Surprising Statistics About Our Weight

To say that Americans are obsessed with dieting is an... Read More

Why Are There Different Diet Types?

Diet is a dreadful word for most of us because... Read More

LA Weight Loss Secrets ? High Profile Personal Trainer Shares the Magic Formula!

In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More

Nutrition and Metabolism Disorder

What is the relationship between intake of nutrition and metabolism... Read More

Empower Your Shopping Experience

Healthy living begins with healthy eating and healthy eating begins... Read More

New Weight Loss Program -- How to Make Your Diet Work

This is a continuation of the article entitled, "Making Diets... Read More

Lose Weight and Keep it Off Permanently Without Fancy Diets

For years the experts have been telling us that diets... Read More

Finding the RIGHT Diet Pill

Hundreds of products on the market today claim to be... Read More

How to End the Food Cravings with EFT

Breaking Down Cravings One at a TimeI know you've heard... Read More

How Does Phentermine Work? Learn Pros & Cons Of Phentermine For Weight Loss

Phentermine, like many other prescription drugs, works with chemicals called... Read More

Weight Loss Problems? - Why The Gastric Bypass Surgery Does Not Stick!

Gastric bypass surgeries are temporary physical fixes to a long... Read More

To Lose Weight or Not to Lose Weight... A Guideline for Men!

To begin this article I must start with it's conclusion.The... Read More

Fat Does Not Make You Fat

Fat does Not Make You Fat. One of the other... Read More

How Water Can Help You Lose Weight Fast

Here are the 4 things you need to know about... Read More

A Personal Trainers...Holidaze

Rules of day to day no longer apply as you... Read More

Dieting Strength

There are several factors in winning at weight loss. Sometimes... Read More

Vinegar and Weight Loss

The Sour Truth -------------------------- Question: I had a baby 6... Read More

Whole Grains Prevent Weight Gain

Research from Harvard, recently published in the highly respected peer-reviewed... Read More

Lose Weight - Find Hidden Calories

If it seems that you have been eating as usual... Read More

Dieting While Partying!

It's really difficult for a person to socialise if he... Read More