A while back, a colleague asked me to review an hypnotic weight-loss CD she had just made.ย ย Interestingly, being overweight was never a problem for her – she did say, “I lost 3 pounds once” – and her script showed it. ย That’s because she kept referring to ‘hunger’ with suggestions that started like, “When you’re feeling hungry”, “When hunger occurs”, statements like that.
What she didn’t realize, and didn’t seem to be able to hear, was that over-eating is rarely about hunger.ย ย The triggers that turn on the compulsive eating switch are far too vast and complex to simply be about the ‘feeling’ of hunger.
So, what are the feeling triggers?
In learning to regulate your eating, its a good idea to become the ‘watcher’ of your thoughts, feelings and body sensations.ย ย By doing this, you begin to increase your level of awareness of what is happening in the physical realm and get on track with regulating eating effectively.
Some triggers to look for and become aware of are:
Notice that the ‘urge’, ‘impulse’, or ‘feeling’ comes prior to the thought, even though, at first it seems the other way around.
Then ask, what do they actually feel like?
And where do those sensations appear in your body?
Check out your internal experience.ย ย Both when you’re eating and not eating.ย ย Notice what draws you to calmness, and what leads to over-eating.ย ย What happens when you stop indulging?
Feel free to share.ย ย What have I missed?ย ย There is an ocean of feelings and body sensations, so there must be more.ย ย What do you find?
Physical hunger develops gradually and is satisfied by eating a variety of foods, while emotional hunger often appears suddenly, is linked to specific cravings, and may persist even after feeling physically full.
Yes. Stress can increase levels of hormones such as cortisol, which may influence appetite and lead some people to seek comfort in highly palatable foods.
Emotional eating involves using food to cope with feelings, whereas binge eating disorder is a diagnosable mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food accompanied by a sense of loss of control.
Amanda Martin holds a PhD in Family Therapy and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. With over 14 years of experience, she specializes in trauma therapy for individuals and families in residential and outpatient settings. Amanda also provides supervision for EMDR certification, EMDR consultants-in-training, and LMFT-Associates. Her mission is to help people find a healthy, joyful, and fulfilling path in life. Her warm, supportive, and interactive counseling style incorporates Symbolic Experiential Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, HeartMath, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Neurofeedback, and Collaborative Problem Solving.
Dr. Jose Carbajal, a U.S. Army veteran, earned his bachelorโs and masterโs degrees in social work and a masterโs in theological studies from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive teaching experience, Jose specializes in trauma, sexual abuse recovery, domestic violence, and substance abuse. His research focuses on trauma interventions, neuroscience, and faith. He is EMDR Certified, an Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer, with numerous publications and professional presentations to his name.
Amber holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Texas and Oklahoma and holds Supervisor credential for Texas. Amber is an EMDRIA consultant and trainer. She has over a decade of experience in the trauma field in work with uniformed services, domestic violence, childhood trauma and abuse, and recent mass trauma events. Amber provides consultation for EMDRIA certification, for consultants-in-training, and supervision for LPC-Associates. Amber continues to research the benefits of EMDR therapy with a variety of populations. Her goal is to help build strong clinicians who are well versed in trauma interventions to better support their clients. Amber sees a limited number of clients with a focus on trauma work, she is also a Certified Career Counselor and Certified through EAGALA to provide equine-assisted therapy.ย
Amber holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Texas and Oklahoma and holds Supervisor credential for Texas. Amber is an EMDRIA consultant and trainer. She has over a decade of experience in the trauma field in work with uniformed services, domestic violence, childhood trauma and abuse, and recent mass trauma events. Amber provides consultation for EMDRIA certification, for consultants-in-training, and supervision for LPC-Associates. Amber continues to research the benefits of EMDR therapy with a variety of populations. Her goal is to help build strong clinicians who are well versed in trauma interventions to better support their clients. Amber sees a limited number of clients with a focus on trauma work, she is also a Certified Career Counselor and Certified through EAGALA to provide equine-assisted therapy.ย
Dr. Jose Carbajal, a U.S. Army veteran, earned his bachelorโs and masterโs degrees in social work and a masterโs in theological studies from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive teaching experience, Jose specializes in trauma, sexual abuse recovery, domestic violence, and substance abuse. His research focuses on trauma interventions, neuroscience, and faith. He is EMDR Certified, an Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer, with numerous publications and professional presentations to his name.
Amanda Martin holds a PhD in Family Therapy and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. With over 14 years of experience, she specializes in trauma therapy for individuals and families in residential and outpatient settings. Amanda also provides supervision for EMDR certification, EMDR consultants-in-training, and LMFT-Associates. Her mission is to help people find a healthy, joyful, and fulfilling path in life. Her warm, supportive, and interactive counseling style incorporates Symbolic Experiential Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, HeartMath, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Neurofeedback, and Collaborative Problem Solving.
