Emotional Eating: Creating Enduring Change

I’ve spent a lot of time in airports lately. That means that I’ve spent a lot of time at the news stand, scanning the covers of magazines, looking for some nice relaxing reading material. In my browsing, I’ve been struck by how magazine articles emphasize making changes or starting something new.

“Get in bikini shape,” "The diet that works," “Exercise programs for 6-pack abs.” You know what I’m talking about--headlines with big sparkly promises that aim to excite us about undertaking a new project.

Given the appropriate level of enthusiasm, most of us are able to get motivated to start something new. It’s fresh territory, a clean slate, a new approach.

Here’s what the magazines don’t talk about: successful change doesn’t happen with just a bright shiny new program. The right program is only one tool. Enduring change requires stamina. Changes that last require us to pace ourselves. It’s not just STARTING the exciting new project; it’s continuing to slog ahead when the going gets tough and when the excitement wanes.

With emotional eating, stamina means having the courage to stop and ask ourselves why we are reaching for the Doritos, even on the days when we’re not sure we really want to know the answer. Enduring change requires starting the project or the program, riding the wave of any honeymoon phase we are lucky enough to experience, and then recognizing that the biggest payoff comes when the easy part stops and we start feeling stuck.

It’s really true. When you hit that spot where you feel like “here we go again, this is where it all falls apart,” and you stick with it, you keep slogging ahead, you put your head down and you keep taking small steps forward--THAT’S where the big payoff happens.

It's hard. Many people can’t do this alone. We have too many inner critics--powerful inner perfectionists, who talk us into sabotage and failure. This is the place where you can pay off big if you call a friend or a role model. This is one of the biggest benefits of hiring a coach. It can take courage to state that the change you are trying to make is important enough to reach out for help, but investing in yourself and investing in moving forward is a powerful step. The experience of learning how to bypass those internal critics and those old stumbling blocks is priceless.

As enticing as the magazine headlines are, many times we don’t need to start over. What we need is the encouragement and the accountability and the support and the reminders to KEEP GOING. We need that voice in our ear reminding ourselves that we really truly are getting somewhere. Small steps, moving forward--that's what pays off.

Take good care,

Melissa

“Melissa, Why do you work with bariatric surgery patients?”

I’m often asked this. Clients and readers are often curious because I’m not a weight loss surgery patient myself and because I don’t have a “weight loss story.” Except that I do. My story has emerged from the stories of others.

The truth is, I founded Enduring Change Coaching after years of practicing as a Clinical Psychologist. As a Clinical Psychologist, one area of expertise has been helping people with food and weight issues. Since 1995, I have worked with just about every kind of eating disorder, weight issue, and food issue an adult can have. I’ve witnessed peoples’ pain, struggles and desperation, and I’ve had the honor of sharing in their experiences of transformation (and I’m not just talking about weight)—as they found their own paths to making peace with food, resolving weight issues, putting eating and food in a much smaller place in their lives, and moving on to focusing on more enjoyable and empowering things.

I developed the Emotional Eating Toolbox™ and run the bariatric surgery coaching programs at Enduring Change because I saw people struggling with their weight and feeling hopeless and I knew the tools and strategies that I have developed with my clients can make a profound difference. I’ve met too many people who believe that taking control of their weight and their relationship with food isn’t possible and who believe that they must resign themselves to fighting—and losing—battles with weight forever.

I’ve known and worked with too many bariatric surgery patients who are stuck in a mode of self-blame. They believe they should be able to succeed with weight loss and with weight loss surgery without help or support and they blame themselves when they struggle.

I’ve known other weight loss surgery patients who were never told that there are other essential tools they need to acquire and use with weight loss surgery. (Thankfully, I’m seeing less of this.) They too feel like failures when they find themselves struggling with emotional eating, overeating and weight gain after surgery.

And I’ve worked with plenty of people who have had weight loss surgery, who know darned well that the procedure they had is only one tool. They know that they have other challenging work ahead of them, and other tools they will need to acquire to get where they want to go. The problem is, they aren’t sure where to get those tools. There are (in many areas) too few support groups (especially for individuals who are 12 months or more post-surgery) and not enough information about good resources. There is not enough information about overeating and emotional eating. People are quick to tell you not to overeat, not to use food to fill an “emotional hole,” and not to eat to cope with stress or boredom or loneliness. But there is not enough quality information and help out there about what to do instead.

That’s been my experience. And that’s why I coach individuals and hold special coaching programs and conferences for people who have had bariatric surgery—by telephone—so anyone can attend. It’s why I periodically offer free teleclasses. Most importantly, it was one of my motivations for creating the Emotional Eating Toolbox™ Self-guided Program. Because there is too much shame and self-blame out there. And because we all are a lot more likely to succeed when we have the right tools.

Take good care,

Melissa

Mistakes That Sabotage Weight Loss and Contribute to Emotional Eating: Part One

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they are trying to take control of their overeating is to deny their hunger. This is often the result of lots of bad diet advice. It goes something like this: "The hunger is all in your head, you don't really need any more food, it's "just" emotional hunger, so ignore it and don't give in to it."

This advice might work in the short-run--sometimes. In the bigger picture, it is NOT a recipe for success.

I'm here to tell you that the hunger IS real. When we feel hungry even though our body doesn't actually need fuel, we need to respect that we are thinking about food for some reason. The odds are that we are hungry for something. It might be stress relief, or a break, or love or even excitement or sleep.

Our job, if we want to take control of emotional eating is not to deny the hunger, but to acknowledge it, respect it, and develop the tools to identify whether it truly is a hunger that will best be fed with calories, or whether we hunger or yearn for something else, and we're just using food as a stand-in. Make sense?

It's only by respecting and exploring our hungers and feelings and needs that we can start to develop better strategies for feeding ourselves--strategies for meeting our emotional needs, our feelings, and our desires.

This can be tricky, and for many who struggle with emotional eating, it's a whole new world. Some of us have gotten so good at addressing our emotions, needs and desires with food that we don't even register the emotional part anymore--our brains try to convince us that we REALLY ARE just hungry for food. What we may need then, are more effective tools for clarifying and responding to those hungry feelings. Lots of people need help with that--and a good coach or emotional eating program can be the best resource we provide ourselves. What we really don't need is to ignore what is going on. Because if we do, the thing we are hungering for--whatever it is--never truly gets fed and never really goes away. And if we haven't figured out any other way to cope with it, eventually we overeat, blame ourselves, and the cycle begins again.

Take good care,

Melissa

Emotional Eating Program for Weight Loss Surgery Patients

People sometimes mistakenly think that weight loss surgery is a quick fix. Not true. Bariatric or weight loss surgery is a tool that is sometimes helpful in helping people take control of obesity and lose a significant amount of weight. However, as all weight loss surgery patients learn, the surgery is only one tool of several they will need to lose weight, keep the weight off, and live the life that they truly want to live. One of the areas I specialize in is helping weight loss surgery patients acquire the other tools they need to make weight loss permanent.

Many weight loss surgery patients continue to struggle with emotional eating after surgery. Sometimes this is an issue immediately, but often it is over time that the emotional eating habits (and the weight) start to come back.

The Emotional Eating Toolbox (TM) 28-day program is a self-guided program that is very adaptable for weight loss surgery patients and that bariatric surgery patients have used successfully to take control of their eating and maximize their success with bariatric surgery. In fact, Bariatric Support Centers International (BSCI) reviewed the program and now features it on their website for members.

The Emotional Eating Toolbox(TM) Deluxe Program for Weight Loss Surgery Patients was designed for weight loss surgery patients who want to use the Toolbox program but would like more personalized support, accountability and coaching through the process. This deluxe program includes the Emotional Eating Toolbox(TM) 28-day program, four weekly hour-long coaching groups led by me and attended by other weight loss surgery patients (these small groups are held by phone so that you can participate from anywhere you are), and an individual coaching session with me to help you really fine-tune and customize your work on the program.

Sessions of this special program begin on April 17 and on May 29. The deadline for the April group is approaching quickly, but if you sign up by April 16 (assuming space is available), we can get you your materials in time for the first group meeting.

Take good care,

Melissa

Are You Dreaming Big Enough?

Often, emotional eating happens when people are trying to fill unaddressed gaps in the rest of their lives. Emotional eaters tend to be some of the most giving people on the planet--to everyone but themselves. Taking control of emotional eating also involves taking a close look at the rest of your life. Are you giving yourself what you need? Are you feeding your mind? Your body? Your spirit? I promise it will be much easier to avoid the munchies if you are feeding yourself high quality stuff in these other areas.

Do you dream big? Do you dream at all?

I talk to so many people who have been jolted by the realization that they've been so busy chasing their lives and doing everything that's "expected," that they've stopped moving towards creating what they really truly desire.

So many people have wonderful dreams that are buried just beneath the surface--a book they'd love to write, a business venture they'd like to pursue, a race they'd like to sign up for, or a trip they want to take. If only.

If only they had: more time, more motivation, more get-up-and-go. If only they weren't so busy, or if only they had--more money, more connections, more support. If only they could get organized, or if only they could get some time to think. If only they could figure out the first steps.

Here's what I know:

1. The bigger we allow ourselves to dream, the more we accomplish and the more we start to see what is possible.

2. We don't have to be any more amazing than we already are to do amazing things.

3. We don't have to know exactly how we are going to make our dream come true in order to start pursuing it. But we do need to HAVE the dream. We do need to have to have a clear intention that we're going to do whatever-it-is and we do have to create space in our life for our dreams to emerge.

4. Big dreams usually don't require immediate big steps. Small, steady, consistent steps tend to create the most solid and enduring results.

My coaching challenge for you:

1. You've heard this from me before--set some goals.
It is vitally important to put what we want into words. Set goals that are concrete and goals that you can get excited about--both short term and longer term goals. Think about what you WANT to do, not what you think you SHOULD do. Choose goals that make you smile when you think about achieving them.

2. Ask yourself how and when you can commit time to your dreams.
If you need to create some space, ask yourself what you can give up, say "no" to or delegate. Even if you only have fifteen minutes a day or one Saturday afternoon a month, claim your time. Schedule it for you and write it in your calendar.

3. Ask yourself what you need to get started.
Do you need a boost in motivation or some inspiration? Do you need an actual place to work on your dream? A supporter or a mentor? More information?

Don't expect yourself to solve this problem in one fell swoop. Try to define one small step you could take towards obtaining what you need. Write the step down and set a date by which you'll accomplish that piece.

4. Take Action.
Sharing our goals is one of the most powerful steps you can take. Add a comment and share your dream or your goal and your first concrete step.

Take good care,

Melissa

It's February: Do your resolutions need recharging?

So how are you doing? Do you feel like you're moving in the direction you want your life to go? Where are you in relation to your hopes and dreams and goals? Do you see yourself making steady progress in the right direction? Taking charge of emotional eating means learning to feed ourselves in ways that are more powerful than food. It means paying attention to our hopes and dreams and taking the steps we need to take to move forward. Taking charge of emotional eating means living a bigger life and learning to think beyond food.

If the picture isn't as rosy as you'd like it to be, if you are off track or struggling or just-plain-not-moving, don't despair. This is a great time to reevaluate, rework your plan, and begin taking some powerful steps in the direction you want to go. Whether you want to write a book, change your job, lose weight, or start using your treadmill for something other than a clothes rack, here are three essential tips for getting (and staying) on track.

1. Be specific.
Set concrete SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Tangible. "I will write three pages every morning before work" is a SMART goal. So is, "I will apply for two jobs this week." "I will get in shape" is not a SMART goal, but "I will complete the weight circuit at the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after work" is.

2. Break your overall goal down into manageable steps.
If you want to quit smoking, you'll need more than one "quit smoking goal." Create specific SMART sub-goals and milestones for each day and each week. If you aren't achieving your daily milestones, you'll need to step back and evaluate why your plan isn't working, then add in the components you need to meet your daily targets. Key questions to ask here might be: "Is my goal reasonable for the time frame?" "What might help me increase my odds of success in this situation?" "How can I add in some support or accountability?"

3. Keep the big picture in mind.
Chances are, you are looking to make a change that lasts; create a habit that sticks; or complete the big project you are beginning. "Slow and steady" really does win the race. We tend greatly overestimate what we can accomplish in the short run and underestimate what we can do in the bigger picture. Make sure that you are being realistic and don't take on more than your life and current stress level will allow. Small changes are easier to maintain than drastic leaps outside of your comfort zone.

If you want some extra momentum, some help with accountability, and a gentle but powerful kick-in-the-pants with your goal or dream, consider joining a Resolution Coaching Group. The next session of the Resolution Coaching Telegroups begins February 27 (just click on the link for more information and to listen to a short audio recording about the groups). This is a terrific opportunity to jump start your goals and gain powerful momentum as you move forward with your dream. The small group format is a fun and affordable way to try out Life Coaching. As an additional encouragement, we're offering a discount when you sign up with a friend. Bring a friend and BOTH of you will get a $20 discount on the session. Go here for the scoop.

Free Teleclass for Weight Loss Surgery Patients on Emotional Eating

Join me for a free teleseminar!

Free Teleclass: Taking Charge of Emotional Eating After Weight Loss Surgery: The importance of using the right tools to conquer emotional overeating

We had such a great teleclass last month, I’ve decided to offer another. This time we are going to focus specifically on emotional eating issues after weight loss surgery. It's a huge issue—one that many weight loss surgery patients struggle with and an issue that can lead to lots of unhelpful shame and guilt.

Learn the mistakes people make and the tools that help people take control of emotional eating and maximize their success after weight loss surgery. This teleclass will take place on Wednesday, February 20 at 3:00pm Eastern, 2:00pm Central, 1:00pm Mountain, and noon Pacific time. There is no cost for the class, but you will be responsible for the long distance charges to dial in.

For more information about the class (including how you can listen to a recording even if you cannot attend), go here.

Hope to see you there!

Melissa

New Year's Resolutions Don't Have to Fade Away in January . . .

I just added the information about the next series of Resolutions Telecoaching Groups to my website. These groups harness the power of Life Coaching and group support to help you take your goals and resolutions out of the planning stages and make them into the realities you want them to be. If you've been interested in working with a Life Coach, this is a great opportunity to try out coaching in an extremely affordable way.

The next session, consisting of four one-hour groups, begins on February 27. I'm also continuing the "Bring a friend" special discount because it is so much more powerful to take on your dreams with the support of someone who cares about you right there beside you.

Check out the link for more information, including an audio about the groups.

Melissa

Taking Control of Emotional Eating Class: You can listen in

Yesterday I presented the first of a series of free teleclasses I will be running in 2008. We had a great class--and the feedback was incredibly enthusiastic. Thanks so much everyone! We covered a lot of ground, including some huge mistakes people make in trying to lose weight, take charge of emotional eating, and make lasting changes in their relationship with food. If you missed the call and would like to listen to the recording, you can go here.

Resolution Group: Bring a friend

I'm very excited about the new Resolutions Coaching Telegroups and want to make sure you know about a great opportunity to build your support system, increase your likelihood for succeeding with your goals, have more fun, and save a bundle of money at the same time. Sign up for the group and bring a friend. You can bring any friend--your friend from next door or your old friend from college who lives across the country. These are telephone-based groups so you can use this opportunity to connect with friends anywhere and work towards making your resolutions into realities together.

The bonus is that when you sign up with a friend, BOTH of you get a big discount. I'm offering $20 off the group fee for each of you. You have to get moving though, the first group meets January 23. All the information, including an audio about the group is here.

Take good care,

Melissa

Making Changes That Last

There is little reward in making changes if the changes don't stick.

Scientists who study change know that mastering the phase of "maintenance" is a crucial part of making any successful change permanent. If we don't develop the skills, the structures, the accountability to keep up with the changes we are making, we won't create changes that last. We become like the yo-yo dieter who has lost the same 20 pounds ten different times.

The maintenance phase of change can begin anywhere from 2-4 months after the initial behavior changes have begun to feel comfortable (the new exercise habit has come to feel routine, you aren't craving cigarettes anymore). Unfortunately, as we get more comfortable with change, we start to relax our vigilance and forget that we are still vulnerable to the old behavior.

Threats to maintaining change that you'll want to watch out for:

Social Pressures: "Everybody else is ordering dessert. I've been doing great, I can afford to relax my rules a bit."
Over Confidence: "I've got this under control, I haven't had a drink in two weeks."
which leads to . . .
Creating Temptation: "There's no reason not to start hanging out at Happy Hour again--I miss my friends. I'll just have club soda and I won't eat any of the free appetizers." Intentionally exposing yourself to things you want to avoid is not a sign of strength.
Self blame and self-critical attitudes: This one surprises people--but it's huge. Studies show that the severity of misplaced self-blame is one of the best predictors of failure to maintain changes. Frequent, inappropriate self criticism backfires and negatively interferes with our ability to make changes. Learning to be curious about why you got stuck or relapsed or "forgot" your plan to change is infinitely more productive than getting mad at yourself.

If you'd like more support and accountability in taking your Resolutions and goals and making them into realities, check out my Resolution Coaching Telegroups which will be starting January 23. You can go here for more information and to hear a recording about the groups.

Take good care,

Melissa

Will Your Resolutions Stick?

I just heard that only 15% of people who make New Year's resolutions manage to keep them. To be honest, that number seems a little high to me. There is a huge difference between a New Year's intention and a well thought-out goal that is fueled by our passion and sense of purpose.

Too often, people set resolutions that are really "shoulds" that have been defined by somebody else."Shoulds" don't usually create much of a spark inside us. They even sound boring, and it's hard to create momentum or motivation around a goal that bores us. A goal that has personal meaning--that we would be willing to fight for if we needed to--that's a different kind of proposition.

How is this related to emotional eating? Well, first of all, the most "healthy" goal can come from either a place of passion or a place of "because I'm supposed to." If you have a goal related to your eating or your weight or your relationship with food, I challenge you to put some thought into how you can really give it meaning. If weight loss is your goal--what's driving it? What's the passion behind it? If you want to lower your blood pressure, ask yourself "Why?" Give yourself a reason that you are really going to be willing to show up for. Do you want to ride a bike again? Live long enough to enjoy your retirement? Be able to jump on your kids' trampoline?

If you want to stop overeating, ask yourself "Why?" If you successfully put food in its place and got on with your life, what would you do with all the extra time and energy and brain space? If you create a goal that you are excited about, you'll have won half the battle.

Here are some great resources for your revamped exciting goals:

Resolution Coaching Groups: Transform your Resolutions into Realities (go to the link to hear an audio recording and get more information)

Free Teleclass: Taking Care of Emotional Eating Once and For All

Take good care,

Melissa

Emotional eating and weight loss: is a fresh start really what you want?

Happy 2008!

Given that it's January, I shouldn't be surprised at all the ads promoting the beginning of the year and the opportunity for a "fresh start." Like lots of people, I love new beginnings. I like the first page in a new notebook and putting up my new calendar. In January I do think about my goals and plans for the year. But. Please don't see January as an opportunity to "start over." See the New Year as an opportunity to "start where you are."

Just because you haven't achieved your goal doesn't mean that you:

1. haven't already put some effort (probably LOTS of effort) into it


2. don't know more about yourself and what it will take for you to succeed than anyone else on the planet

When you embark on a new change, a new resolution, a new project, be sure to take your wisdom with you! No new diet, no great new program, no philosophy of eating will work for you in a permanent way if you don't take into consideration who you are, where you are in your readiness for change, and what you need to succeed. Your individuality is a crucial part of the equation.

When I get feedback from users of my Emotional Eating Toolbox(TM) and participants in Emotional Eating Toolbox Coaching Groups(TM), I'm always a bit surprised (although I shouldn't be), at how excited people are when they learn how to finally incorporate their own wisdom and their own readiness for change into the process. It can be a surprisingly hard thing to do but the Toolbox program teaches tools that are targeted at overcoming the resistance and self-criticism that often get in the way. Accessing our own wisdom and self-knowledge so that we can incorporate it with outside knowledge is often the final crucial piece that allows everything else to fall into place.

When you think about your goals or resolutions for the year, take some time to also evaluate what you know about yourself that will help you succeed. Where have you gotten stuck in the past? What could you add or do differently so that that doesn't happen again? How can you mobilize your strengths and not push too hard on the things that are just more difficult for you? What are you honestly ready to take on and what needs to wait (for now)?

These are questions we will be addressing in depth in the Emotional Eating Toolbox Coaching Groups(TM), which start on January 23. These groups work in tandem with the Emotional Eating Toolbox(TM). Once you've purchased the Toolbox program, you can join a group at any time. Each week, we'll meet you where you are in the program. We'll focus on your next step, help you over any hurdles and stuck spots, and help add some momentum to keep you moving in the direction you want to go. Take a look, and consider whether these options might be for you.

Take good care,

Melissa

PS: I'm also just added some additional individual coaching slots to my January schedule. If you would like to schedule a free consultation to have your questions answered about coaching and to investigate whether individual coaching would be a helpful option for you, please email me.

Avoiding Holiday Stress (and Emotional Eating): Tip Four

Say "No" So You Can Say "Yes"

We can only do what we can do. Really. And, if we want to do it well, we should usually only try to do one thing at a time. I've worked with many women who seemed to believe that if they tried hard enough or learned to get it just right, they would find a way to plant more hours in their day and get more done. Not true. Actually, sometimes the mark of a truly competent person is being able to say (with great truthfulness), "This is really all that I can do." Also, as much as our consumer-driven society would like you to believe it, more ISN'T necessarily better. In most situations, a job well done--quality work (as my son's teachers call it)--trumps more work in terms of how we end up feeling about it. Five pounds lost with comfort and forever feels much more satisfying than ten pounds lost in a carb fast that you know will come back as soon as you lose your "willpower" and eat toast again. The perfect gift that hits just the right chord is ten times more valuable than five gifts that the recipient doesn't value.

This season, try doing less.

You may have noticed a theme in these "emotional eating and stress" posts. Move deliberately, at a pace and in a way that works for you. Know where you are going and move in that direction. In order to do those things, we need to know what we are passionate about--what drives us and where we want to go, and we need to know where and how we find our purpose--why we want to go where we are headed. We also need to be mindful of wrong turns and detours and bright shiny objects that might distract us from our path.

It's a great exercise to practice being alert for the detours and wrong turns--the requests and demands that pull on us that we really don't want or need to spend our energy on. Learn to be aware of them, and--I challenge you to practice saying, "No."

Saying "No" to the things you need to--dead weight obligations that drag you down and don't take you anywhere--creates powerful space and energy in your life for the things connected to your passion and your purpose. That is the space where quality comes from and that is the space where you will create the experiences that you will savor this season and the rest of the year.

Here's my challenge for you: Make a list of three things or "obligations" (big or small) that are keeping you from spending your energy in more valuable places. Now, devise a way to either eliminate them (say "No"), or limit the time and energy they take in your life.

Take good care,

Melissa

The Number One Mistake Emotional Eaters Make

It has nothing to do with food--but it flavors everything.

The number one mistake people make when they are trying to gain control of emotional overeating is that they get mad at themselves and beat themselves up emotionally when things don't go as planned, when they have a slip,or when they overeat. Self-critical judgment is a dead-end place.

You tell yourself you're "wrong" or "bad" or "hopeless." You "screwed up" and you'll have to do better tomorrow.

Like children, adults don't thrive with punishment and negative words. Think about it. How often is the moment that you decide you've "blown it again" the very same moment you decide to go ahead and finish the bag of chips or the cookie dough or the what-ever you just got mad at yourself for eating?

Judgment and self blame are negative, closed, dead-end places.They do nothing to encourage creative problem solving, optimism, resourcefulness--the very things needed to move forward in your emotional eating journey. In fact, when we pile on the self-blame and the guilt, we're more likely to want to go to bed and pull the covers up over our head than we are to want to keep moving forward.

Curiosity is the opposite of judgment. Curiosity is the tool of problem solvers. Curiosity is one of the most powerful tools you can learn to use in making peace with food. Curiosity provides the power to ask questions that will open doors and propel you forward in a journey to take the power back from food and diet. Curiosity allows you to see options and opportunity and new solutions. It's the avenue for learning how to "do it differently."

It's impossible to be absolutely curious and full of self-judgment at the same time.

It might be hard to imagine changing old habits of self blame and that feeling that you "deserve" to be hard on yourself, but my clients are amazed at how powerful that shift feels when they learn how to make it--and how much momentum it provides.

Three ways to engage your curiosity:

Next time you are struggling with your eating/weight/relationshipwith food, try on the following questions. Work to suspend judgmentand approach the questions and your answers with curiosity:

1. What do I know about what made today (this afternoon, this week) so difficult for me? What contributed to my struggles?
2. How was today (a difficult day) different from yesterday which was a little bit better? Is there anything I could learn from the difference that I might incorporate into my life or routine?
3. What was going on for me before I overate? What could I have done insteadof eating?

Learning to let go of the self-blame and embrace a curious mindset is a major component of the 28-Day Emotional Eating Toolbox (TM) program. If you are interested, you can also enroll in a program that includes the Toolbox Self-guided program AND small group coaching.