Eat your way to self confidence

Ever been concerned about your weight? Many of us as women seem to be worried that we are too large, the wrong shape, or need to be on a diet. Yet how many of these problems are to do with our self confidence and emotions, rather than food itself?

Most of us can forget the diets. Basically, we run the risk of wasting our money and helping other people, who don't know us or care about us, to become very rich.

The more self confidence we have, the more able we are to tackle important health issues. The more confident we are the more we can be honest about what is really going on inside us. The greater our self confidence the greater our chance of managing our weight permanently.

What can we do instead? There are many things. One of them is to look at the underlying reasons why we eat what we eat and why we eat at the times we eat.

If you want more energy and greater health without having to spend hours reading then Rachel's 2 CD set, "Energy for living" could be ideal. Described by a journalist as "A pint-size dynamo" Rachel tells you everything she does to have boundless energy, so you can have the same. Click here to get your copy.

Self-confidence in not eating emotional food.

For example, I have to admit I eat for emotional reasons. I eat when I’m not hungry. I eat when my physical body is not lacking in sustenance or support. I eat because somewhere in my subconscious, I am responding to unmet emotional needs and feelings. I suspect I am not alone in this.

If I eat to satisfy emotional needs and I want to have a healthy weight, what do I need to do? It would make more sense to manage my emotions and stay away from the fridge, wouldn't it?

Chocolate is a superb teacher for me. When I ask myself, "Why am I eating this chocolate?" the answers bowl me over. I've never had the reply "Because I'm hungry and the fat in cocoa is needed to help me go running!"

Instead, the answers always have an emotional flavour to them. Here are some of the ones I’ve found written in my journals recently:

• I eat because I feel agitated inside and I think it will take it away.
• I eat because I feel empty or lonely and I want to fill the void.
• I eat because I feel tired and worn down and I think I will feel uplifted.
• I eat to distract myself. It takes my mind away from whatever is bothering me.
• I eat when I want to avoid looking at how I feel so I can cover up what’s going on inside.
• I eat because I want to be comforted and it will make things right.

There's not much there to do with hunger, is there?

When you have self confidence you can have the courage to ask questions of yourself. Have the confidence to find out why you eat. Have the confidence to go inside yourself and not just to gain external comfort. There is wisdom within each of us. Take the time to go inside.

If you find that you’re also eating without being physically hungry, then find the courage to investigate your emotions further. Diets often don’t work because we have failed to look at our underlying eating habits and emotional patterns.

Are you eating for emotional reasons? If so, what are you going to do about it?

If you aren't your ideal weight, how many more diets will you endure?

I'm off to manage my emotions, are you? Do you have the self-confidence you need?

Written by Rachel Green.  Professional Speaker | Trainer | Coach | Author.

Self-confessed lover of 85% Lindt chocolate, and potential eater of food when stressed!

Rachel is the author of the 2CD set: "Energy for living: How to have abundant energy and feel fully alive". Click here to get your copy.

Rachel also has an entertaining, educational and expert speech: "Lessons I've learnt from eating chocolate." Book her for your next event now: rachel@confident-woman.com.au

Copyright Confident Woman Australia, 2009.
NB: The information contained in this article is not provided as an alternative to obtaining professional or psychological advice from an appropriately qualified practitioner. Please seek any individual help you need for any eating disorder or health problem you may have.