Throughout my years of coaching people to lose weight, I found people who have weight problems also have a tendency to excess in other areas of their lives as well. Take overspending for example. There are similar reasons why people overeat and overspend. Usually it has to do with an emotional state that leads to either poor decision making or impaired impulse control. These are both associated with the same part of the brain: the pre-frontal cortex which is called the executive function of the brain. According to researchers in neuroscience at Stanford University, this part of the brain is connected to how we orchestrate thought and action to accomplish our goals.
Here is a summary of the emotional states that seem to impair rational decision-making and therefore sabotage our weight loss and other life goals:
Avoidance sabotages your weight and life goals:
People that are practicing avoidance tend to be fuzzy about what they are doing and less likely to be aware of the behaviors that are sabotaging them. That is why keeping a journal has proven to be so helpful. I have my clients sign up for loseit.com. As an extra motivator the daily results are sent to me and I comment on what they are doing. This has been proven to be very effective. When people begin to track what they are doing, it is hard to stay in avoidance. The antidote to avoidance is being accountable for our actions, which I believe is an integral part of why and how we change.
Negative or “depressed” moods sabotage your weight and life goals:
Many behaviors that are about over consuming are often ones that are similar to self-medicating. People turn to things, whether it is shopping, drinking, or spending to get a lift, a boost or to numb out what they do not want to feel. Sometimes there is a legitimate chemical imbalance and in that case, I suggest finding a good naturopathic doctor to identify what might be out of balance. Many people are taking anti-depressants instead which do not target underlying imbalances and are more of a one size fit all solution. A good place to learn more about this is Julia Ross’ book the Mood Cure. Exercise, play and taking up a hobby are also great ways to boost your mood. See my blog on how play and hobbies help you lose weight.
Low self-esteem sabotages your weight and life goals:
This may not be a conscious action, but many people who are shopaholics and over consume because buying something feels like it is a way to compensate for low self-esteem. The studies I looked at that measure happiness back this up in the sense that people think they feel happier when they can spend at least what everyone else does or preferably more than their peers. The problem with this strategy is that it does not last and you end up doing more harm in the long run in terms of accumulating debt and stress. The antidote to this is to become more comfortable in your own skin, less concerned about what other people think about you. Instead of focusing on what other people think, focus on fulfilling your own potential. Once you engage more with that, a funny thing happens; it is almost like you don’t want for much. You feel more self-fulfilled. The way to do that is by finding out and focusing on what you are passionate about or what really matters to you.
Pursuing instant gratification sabotages your weight and goals:
We live in a culture that defines happiness in a hedonistic way. Not only that, we are accustomed to and want immediate gratification. This is why we are in the mess we are in economically. It is really important to train yourself to avoid seeking immediate gratification which can be very addictive. If you are used to eating foods that excite your senses in a negative way as processed and packaged foods do, you will be less able to avoid seeking immediate gratification. This is reinforced by the media that programs us to want it and have it now. We are bombarded with messages about how you are worth it and you deserve it. One way to start to de-program yourself is to delay the decision. There is a ten minute rule that is very helpful. If you delay an urge, it passes. By then you see it really is not something that really matters.
I also suggest downloading hypnosis MP3 file that can help you strengthen your ability to delay immediate gratification, improve your self-esteem, and get yourself out of avoidance.
Thank you, I appreciate this article very much! This being available to read, has encouraged me to do further research in why I overeat and overspend.