Food Shouldn't Be Your Friend or Your Enemy

Researchers believe the relationship between better self-esteem and weight loss seems to be "more or less" linear; the more you lose the more improvement. This is especially true for those who lost weight due to a lifestyle change, as opposed to bariatric surgery or diet pills. In a recent dietary study, researchers identified a type of threshold reduction in a dieter's depressive symptoms as they lost weight due to a noted increase in his or her body esteem and self-image.

Participants who reported lower satisfaction with their environment even though they were losing weight, had daily social activities that involved unhealthy eating and had to pass on social eating due their weight loss plan. If you think your body and mind are not connected, you are wrong. That's what makes everyone an emotional eater. After all, you celebrate holidays with food and dine with friends over a big meal.

• Establish a Routine - Failing to commit to realistic weight loss goals means you diet may be not be sustainable for your lifestyle. However, if you take time to make a commitment, your positive attitude can help you stay on track.
• Develop Mental Toughness - Honing in on your motivation also means avoiding situations and people who shame or sabotage your weight loss efforts. The best place to start is by letting go of any guilt that you associate with eating.
• Listen to Biological Cues - A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism suggests obese people are more likely to regain any weight loss due faulty hormonal signals regarding fullness.
• Just Say No - Food is neither your enemy or your friend. That's why it is important to look at all food as a source of nourishment rather than as a reward or bad way to deal with your emotions.
• Take Full Responsibility - Life is not perfect, so expecting your willpower will be unbreakable is like expecting that you will never have a fight with your significant other. Be prepared to take action when you find yourself slipping.

The trick is never let emotional needs keep you from meeting your weight loss goals. Practicing mindful eating can help you break free from the grip of food addictions and feel better about yourself and your food choices. Walk down any grocery store aisle and you are bombarded with reduced-fat snacks, dairy products, and processed meals. Nonetheless, while low-fat food options have exploded on store shelves, so have America's obesity rates.

By changing how you think about food, you can change how you act and react for the most positive health benefits. However, it is important to give yourself a break and learn how to relax. Participants in an obesity study who admitted to using food as a coping mechanism admitted greater difficulty in trying to overcome their current eating behaviors to break common food addictions. Food should one of the greatest pleasures in your life.