Food Issues and Emotions

This is not from me, but from my Coach's Facebook page concerning an upcoming blog:

Even excesses themsevles can take on drug-like intensity. 'feeling bad' can become a mode of comfort, simply because it has become familiar, and it is less scary than feeling vulnerable (binge eating nervosa) Using food can at the same time serve as a means to self-induglence, self-nurturing, and self-pinushment with the emotional familiarity to want to feel bad - all at the same time. And yet what is actually real in all of this is the desire to 'feel'.This is why these issues can be so difficult to treat. Thet are multifaceted. So often, the food/eating issue confuses all of these emotional needs into one single mood state that requires relief (usually numbing pain) What is required from a treatment standpoint is separating all these feelings from each other and then addressing them. This is the true emotional housecleaning that must be done. It's about removing emotional clutter. Then labeling and feeling emotions becomes easier, with no guilt and shame attachment. At this point -only then are the perceived food/eating issues weakened substantially.

This is EXACTLY where I am when it comes to "emotional eating." It's not about lackof willpower, lack of focus, or not "wanting it bad enough." All of those things are symptoms of what's going on emotionally/psychologically.

I can't believe what a difference it is making in my life being able to see things differently instead of just pinballing from one life event to the next with no insight whatsoever.

Good stuff.
More at http://www.facebook.com/CoachScottAbel

On leadership

It's a bit of an oversimplification, but there's a lot of perception out there concerning leadership that is very old school "us/them," union vs. management type stuff that perpetuates DUALITIES in thinking, struggles, battles, and opposition. It seems like the goal is compliance, not empowerment. Yet there is also stuff coming from smart people examining very successful companies that recognize the most successful employees in knowledge worker positions are most productive when they work for companies who facilitate autonomy, permit mastery, and clearly communicate an understanding of the bigger purpose behind the work being done.

As leaders, we are not so much here to be "The Boss" as we are to Coach/facilitate. The lessons and the messages I've been exposed to in pursuit of my fitness and physique competition goals (the good and, yes, the bad) and through working with Scott Abel as my Coach is applicable to my new role in my business life. I didn't expect to become a Coach in the fitness industry, and I'm not, but here I am, an emerging Coach nonetheless.

You gotta love it!