Declutter Your Mind

If you acknowledge your emotional clutter (the unhealthy habits that lead you to overeat) and find ways to deal with it, the weight will fall away.  But as soon as you let your emotions - be they depression, anger, or joy -- make your eating decisions for you, the weight will creep on.  Do some personal spring cleaning to break the habits that steer you in the wrong direction.

1. Do a reality check:  The fat didn't appear overnight and won't disappear overnight.
2. Imagine the life and body you want and hold that idea in your mind; refer to that mental image when you're swayed by unhealthy foods.
3. Organize where, how, and what you eat--it's the first step toward achieving your ideal body.  Take time to plan out your meals.
4. Determine what your goal is for your body (to fit into your favorite pair of jeans or to be able to run a mile, for example).  If a food doesn't help in your efforts toward achieving that goal, don't eat it.
5. Live in the present, not the past or the future.  If you're eating for emotional reasons, home in on why.  Anger?  Despair?  Fear?
6. Make mindful eating a way of life.  If you don't, the fat will creep back on.  Celebrate every meal; it will remind you of the great things a meal provides, beyond food.

 May/June 2008 Weight Watchers Magazine