Dr. Oz said that stress may be the number one reason that people turn to food for comfort. Maria lost her job and was so depressed and stressed that she gained 100 pounds in a year. Maria has low self esteem, doesn’t care about anything anymore, feels no self worth and says she has hit the bottom and can’t get up. Maria’s husband, David, said it is increasingly hard to live with Maria and feels like he has to walk on egg shells around her. Maria now feels like her life has no purpose and so she only gets out of bed at 10 or 10:30 am, and she turns to food whenever she gets bored, lonely or sad. She thinks she will eat herself to death, but she has no control and cannot stop. We will be cheering Maria on so that she will make it to her daughter’s wedding in April!
Dr. Oz is concerned that Maria, like most overweight people, will have many other health issues, including gall stones and a fatty liver. Both the medical and emotional side of Maria’s problems have to be handled. The truth tube says that Maria weighs 135 pounds, her CRP (C-reactive protein) is 14.9 and should be under 3, vitamin D should be over 32 but hers is 30, A1C should be under 6 and Maria’s A1C was 6.6. Maria’s actual age is 54, but her real age (or what age her body thinks she is) is 71 years old… her body thinks she is a senior citizen.
Dr. Oz did a metabolism test on Maria called a BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) test. A normal BMR for her height is 1270 calories, but Maria’s is 3370 calories. This means that Maria’s body is trying to get rid of 3370 calories every day. In order for Maria to gain 100 pounds in a year, she had to eat 350,000 calories or the equivalent of 312 pizzas. Dr. Oz broke it down and found that Maria is eating 4330 calories a day.
So how can Maria get back in control? Sue Varma helps people handle emotional eating. Varma says that when eating takes control of you, rather than you being in control of eating, then its emotional eating. A hallmark for addiction is the loss of control of behavior despite knowing the consequences.
Sue Varma’s List to Gain Control Over Emotional Eating:
1. Stop Hiding
Become accountable to yourself, your family and your food. You cannot have any “secret meals” – when your husband goes to sleep, no more eating.
2. Be Mindful, Not Mindless
As an exercise, put a raisin in your mouth on your tongue, and roll the raisin around. Feel the ridges and contours with your tongue. Then chew and swallow the raisin carefully. You should appreciate your food and use all of your senses when you eat, this helps you to eat less and gain less weight.
3. Feed Yourself Without Food
Reach out to one friend a week and spend an afternoon together.
4. The Safety Plan
A pre-made plan or safety plan is something you should always have: call a friend, take a walk, take a warm bath, use some Peppermint Essential Oil on the inside of your wrists, which invigorates and uplifts your mood. Safety has to start before you get to the kitchen, because by the time you are standing in front of the fridge, it is too late.
We cannot wait to see how Maria does with the help of her gym in Englewood, NJ and Michael Roizen!
Judy Nadler says
What was the test you showed on the truth tube about Maria (Feb.22) that was IO–was after the CRP and what was it for?
Judy Nadler says
I didn’t understand the test that was on the truth tube Feb.22-IO
chased says
nice post. thanks.