Buddy System FAQ
Why do we overeat?
And why do we overeat the foods we do?
by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
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Buddy system FAQ & Support

This is not a simple question
and the answer is not easy to find - in fact the answers will be different for each person.

Emotional Ties to Food

There are so many emotional ties to food that we all find it difficult to separate what we need to eat from what we want to eat. The childhood memories of Mom's pancakes on a frosty winter's morning may bring you to eat pancakes when feeling down and alone. This may be fine every now and again but what happens when you eat a huge stack a few times a week? Is this the only thing you can eat for breakfast or do the pancakes represent more than simple food for you? is there more than meets the eye here.

"Why Do I Overeat?"

The first step in trying to lose weight is not necessarily clearing out the pantry. It's knowing WHY you are overeating. If you do not know why you overeat then you will refill that pantry just as fast as you cleared it out.

This will take some work. It will take looking back at your childhood and you may even find some sad memories along with the happy ones. The idea is to reflect and tease out the good from the bad. Think about what would make you overeat- failing a test, not making the team, or overeating to fill an emotional void? Was food your best friend when no one else would help you?

Using a notebook & make a journal

The best way to discover your "eating self" is to get a simple notebook and jot down why you ate in the past - go back to your childhood and really think about it. This may take a bit of doing, but give yourself the time, this is a very important exercise - this is going to be your FIRST step on your journey.

Once you have looked at your past eating, now do the same with your current eating habits. You know what you are suppose to eat, we all do : ). We know we're not suppose to eat half a bag of chips right before going to bed. When you find this happening write down in your food journal - the same notebook as before, how you are feeling when going for that bag of chips or cookies. Did you have a fight with your husband, your kids, your friend? Was this a response to work stress and you are "rewarding" yourself? Write down the time, day, what you were going to eat (or ate) and most importantly how you were feeling at that time and what event happened before you started towards the fridge.

My experience

I know I don't overeat the veggies and fruits : ) but I know that I'm a dessert freak. When I look back on my growing up there were little desserts in the house and when they were around I never got to eat them - I was considered the "fat one" in my family. I have realized that I overeat desserts because I was refused them as a kid- now as an adult I feel free to do as I want. I suppose I might have confused the dessert with love too. Thinking this through has really helped me slow down on the desserts and made me think about not what I was eating, but what was eating me.

Get a notebook today and start writing down your past and eating and emotions. Then start writing about today. Remember your past is just that, the past. Today is the present, a gift to you, to be the person you strive to be.

Buddy system FAQ & Support

How Do I Fight Cravings?
Fighting food cravings is very hard to do while you are trying to lose weight. They hit you quickly and can be very intense. Many women find that these cravings hit during times of stress, exhaustion, and anxiety. Find out more about these cravings, what triggers them and what you can do to overcome them.

Spicy Beef

Dr. Larrian Gillespie has developed a way for women to eat to stay fit, sharp and lose weight and keep it off! Dr. Gillespie has been the first to recognize that women have different nutritional needs - we use foods differently and need to eat differently than men. Her recipe Spicy Beef comes from her book The Goddess Diet.  This stir-fry dish can easily be made for dinner and enjoyed by the entire family - especially the men!

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