Weight Loss Benefit...Continued

Stress and Emotional Health

Life (or daily) stress

It may come as no surprise that, when we are going through a challenging time, the associated stress can affect both our appetite and how we typically respond to stress. Through past experiences, we have learned eating can often bring comfort. While “emotional eating” and “comfort foods” often do make us feel good, eating in response to emotional cues or even simply out of habit can have the effect of reinforcing the patterns we are trying to overcome. Breaking these patterns can be much harder than we realize.

Mental health status

Similarly, many mental health conditions, depression among them, can affect both appetite and subsequent eating behavior. Depression is also often associated with decreased motivation, decreased self-efficacy, and lack of interest, all of which can negatively impact the ability to achieve goals. While depression (or stress, for that matter) may be associated with weight loss in some individuals, these changes may not be sustained, since they have not been achieved mindfully.

Overcoming Barriers to Weight Loss

Learn how to set goals that work for you

The goals that are most conducive to success are those that are realistic, specific, and attainable. If we want to see results, it is far better to adapt our ideal goals to fit these parameters than to wish for something that is abstract or unrealistic. By doing so, we are more likely to succeed.