Stress eating is very effective. This is because we can’t simultaneously engage our Sympathetic Nervous System (stress response) and our parasympathetic nervous system (eating response). If you eat when you are stressed, you will calm down….temporarily. You will also build a connection in your brain that says, “I’m stressed. Cookies take stress away. Yes. I […]
In my latest interview with Frankie and Jess on 97.1 ZHT, we talk about body image. How we feel about our body starts so early and tends to follow us throughout our lives. With media bombardment, we are left feeling like we aren’t good enough. Although it happens with men, it is oh so common […]
How many times have you tried to make changes in your life with eating and exercise? 10? 20? Every Monday for the last 15 years? How often has that decision been made under duress, in that, you are tired of feeling the way you do, but beating yourself up every step of the way. Do […]
Woah. That seems harsh! If you knew someone who made you promise after promise and never followed through, would you trust them? If you knew someone who consistently spoke critically about you and rarely gave positive feedback, would you want to do anything for them? I sure hope the answer is no! If you are […]
I am always looking for new and better ways to help my clients resolve emotional eating. When I became trained in EMDR Therapy, I felt like I had found my home. I LOVE EMDR Therapy. I use it to resolve past trauma that created an unhealthy relationship with food and then, I use it to […]
It can seem as though food is in the driver seat. Binge eating makes us feel powerless and weak. We don’t even necessarily want to eat many times, but like a moth to the flame, we can’t seem to stop ourselves. Does this sound familiar? Now, compound that with the many diets you have probably […]
If you are like most of my clients, you have done the weight loss/weight gain yo-yo. You have tried every diet under the sun. You have told yourself that the next time would be different….until it wasn’t. So, what gets in the way every. single. time? You just aren’t that into it. Wait. What? No. […]
Struggling to lose weight is rarely due to a lack of information. Nearly every client I meet with knows what to do to lose weight. By the time a client is on my couch, they have tried every diet. They have lost the same 10 or 20 or 50 pounds over and over again only […]
Binge eating is a complex animal. It feels like a friend until it becomes the enemy. When we are young with limited coping skills and even less power, food becomes a powerful escape. We escape the pain and emptiness of not having our needs met. As we grow up, the pathways formed in our brain […]
Most people struggle with emotional eating. More often than not, they probably have no idea they are eating for emotional reasons. Emotional eating becomes so habitual, we eventually turn off emotional cues before we even register them. Often, I will ask a new client what prompts their emotional eating episodes and they will say 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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