To lose weight we must first understand ourselves
To lose weight, we must understand that factors contributing to weight gain, food addiction and obesity go deeper than the surface.
To lose weight we must learn about ourselves. Once we uncover and understand the emotional and psychological roots of weight gain we will be in a position to lose it. Much more is going on in our relationship with food than we would at first assume. Food is often used to subdue, block and cover over emotional pain as with any other addictive substance. People often use it to numb or soothe themselves. It is, however, also used to cause us anxiety.
Problems with eating, weight gain and having to lose weight start early on. Our relationship with food is first established when we are children.
Problems in Childhood that lead to weight gain in adulthood and having to lose weight
Most of us can appreciate how, for example, the extreme physical abuse of a child could lead her/him to use food as consolation. Difficulty arises when we come to identify how more subtle kinds of mistreatment lead to eating problems.
All children experience varying degrees of emotional pain. The nurturing and care we get from caregivers enable us to form a positive sense of self. This helps us to create our identity. Remember, however, that no parent or person is perfect. The best parents are only tuned into their child’s needs for about 30% of the time. Inevitably, as children, we were each left lacking in things we needed. Children might feel rejected, isolated or deprived of attention. On the other hand, they can be overly controlled, intimidated, or intruded upon by caregivers. Literally and figuratively, we learned how to “feed” ourselves based on how we were nurtured by parents and caregivers.
To lose weight we need to understand why we overeat
People eat for reasons other than nourishment and pleasure. Understanding why we overeat means identifying what are the emotions leading us to binge eat, snack, generally overindulge. Are such feelings familiar? Do our eating patterns remind us how our parents used food or other substances? Do the associated feelings remind us of how we have felt in the past?
Society celebrates and supports being slim, sometimes in the extreme. Unrealistic ideals can cause us to be overly self-critical. Feelings of inadequacy can result and can cause us to isolate ourselves from the world. If we don’t identify why we are being so self-critical the chance that we fall off the wagon when we have decided to lose weight is increased. We can challenge the parts of ourselves that cause us to be self-critical by not engaging in behaviour supported by them.
Claire Buck can help you to lose weight
Diet and exercise are necessary to have a healthy body. To have a healthy relationship with food, however, we need to understand ourselves on an emotional and spiritual level. Claire Buck takes a holistic approach to individuals who wish to lose weight. Life coaching can help you identify obstacles that are preventing you from achieving your goal to lose weight whilst equipping you with the self-belief to know that you can do something about it. In time this will help to reduce your stress levels so that you can truly focus on the future and a new you, a better you.
What is coaching?
Coaching is a safe and positive space to focus on what is going on in your life right now. This in turn will create self-awareness whilst also developing knowledge and skills that will allow you to gain a refreshed and new perspective on life.
Coaching is an opportunity to take time out of the everyday hustle and bustle so that you can focus on personal development with a totally new perspective. It is an empowering journey of self-discovery focusing on the process of listening, reflecting and clarification of your needs.
A strong coaching relationship is key to life coaching and the successful outcomes that we all strive towards. Now please read what my clients have to say.
Take action now!
Do you want to lose weight in a structured and wholly supported way, ready for the festive period, and develop the necessary self-awareness? – Contact Claire now for a free 45-minute discovery session :- claire@clairebuck.com