Emotional eating is one of the top causes of obesity in the world.

What is emotional eating anyway?

Emotional eating is when we eat to change the way we feel. We’re not physically hungry, we’re hungry for something else.

We eat because we’re bored, lonely, miserable, uncomfortable, tired, or any one of a number of reasons – none of which has ANYTHING to do with real physical hunger.

Remember: Physical hunger comes on gradually. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly.

If we eat based on emotional/habitual/mindless hunger, our body will never feel satisfied by food. This is why emotional eaters never feel full. They never get the signal to stop eating because they weren’t hungry for food in the first place.

Many of us have the habit of eating when we feel upset, lonely, bored or just want to escape reality for a few minutes. This habit stems from a misunderstanding of why we feel what we feel.

Let’s think of an emotion as someone knocking on your door to deliver a message.

If the message is urgent the knock is loud. If it’s very urgent, it’s very loud. But if it’s very urgent and we don’t answer the door, the knock will get louder and louder until we open the door OR the door gets broken down! (AKA, we’re forced to deal with our reality because we’ve neglected it for so long.)

Either way, the messenger will keep trying until the job is done, and the message is delivered. Just like our emotions will continue to come up until we finally pay attention to them.

And as soon as we ‘open the door’ by listening to the emotional message, and taking action, the emotion will go away. And if it comes back, it won’t be nearly as loud.

You don’t have to be a victim anymore IF you’re willing to open the door.

So onto one of the most powerful questions you can ever ask yourself when it comes to food:

Drum roll please!

Actually…

Let’s do an experiment. If you want to know the question my most successful clients ask themselves shoot me an email with the subject line, ‘What is the question your most successful clients ask themselves before they eat?’

Why am I doing this?

Because what I’m going to share with you is very, very good. And because I’m obsessed with getting my clients results, I want to know that you’re at least willing to take some action and email me.

It turns out that 95% of the time when we eat poorly, we’re eating because of the way we feel.

The scary part is that when we actually open the door, and listen to the message, we may not like what we hear. We may get scared, we may want to crawl up under the covers, and we may want to do a lot of things. That’s okay! At least you faced the monster! (Remember: the monster is never as scary as it seems!)

The only way to overcome emotional eating is to engage in some self-discovery. To listen to what you really want (hint: it’s not food). And the more you tell us on your feedback, the sooner we can identify triggers and come up with strategies that work for you.

I’ve helped so many people who are lifelong emotional eaters overcome their emotional eating. And as rewarding as it is for me, it’s even more rewarding for them. As scary as it might seem, it’s worth ‘opening the door’. It really is.

I’m right here for you. In fact, I’ll be right next to you when you open the door.

So, next time you hear that door knocking, think of the knock knock jokes…

Instead of running away, let’s say “Who’s there?” because you’re more powerful than you think you are! (And no, that’s not the question.)

Once again, if you’d like to know the question my most successful clients ask themselves before they eat email me at adam [at] mybodytutor [dot] com right now with the subject line “What is the question your most successful clients ask themselves before they eat?”

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If MBT was able to help Stephanie lose over 87 pounds, why can’t MBT help you? (Insert your excuse here.)

I have a bunch of clients that work at Google, and they need my help. And I figure we can help them, AND ourselves at the same time.

What do they need help with? Shhh. They want me to help them build a Facebook killer!

KIDDING.

They need help because Google has Free Freakin’ Food Everywhere! Google is known for spoiling their employees with all sorts of amazing food, all day long. ANY food you can search for, they have!

I know how hard it is when there is Free Freakin’ Food Everywhere – here in after referred to as “FFFE”.

Want to know the hardest word in the world to resist?

Wait for it…FREE!

We love free. We can’t get enough of it. Give someone a free piece of junk, and they’ll take it. Actually, they’ll wait in line for it!

Give someone free food, and not only will they wait in line for it but they’ll get their friends, and they’ll all wait in line TOGETHER!

First, let’s explore why we have such a hard time resisting free food.

We’re hard-wired to like sweets. Give a baby something sweet, and they’ll like it more than something unsweetened.

Now give anyone a combo of sugar, fat and salt and that becomes irresistible. And I mean that in every sense of the word.

Our brain loses its ability to regulate itself when we eat a combo of sugar, fat and salt. As humans we’re programmed to focus on the most ‘rewarding’ stimuli – because back in the day – - we actually had to worry about surviving.

BUT the combo of sugar, fat and salt (pick anyone of your favorite unhealthy tasting foods and snacks) has a pull on us. It overrides our brain’s natural ability to regulate itself.

There in lies the true problem.

Give me a bowl of broccoli and I’ll feel satisfied.

Give me a bowl of cookies and I can keep eating them and eating them and eating them and eating them and eating them and eating them and eating them and eating them and eating them and eating them and eating them (you think I’m kidding?) – no matter how much I already ate!

We lose our ability to feel full when we eat irresistible foods.

If you put a plate of cookies in front of me, it’s going to be very hard for me to focus on anything else.

Why?

Well our dopamine (chemicals that make us feel good) levels are rising in anticipation of the reward. We can’t stop thinking about it…or can we?

Our brain works like that, unfortunately.

Now, without having to pay for it – which is an act that makes us STOP and think, “Wait, do I really want this?” we lose that precious time to pause.

There is nothing in our way. The floodgates are open!

So, besides me telling you the obvious to avoid situations where there is free food, we CAN fight back, and have a game plan.

In fact, having a game plan is the most important strategy.

Many times, we’re either going to a party, or a work event or some sort of planned function – that we can prepare for. The key is to mentally prepare for it.

1. For example, if we’re going to our friends house who makes the best xyz – let’s decide before we go how many we will have – if we decide it’s really worth it. Mentally rehearsing what we’re going to do before we go is a great strategy. Because when we mentally rehearse, we’re thinking with our long term, rational mind.

When we’re tempted we’re thinking with our short term, irrational mind.

Whether it’s picturing the ball going in the hoop before we shoot a basketball, or envisioning what we’ll order and eat, it helps a lot.

But what happens if out of nowhere there’s just FFFE?!?!

In this case, do not teeter. Do not waver. If someone put a plate of xyz in front of us right now choose immediately.

“No! I don’t want this. It’s not going to make me feel good. It won’t make me look better or feel better.”

“If I eat this now, I won’t feel good about myself later and tomorrow!”

But the second we start to entertain the idea, we’re going to lose. Never negotiate with yourself.

It can’t be a negotiation. It has to be a quick decision.

“Nope! Not for me!” “It’s not a part of my plan!” Next thought…

If we’re watching TV and a commercial comes on that’s really disturbing and uncomfortable – what would we do?

Change the channel!

We can do the same. Think about something else. Talk about something else. Snap a rubber band on your wrist.

Remember: change that channel.

But here’s my favorite question I ask myself (yes, I ask myself lots of questions because questions are the best way to see things in a different light) when there’s FFFE, “If this weren’t free, would I pay for it?”

And 99 times out of 100, I wouldn’t. And by asking myself that question, I’m able to pause looooong enough to quiet my short term, irrational mind.

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What good is ANY diet or exercise plan if you can’t stick with it?

I’m also very proud of the fact that as a small company, we’ve managed to break through the deafening noise, and attract national media attention (Good Morning America, AOL.com, CNBC.com, The Huffington Post, Conde Nast, Shape and many others) because of our unique program – and MOST importantly, the results we’re getting for our clients. Want to learn more?

Click here right now.

If it acts likes a duck all the time, it’s a duck. It doesn’t matter if the duck thinks it’s a cat.

It’s still a duck as far as the rest of us are concerned.

I find myself telling people to ‘be’ who they want to be. I also find myself saying ‘act’ the way you want to feel.

The problem with ‘being’ though is it’s too ambiguous. What does ‘be’ actually mean?

‘Act’ on the other hand is actionable.

Doing is possible. But ‘being’?

We could spend our time wondering if what we say we are is really us. Or, we could just act like that all of the time.

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Without a system of support and accountability, it’s very hard to keep acting the way you want to. Why? Well, we’re incredibly good at making excuses and rationalizing our excuses.

BUT, with a system of accountability, maniacal support and a proven program and methods to help you MBT makes it WAY more doable. It becomes a question of WHEN we reach your goals, NOT if.

Ready to start, and keep on acting the way you really want to? Join today! You’ll be glad you did, plus there is a 100% money back guarantee.

Let’s explore the difference between a drug addict and us, shall we?

The reason why I’ve been able to stick with MBT since February of 2007 is because I truly believe in what I’m doing, and I know what I offer works. I believe in what I do 1000% and my belief only gets stronger each and every day.

Persistence isn’t about doing the same things over and over. It’s about wanting the same thing over and over.

And something I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember – and something I’ll always want – is to live the happiest life I can and to help others do the same.

One fact remains constant and it’s what drives me: When I eat healthfully and exercise, I feel better. In other words, happier, than when I don’t.

BELIEVE ME! I love cookies. I love ice cream. I love hamburgers. I really do. It’s a constant battle. And I indulge. But, I try to only indulge for the right reasons.

Even when I do give myself permission, I still don’t feel as good as when I eat healthfully.

Which brings me to the question we always ask our selves, “Why am I not enjoying NOW?”

The now versus later debate…

“Screw Adam, screw MBT, screw the Daily Feedback right now! I want to enjoy life now!”

That’s the devil on your shoulder talking to the Body Tutor. That’s our irrational, short term mind yelling at our rational, long term mind.

So try this thought on for size:

Why not enjoy life now, even if it means more health problems later?

Really.

Go for that cookie! Go for that burger! Go for that ice cream!

But! It seems to me, unless you are already doing heroin then you aren’t being true to your own philosophy. Why not enjoy a good high now? Who cares what happens later!?

Interestingly, all of us have always thought about later on, and not now.

Think about the first 20 or so years of your life. Everything we did in school was to (hopefully) set ourselves up for a better future.

The one downside of planning ahead is that we may enjoy today a tad less. The upside is that our future might be a bit better! Maybe, a lot better!

I’m not saying my thinking here is the best, but I think you get my point.

I don’t think it’s fair to call the “live for today” approach any kind of philosophy unless you’re also quitting your job, doing heroin, living at McDonald’s and only doing what feels the best every minute of your life.

Junkies have a philosophy. We have rationalizations.

Now there’s always a twist:

1. It turns out, we actually enjoy today more when we eat and exercise for the future. We’ve all had days when do nothing but eat and watch TV – at least I have. Yet, I always feel better when I’m eating right and exercising. Always! I know you do too.

2. I’ve never done drugs. Had/have no desire. I’m not saying you should. It was just to make a point. Actually, as a public service announcement I’ll write it: don’t do drugs!

3. It turns out that when we live and plan for the future it’ll also make us happier today!

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If you are ready to start living and planning for a long, vibrant and active future (the choices we make now absolutely impact how we’ll live later on) then why not sign up for the proven program that has helped 100’s and 100’s prepare for the future all the while looking and feeling great NOW!

Join today! Don’t wait to realize you shouldn’t have waited.