Anxiety is awful.

And it seems to me that anxiety, or any form of anxiousness, has a huge impact on the likelihood of us emotional eating.

Feelings of anxiousness aren’t fun. And when we emotionally eat – that provides a temporary escape. Of course, 5 minutes later when we’re done eating, those feelings of anxiousness come back plus we feel bad for having eaten junk. (This = a double whammy!)

To me, it seems that a big part of anxious feelings come from not getting things done. THEREFORE, if we could just get things done, we’d feel a lot less anxious!

When we’re not accomplishing our outcomes and tasks, it’s time to reset them.

Let’s take a looksy…

1. You’re shooting to accomplish Task B in two days.

2. Two days come, and you haven’t accomplish tasked B. FAIL!

What goes on?

1. Subconsciously, without any concrete goal set, we start working slower trying to accomplish Task B.

2. A week passes by

3. Two weeks

We finally finish.

What we had hoped to accomplish in one or two days turns into TWO WEEKS!!!

Crazy time wasted = more things to do = more anxiety = wanting to eat crap.

Tremendous opportunities to accomplish more things = down the tubes

Why humans suck with goals…

1. Anne sets a goal.

2. She fails at her goal.

3. She keeps working on that goal.

4. Crazy time wasted!

5. She eventually finishes her task without any rhyme or reason – weeks, months, years later!

Check it…

When we set concrete goals, we subconsciously drive our selves to complete Task B by Date T with maximum effort.

When we have no due date for a task, we aimlessly plow through our days hoping to accomplish something-anything-I’ll-complete-it-sometime.

Setting no concrete due date to accomplish that task makes us expend way more time than necessary. (A task that takes two days turns into two weeks because we didn’t set a deadline for it.)

TRY THIS INSTEAD:

1. Pick a task. (I will accomplish X task by Y date)

2. When the date comes, set a new goal with a new due date (with the original goal included if you haven’t finished it.)

3. Repeat

You’ll start accomplishing a lot more things, quicker, as you become more effective with your time.

BONUS! For tasks that take three minutes or less: do them as soon as you get them. Do not put them off.

Double BONUS! For tasks that take 3 minutes or more (but no more than say, two hours): Set a deadline. Say it’s 3:30pm and you’re about to start something that’ll take ten minutes. Tell yourself you can’t do anything BUT finish this task because you ONLY have until 3:40pm.

It’s one of the best games you’ll ever play.

You = getting lots of things done = on time = less anxiety = you not wanting to eat crap to cover up anxious feelings = you looking and feeling awesome = everyone wins!

##

What good is ANY diet or exercise plan, even if it’s “the perfect one,” if you can’t stick with it? MBT has helped 100’s of people through the US and world get the body they want by helping them actually stick with it once and for all.

And because we offer a money back gaurantee, it’s risk free for you to try it out. What are you waiting for? Join now!

For a few of us, it seems as though once it was officially summer – our motivation officially started to fall.

I hear ya. BUT, I’m not so sure it’s our motivation as much as it is our environment.

Because in the face of GINORMOUS temptation, it’s easy to start questioning why we’re doing this. In the face of GINORMOUS temptation our motivation fades.

Hold up.

What is a temptation anyway?

My definition is very simple: A temptation is something that makes us think irrationally.

Our motivation fades because our rational and long term mind is asleep while our irrational and short term mind is W I D E awake.

But even so, even after all of my rational/irrational talk, what’s the point of this? Why bother?

I figure now (TEMPTATION) is as good a time (TEMPTATION) as ever to remind (TEMPTATION) you why because (TEMPTATION) there is temptation everywhere (TEMPTATION).

(See what I just did there?)

But first let’s start with the question, “Why?”

Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to get more fit? Why do you want to accomplish your professional goals? Why do you want to accomplish your personal goals? What is your goal in life?

When I ask people these questions, I get a lot of different answers.

Whatever your goal is, think about the answer to the next question: Why?

And then keep asking yourself why.

What’s so fascinating to me is that if we keep asking ourselves, “Why?” enough times, we’ll arrive at the same answer that most people do.

We’re all doing what we do because we believe it’ll ultimately make us happier.

I think the end goal of anything we do is: happiness. However, I think happiness is a very ambiguous term. Instead, I’m very interested in how I can become happier (and how I can help other people become happier).

Not that I’m unhappy. I’ve always been a happy person…

But why not be as happy as I possibly can be? Life is short.

We might as well be as happy as we possibly can be.

These questions and thoughts are what led me to write all of these posts.

So, here’s a question I’ve been noodling on and it helps me a lot:

“Will this make me happier?”

But you have to be honest with yourself when you ask that to yourself.

Let’s explore a little:

I’m not saying I’m unhappy when I’m shoveling a burger and fries into my face. I’m not saying I’m unhappy when I’m eating ice cream. No. Not at all. That makes me happy. At least, while I’m eating it.

I’m saying I’m happier when I eat healthfully.

I’m not saying I’m unhappy when I’m lounging around watching TV. That’s fun!

I’m saying I’m happier when I’m moving around and enjoying my fitness! That’s MORE fun!

I’m not saying I’m unhappy when I have a great meal and overeat because the food is just so tasty.

I’m saying I’m happier when I leave the table feeling satisfied and not stuffed.

When are you happier if you’re really and truly honest with yourself?

And of course, our rational and long term mind knows the answers. The challenge is that in the face of temptation everywhere – we lose sight of what makes us happier because we’re thinking irrationally.

By asking yourself this question (“Will this make me happier?”) it helps you to think rationally, and that’s the key.

##
Starting a new program is hard, but sticking with it is even harder. That’s where MBT excels. We’ve helped countless people of all ages, sizes and shapes stay consistent with diet and exercise.

Although a personal trainer can be helpful, it’s what you do between workouts that really makes the difference! We’ll be with you from start to finish, 24/7/365 – helping you get through the ups and downs until you reach your goals.

What are you waiting for? Join now!

Who likes doing laundry?

WELL…I hate it!

The ‘Laundry Monster’ is something my mom came up with after I complained about doing laundry to her repeatedly.

No matter how many times I promise myself I won’t let it build up, I manage to do just that. And I let it build up until I’ve used every sheet for my bed possible, and every pair of random underwear and socks I can find.

It becomes a ‘Laundry Monster’ because I become so terrified of doing it.

There is just SO much!

And the best part? The laundry is in the basement of my building. So I can lug all of my clothes downstairs and machines might not even be available!

Ughhh.

HOWEVER, each and every time I do it – I’m always reminded that it isn’t so bad. In fact, the satisfaction of having my laundry all folded up, and my socks in little balls, and knowing my clothes are all clean is priceless.

I mean who doesn’t love looking at a drawer filled with socks in little balls?!

It’s really not that bad…

I just let it build up ’til it becomes this (what seems like a) daunting task.

But if I take the clothes from the hamper and then get on the elevator and then put them into a washing machine and add detergent and then put those clothes into a dryer – one step a time – it’s very doable, and dare I say – almost enjoyable!

The laundry monster isn’t the only monster I face though.

We all face the exercise, and diet monster too.

But, like with any monster – when we attack it, it always feels incredible. The trick is to not let the monster build up. Which means obeying the two day rule of exercise. We can skip one day, but we can’t skip 2 days in a row. (The exercise monster builds up quickly!)

With our diet, sometimes, we feel like we can’t make it through the day unless we indulge. But of course we make it through. And the monster is never as scary as it seems.

We have other monsters as well.

Whether it’s work related, house related, relationship related, you name it. And not attacking them adds a level of stress and anxiety to our lives. We think about it, and we put a band-aid on it. We start to take action and we figure out a temporary solution.

My Wednesday challenge for you is to attack full force any “Monsters” that you may have lingering. They can be as simple as a closet that needs to be cleaned that you keep putting off to a big project for work.

Whatever you know that needs to get done – that you keep putting off – why not do it this week? (And if you need help, get it. That’s part of attacking monsters.)

If not now, then when?

Just start with one step today! Attack it for 10 minutes. You’ll be glad you did and you’ll realize it’s not nearly as bad as you thought it was going to be.

The less ‘Monsters’ we have, the less anxious we’ll be. And the less anxious we are, the less likely we’ll be to eat emotionally, mindlessly or habitually.

Attack those monsters! Let’s go!

I got your back!

P.S. If you asked me to pass on one mantra – and ONE mantra only – to a loved one, mine, without question would be, “The monster is never as scary as it seems.” I’ve believed this for a long time. So much so, that when #1 New Times Bestselling author, Gretchen Rubin, interviewed me for her blog, I wrote all about monsters! You can read the interview here.

What’s going on?

So I watched an old 20/20 episode featuring actor/comedian Jeff Garlin, who is best known for playing Larry David’s best friend in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

If you’ve ever seen the show (I think it’s freegin’ hilarious) or know of him, you know that he is overweight.

I was excited to watch the interview because 1) I thought he might shed some insight on the cause of his weight issues and 2) I like him and think he’s funny.

I 100% agree with Jeff when he says overeating has nothing to do with a lack of will power. (This is why I HATE when people say, “Just eat less and move more!”)

He says food addiction is all about pushing down feelings…

And when we do that, we NEVER feel full.

How many times have you reached for food and nothing seems to satisfy you? (Ya know, you eat a little of this and a little of that and you just can’t seem to find that one snack that’ll do it for you. It’s kinda like trying to find that comfortable position to sleep in while on a plane – it ain’t happening!)

That’s because we’re not eating for anything but to suppress feelings and to change the way we feel.

But here’s where will power does come in:

We CAN acknowledge how we feel; either by journaling, calling a friend, emailing me or just shouting out loud (weird YES, but surprisingly effective).

We can also take action on how we feel, most of the time. Let’s say we’re stressed about work. Eating Bon Bon’s isn’t going to make our work problems actually go away, is it?

The challenge is that eating is so damn easy. It’s reliable. And it doesn’t require any effort at all.

Anytime we want to suppress feelings, we eat. That’s a habit.

Now here’s the tricky part: I’m usually not reaching for a piece of fish and brown rice when I’m upset. No. I crave the infamous trio of ‘SSF’.

What’s that?

Sugary, salty and fatty foods.

And when we reach for ‘SSF’ foods – that can override our brain’s natural ability to regulate itself.

Studies have proven this over and over. Give rats what they typically eat, and they eventually feel full and stop eating. Give rats Fruit Loops and they can’t stop eating them. They will even incur DANGER! to get the Fruit Loops or any other highly sugary, fatty and salty food!

“But I’m not a rat!” you shout.

Well, it’s true in humans, too.

So by reaching for highly salty/sugary/fatty snacks when we want to suppress feelings, we’re asking for double trouble, trouble (see what I did there?).

This doesn’t have to do with will power…

As Jeff Garlin noted, once he eats one doughnut, he can’t stop!

So here’s my slight challenge to those who can use it: Next time you feel out of control and want to use food to change the way you feel, acknowledge what you’re doing – but instead of choosing junk, choose healthy food. (It’s much easier to replace eating junk with healthy food rather than trying not to eat at all.)

Just make that change for now.

(And yes, if you can resist using food altogether, that’s ideal!)

##

Using food to cope with your life is what stops you from losing weight and keeping it off. MBT provides you with the system and unconditional support to permanently give up food as a way to soothe yourself.

MBT works because you’ll finally deal with the true source of your hunger. Instead of counting calories – you’ll learn WHY you overeat or have uncontrollable hunger, and what you can do about it.

We’ve helped countless people break free from emotional eating…

Here’s just one example (with before and after photos). What are you waiting for? Join Now!