50 ways to soothe yourself without food

234 Pages·2009·0.96 MB·English

by  Albers, Susan

50
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US $16.95 SELF-HELP
do you eat for comfort? 0

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Food has the power to temporarily alleviate stress and sadness,
a
ways to
enhance joy, and bring us comfort when we need it most. It’s no y
s
wonder experts estimate that 75 percent of overeating is trig-

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gered by our emotions, not physical hunger. The good news is o
you can soothe yourself through dozens of mindful activities that
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are healthy for both body and mind. o
soothe
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Susan Albers, author of Eating Mindfully, offers this collection of t
h
50 mindfulness skills and practices for relaxing the body in times
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of stress and ending your dependence on eating as a means of
y
coping with difficult emotions. You’ll not o
yourself
only discover easy ways to soothe urges u
r
to overeat, you’ll also learn how to dif-
s
ferentiate emotion-driven hunger from e
l
healthy hunger. Reach for this book instead f

of the refrigerator next time you feel the urge to w
without
snack—these alternatives are just as satisfying! i
t
h
o
SUSAN ALBERS, PSY.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist, an America
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Online diet and fitness coach, and author of Eating Mindfully, Mind-
t
ful Eating 101, and Eat, Drink, and Be Mindful. Her books have been
f food
quoted in the Wall Street Journal, O, the Oprah Magazine, Natural o
Health and Self Magazine. Visit Albers online at www.sootheyourselfwith- o
outfood.com. d
ISBN: 978-1-57224-676-8
51695
A
L SUSAN ALBERS, PSY.D.
B
E
newharbingerpublications, inc. R
www.newharbinger.com 9 781572 246768 S author of Eating Mindfully
“A thoughtful volume filled with practical solutions for
emotional eaters everywhere.”
— Madelyn H. Fernstrom, Ph.D., CNS, founding
director of UPMC Weight Management Center,
professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical
Center
“Albers’s soup-to-nuts list of creative, accessible, self-soothing
tips will undoubtedly help anyone who has struggled with
dieting, food, or body image. Beyond that, her exercises in
mindfulness, deep breathing, and journaling are top-notch tools
for finding balance in life overall.”
—Leslie Goldman, author of Locker Room Diaries
“Albers has done it again! 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food
makes complex psychological concepts simple and accessible. I
highly recommend you buy this book if you have ever turned
to food for comfort and want to learn a new way of coping.”
— Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, LMHC, CPCC,
coauthor of Weight Wisdom and founder of KBK
Connections, Inc.
“You don’t have to be worried about your waistline to
reap life-changing benefits from Albers’s easy-to-follow
guidance. Reading this little book will boost your mood, reduce
stress, and provide soothing alternatives to that next dessert! I
highly recommend it.”
— Amy Weintraub, author of Yoga for Depression and
director of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute

50
ways to
soothe
yourself
without
food
SUSAN ALBERS, PSY.D.
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Publisher’s Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to
the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged
in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance
or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2009 by S usan Albers
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Amy Shoup; Cover illustration by Sara Christian;
Text design by Amy Shoup and Michele Waters-Kermes;
Acquired by Catharine Sutker; Edited by Kayla Sussell
All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Albers, Susan, Psy.D.
50 ways to soothe yourself without food / Susan Albers.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978-1-57224-676-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-57224-676-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Compulsive eating. 2. Food
habits--Psychological aspects. 3. Meditation--Therapeutic use. I. Title. II.
Title: Fifty ways to soothe yourself without food.
RC552.C65A43 2009
616.85’26--dc22
2009023473
To Brookie,
May you be blessed with patience and fortitude.

Contents

acknowledgments ix

introduction 1
1
why is eating so soothing? 15
2
how to get started 27
3
mindful meditation techniques 37
1. creating mindful moments 39
2. the practice of meditating 43
3. b reathe your way to inner calm 49
4. strengthen your endurance to
counter stress eating 55
5. letting go 59
6. setting the inner critic straight 64
7. c almness, be right here, right now 67
8. mindful spiritual moments 70
9. virtual bliss 72
10. ending hide-and-seek feelings 75
4
change your thoughts, change your eating 79
11. journaling to boost your mental health
immunity 81
12. ha-ha moments 87
13. when you feel empty, choose feeling
that your glass is half full 91
14. daydreaming the blues away 95
15. worry mindfully 98
16. zone out mindfully 101
17. the Scarlett O’Hara approach 104
18.  finding your security blanket  106
19. soothing affirmations  109
20. from Ms. Perfectionist to Ms. Realistic 112
vi 50 ways to soothe yourself without food
5
soothing sensations to calm and relax
the body 115
21. pampering your senses 118
22. soothing scents to rejuvenate yourself 121
23. yoga 101 124
24. sweating at the life gym 127
25. sleep on it 130
26. soak away stress 133
27. cleaning out the urge to eat 136
28. turn off the carnival in your head 138
29. self-hypnosis 141
30. be your own masseuse 144
6
soothing yourself with distractions 149
31. emotional Band-Aids 151
32. shop, drop, and roll 154
33. brain candy 156
34. knit it out 158
35. make a bucket list 160
36. crafty ways to self-soothe 163
37. exploring cyberspace 166
38. meditative music 168
39. weeding out the urge to eat 171
40. mini mental challenges 173
contents vii