Stop Allowing Your Thoughts To Be The Cause Of Your Obesity

Obesity is not an easy condition to cope with. If you are obese, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's no fun to have people stare at you when you're out in public.

It's easy to become depressed when you are unable to share in the sports and physical activities that your friends can because you're too overweight to do so. If you've ever been refused entrance to a movie theater because the seats are not big enough to accomodate someone your size, you know the humiliation you have felt.

However, what I want you to realize here is that what you think is actually one of the main causes of your obesity.

Are you surprised by this? If so, don't be, allow me to explain what I'm referring to and I'm confident you'll see my point.

It's well known that two of the main factors causing obesity are overeating and a lack of physical exercise. In this article, I want to focus on overeating, and in particular, what it is that drives people to overeat in the first place.

Are you prone to using food as a means of comforting yourself when you're feel emotional about something? When sad, lonely, discouraged, or even depressed, do you automatically think about and choose to eat?

If you answered yes to the two questions above, then you are actually allowing your thinking to be one of the causes of your obesity.

In the same manner that some individuals abuse drugs or alcohol when they are facing an emotional issue, so there are many people that abuse food for the same reason. You've likely used the expression "comfort food," to describe something you enjoy eating in order to make yourself feel better. I've used that expression numerous times myself, and there are some foods that I find particularly comforting, such as pizza.

What's important to note here is that "comfort foods" are often very high in sugar, fat, and calories. I doubt that many people would opt for a plate of celery sticks or a big bowl of salad when they're feeling down and are trying to make themselves feel better by eating.

Why People Need Emotional Crutches

I'm not a psychologist, therefore I won't try to explain the huge number of different issues individuals face on a day-to-day basis, which drive them to overeat.

But it is true that the majority of people have some sort of crutch they use in order to comfort themselves when they're feeling emotional about an issue.

Let's consider one emotional factor that may cause someone to reach for the refrigerator door, or the box of Twinkies. I'm referring to stress.

What do you do in order to deal with or get rid of stress? Since the solution for many is to eat something, this is where we need to think about how our thinking comes into play.

Instead of reaching for food when we feel stressed out, we should STOP and THINK for a moment. This will give us time to come up with a better alternative to dealing with and/or eliminating our stress than reaching for a box of Twinkies.

We need to "count to ten" and make a decision to do something healthier in order to deal with stress. This will prevent us from letting our emotional state, or stressed out state, to control our actions.

What better alternatives can you come up with right now that would help you eliminate stress and would be much better for your health than eating a dozen donuts?

Why not stop whatever you're doing and perform some deep breathing exercises?

What about getting out of your office and taking a brisk walk around the block for 20 to 30 minutes?

Is there a fitness center nearby where you can engage in some aerobics or some weight training in order to deal with your stress?

How about taking 30 minutes to talk with your spouse or even a really close friend about how you're feeling?

What about just a good 'ole nap, or for that matter a really good nights sleep, for once. Most of us know that if we're not getting enough really good sleep we feel more stressed-out than normal.

Can you see now how your thought process can actually be one of the factors that causes obesity?

You THINK you need to eat something when you're under stress in order to help you feel better. But, when you take the time to STOP and THINK about it, to deal with stress there are numerous alternatives to eating that are much better for you and much more enjoyable to engage in.

If you've ever gone through a really good workout, then you know the "high" that you experience afterward.

Deep breathing exercises can, in a matter of minutes, completely change how you're feeling when you're under stress and help you handle it much better.

If you've ever had the opportunity to just talk to someone for ten or fifteen minutes about how you're feeling, then you know that it can do wonders for you emotionally and even help you to solve perceived problems.

You Are In Control Of One Of The Causes Of Obesity - Your Thinking

You absolutely can control this cause of obesity - your thinking. Although you may not be able to change your thought process overnight, over time and with a determination to STOP and THINK before you eat for emotional reasons, you will be able to develop a healthier thinking pattern, which in turn will develop into healthier habits to help you deal with and solve your emotional issues.

So, perhaps prior to reading this article you may not have realized that your thought process is one of the main causes of obesity. I hope that now you can see that your thinking is a very powerful tool, for good or for bad.

So, start now to change the way you think about food and dealing with stress or other emotional issues. Instead of reaching for that box of Twinkies, or bowl of ice cream, make a conscious decision to do something healthier and more fun for yourself. Don't allow your emotions to continue controlling your actions, and you'll be able to overcome your obesity.

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