How Do I Improve My Body Image? Sadly, a negative body image is a huge issue for most women. I don’t know a single woman who feels good about her body all the time. There is so much pressure in the media to look a certain way. There are an endless number of fad diets […]
I struggled with compulsive eating for many, many years. I felt empty inside and ate to fill the void. Food feels like a hug from the inside out. When we eat to that stuffed point, it somehow feels like it grounds us. We temporarily feel a calm in the chaos. However, it is only temporary. […]
When you aren’t really hungry, eating too fast or eating to soothe emotions, do you actually taste your food? I’m guessing the answer is no. When we do not allow ourselves to be fully present, we miss the experience of the food and it is much harder to feel satisfied. The sensation of fullness brings […]
As a culture we use shame to try to change our behavior. When has that ever worked for you? In my experience, shame just drives me further into emotional eating. I am listening to Brenè Brown’s audio recording The Power of Vulnerability for the third time. If you haven’t ever read one of her books […]
The basis of emotional eating is grounded in trying to resist emotions. We are so afraid of feeling our emotions, many of us try anything to avoid them. When Carl Jung stated, “That which we resist, persists”, he was referring to parts of ourselves that we try to deny. I would argue that this is […]
Emotional eating is a complex issue. When you have told someone about your struggle with weight and eating, how often has the response been, “well, just don’t eat so much”? Gee. I guess you hadn’t considered that option, right?! If only it were that easy! I have worked with emotional eating for a long time […]
Emotional eating is an issue most people face at one time or another. So many people don’t even recognize it, but if you aren’t physically hungry and you are reaching for food, it is emotional eating. If it isn’t physical, it is emotional. Let’s face it, food feels good. It is entertaining. It is soothing. […]
I work with a lot of bariatric surgery patients. While every journey is different in its own way, there are several things I like all of my surgical patients to know. Surgery will not heal your relationship with food. Surgery is a tool. It is a powerful tool and effective with a lot of people, […]
Oh forbidden foods! How often do you look at a cookie/cake/pastry/insert favorite treat here and think about how much you want it, but shouldn’t have it? How much do you obsess about it? Probably until you eat it, right? Or, if you do decide to eat it right away, how long do you obsess about […]
Stress eating is so common. Most people reach for food to soothe and comfort themselves in times of stress at one point or another. In my latest visit to Studio 5, I talk about how food gets wired to stress in our brain and what you can do about it….
Michelle Lewis has been working in the mental health field since 2001. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Weber State University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Utah. She is passionate about helping others achieve their goals.
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