Why lose weight?

If you're an emotional eater, you know that sometimes food feels like your only meaningful connection to reality--especially when reality is really hard. So, why are you going to give it up? You have to have some truly compelling reasons to change how you eat to counteract the strong drive you have to eat when you're feeling just about any challenging emotion--and that's most of the time.

It's helpful for me to make a list of what my motivators for weight loss are, particularly in light of my doctor's recent revelation that I have a condition that pre-disposes me to cardio-vascular disease and I am 40-something. Try to come up with your own, and see if emotional eating is more important to you than your other motivators.

I want to live to be a grandma
I want to have more energy to enjoy my 3 year-old
I want to engage in more physical activities and have more fun with others
I want to be a better lover
I want to dance again
I want to share a Silver Anniversary with my husband
I want to watch my sons grow up, be there for them, and see what becomes of them
I want to continue to evolve and grow as a person and make the most of my life

I guess these motivators seem like simple wishes, but continuing to be an emotional eater can create disease and rob me of these wishes. I think it's time to stop.