The Best Diet Begins in Your Mind
Eliminate the Eight Emotional Obstacles to Permanent Weight Loss
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You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that you have to eat less and exercise more to reach the weight that is right for your body. But, it takes more than knowing that truth to achieve your weight loss goals. It takes a willingness and ability to stick to whatever plan or program you have chosen - no matter what! To do that you need to have your mind and your emotions on the same page. Too many best laid plans have been derailed because of out-of-control feelings and emotional pain. This book is designed to help you avoid those pitfalls as you pursue your current (and final!) weight loss attempt.
Learning to manage your weight is as much about learning to manage your food intake as it is learning to manage your emotions. You can’t master one without the other. This book is called The Best Diet Begins in Your Mind for a reason. When your mind is on board your body will follow.
One important note – this is not a quick weight loss scheme. To achieve permanent weight loss you have to learn to live your life differently. The way you have been living so far has kept your body and your weight where it is now. To change your weight and your body for good you will need to learn to live your life in a way that supports your new svelte figure. This means you will need to learn to eat differently, exercise differently, and manage your emotional life differently. This book addresses the third part of that equation.
Use this book with any food plan that meets your nutritional needs and is flexible enough for you to follow for the rest of your life. A diet that tells you to eliminate a particular food group or to eat only certain foods at certain times is unlikely to be one that you can embrace for the next forty or fifty years. Work with a nutritionist or reputable weight loss program to find a plan that will work for you for the long haul.
Or, you may choose not to follow a formal food plan as you begin this journey. That’s fine with me. Some people find that once they get their emotional life in order, the food falls into place. Do what feels right for you.
As for exercise, the same holds true. Find a form of exercise that is appropriate for your body and that you enjoy so that you will participate in it for years to come. Be creative. Vary your routine and have some fun! Exercise, in whatever form works for you, needs to be a part of your lifestyle from this moment forward. If you are not sure where to start contact a personal trainer or your local Y for ideas.
Once you have your food plan and exercise plan set up you are ready to begin. Use this book as an adjunct to your dieting and exercise efforts. Rely on it to help you navigate the emotional obstacles that will inevitably fall in your path. Expect them. Prepare for them. Manage them. Doing so will set you on your way to achieving your goal – permanent weight loss.
We will begin with a discussion of the difference between physical and emotional hunger. Once you master the difference you will find it easier to stick to your designated plan. Then we will address each of the eight emotional obstacles that may sabotage your dieting efforts. You will learn what they are, how they operate and what you can do to manage them. By addressing your emotional life you will find it is easier to stay on your plan and remaining on your plan will lead to the results you seek. You are about to embark on a wonderful journey. It won’t always be fun, but if you stick with it you will be greatly rewarded.
One more comment about emotions before we continue: Don’t be afraid of them! Emotions are merely energy in your body that need acknowledgement and expression. There is nothing to fear. If you give yourself permission to feel your feelings you will find that they provide valuable information about your life, your self and your relationships. You will also find that they pass rather quickly. Once you start crying you will be able to stop! Anger passes too, as does fear. So as you move forward with this material, allow yourself to be with your emotions. You’ll be happy you did. Now, get to work!
Here’s to your good health, physical and emotional, and to your ideal body weight – whatever it may be!
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About the Book
If you begin your day intending to stick to a diet only to eat something you shouldn’t before noon, then it’s time to change course. Dr. Sheila H. Forman, Ph.D., an acclaimed clinical psychologist, identifies the emotional obstacles that may be sabotaging your weight loss goals in this guidebook to finding a slimmer and happier you. The crash course explains that there are two kinds of hunger—physical and emotional—and the secret to permanent weight loss is focusing on the latter. By understanding your own relationship with food and confronting bad habits that hold you back, you’ll be ready to stun friends, family, and yourself by losing the pounds you thought were there for good. Throughout the book, you’ll find “About Me” sections where you can record insights, aha moments, and other thoughts about what you’ve just read and learned about yourself. Case studies about how others react to their emotions will show you that you are not alone. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman, five pounds overweight or a hundred pounds overweight—you can shed pounds with The Best Diet Begins in Your Mind.
About the Author
Sheila H. Forman, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist specializing in weight issues. She is also a university professor, radio talk show host, media psychologist and lawyer. She is the author of Do You Use Food to Cope? A Comprehensive 15-Week Program for Overcoming Emotional Overeating and Self-Fullness: The Art of Loving and Caring for Your ‘Self.’