for the emotional eaters

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sharonfoustmills
sharonfoustmills Posts: 519 Member
in Motivation and Support
Those of you who have bad food relationships that developed since you were a small child, the ones who know surgery or lap bands would not work for them because they would still overeat, because it's not about physical hunger when you eat too much or eat the wrong things- I'm talking to you.

Just curious, if someone could give you a plan and work through it with you that would change your thinking and your attitudes about food, that would stop that criticizing horrible voice inside you, what would you be willing to pay to attend a six week program like that? I am thinking seriously of combining my psychology/ counseling education and training with weight loss methods to set up this kind of program. I am figuring while I lose all the weight is a good time to start looking at all the things I would need to start this kind of business.

Opinions please?

What would it be worth in money to you if you had these misdirected, misguided and screwed up emotional relationships with food to find a way to end it for good? (By the way, many of the principles of the actual plan would include programs like MFP where you can get online support and advice.) Oh, and I would have another mental health counselor joining me, one who has never had a problem with weight or food and who counselled many people with eating disorders in our counseling office where we work. I did not work with those with eating disorders, because I felt that was ridiculous when I was so out of control with eating myself- but that has changed and I've managed to come up with ways to change my thinking using my therapy skills.

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  • twinmoon
    twinmoon Posts: 108 Member
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    I was an emotional eater, always will have that in me. One great book is Geneen Roth's "Women, Food, and God" It's not religious, but it has a lot of spiritual elements. Making peace with food is a mindset issue, so I think there's a good field out there for you. You can also take some behavioral modification classes, which helps give people the tools necessary to redirect and change destructive behaviors. Good luck!
  • nursenelson
    nursenelson Posts: 295
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    (how can clients have confidence in a counselor who cannot even control her own eating????)

    To be honest I agree with this comment you made in your own profile
    I would be interested to hear more information on this but I would probably wouldn't take it too seriously until you yourself have had substantial wt loss and killed the Food beast that lives in your head first
    sorry - just being honest....
  • muziclver
    muziclver Posts: 145 Member
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    (how can clients have confidence in a counselor who cannot even control her own eating????)

    To be honest I agree with this comment you made in your own profile
    I would be interested to hear more information on this but I would probably wouldn't take it too seriously until you yourself have had substantial wt loss and killed the Food beast that lives in your head first
    sorry - just being honest....

    Agreed.
  • sharonfoustmills
    sharonfoustmills Posts: 519 Member
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    I was an emotional eater, always will have that in me. One great book is Geneen Roth's "Women, Food, and God" It's not religious, but it has a lot of spiritual elements. Making peace with food is a mindset issue, so I think there's a good field out there for you. You can also take some behavioral modification classes, which helps give people the tools necessary to redirect and change destructive behaviors. Good luck!

    You know I read that book when Oprah was talking about it on her show, but I did not get anything from it. Unusual for me because I am a deep thinker. Glad that it helped you though!

    I've been working as a mental health counselor for the past two years, and I've worked with addictions quite a bit, but I avoided the eating disorders (I don't think clients with eating disorders should be counselled by someone who has current issues with emotional eating problems. I am working hard on changing the thoughts, and the change in behavior is naturally following it.
  • sharonfoustmills
    sharonfoustmills Posts: 519 Member
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    (how can clients have confidence in a counselor who cannot even control her own eating????)

    To be honest I agree with this comment you made in your own profile
    I would be interested to hear more information on this but I would probably wouldn't take it too seriously until you yourself have had substantial wt loss and killed the Food beast that lives in your head first
    sorry - just being honest....

    Oh no, I am in total agreement with you, so thanks for the honesty. I do however think I've found the key to changing those thoughts and things are going so much more easily for me this time than when I tried last spring. I agree that I have to get the pounds off and keep them off for at least a year before I can try to help anyone else- but I am figuring this whole process will take me 2-3 years so I wouldn't be trying to do anything with the idea before then. Thanks for the honest opinion on it.
  • sharonfoustmills
    sharonfoustmills Posts: 519 Member
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    I do appreciate all opinions. I know I still have a long way to go- I am just wondering if anyone thinks there is an actual market for this type of work. My co-worker (also a mental health counselor) has worked with many people with eating disorders, and she thinks the system I came up with to help myself will really work for others.

    I don't know why I did not think of this before, we can try it at our counseling office and see its effectiveness or non-effectiveness.

    I guess I just want to know what people think would be a reasonable charge for such a program, and whether each person thinks personally they would try it (essentially it is a mental health therapy system to change negative thinking toward food).

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