Obesity's Hidden Triggers: What's Derailing Your Weight Loss Plan?

Yet another story about a personal struggle with obesity and I hope it helps you or someone you know and love. Some years ago I carried 125 pounds on my 5'6" frame. I was happy, healthy, vivacious and active.

I stayed energized by playing tennis and badminton and waitressed to keep my weight under control. I loved food, ate whatever I wanted and successfully kept the weight off - for a time. Then, I changed my job to full-time sedentary (office assistant), began to eat more sweets along with my "real" food and packed on the pounds.

My first trip to the weight loss fountain found me taking prescription diet pills. I went back to my normal weight and was happy. That didn't last long; my weight crept up again because I didn't change my eating or exercise habits. My love of sweets and food ballooned my weight to a very unhealthy 216 pounds.

I felt like a failure but wanted desperately to lose weight and keep it off. A vicious cycle began; the more I wanted to lose weight the more I ate; the more I ate the guiltier and more ashamed I became.

Needless to say, I wasn't winning and I didn't feel good about it. Years later I got fed up when I couldn't even walk up a slight incline without becoming totally winded. I had tried all kinds of things to lose weight and keep it off. Something had to change.

Not long ago, I began to think about something I'd heard many times on the Oprah and Dr. Phil shows among others. At the time I didn't acknowledge or even think to embrace it because well, it just didn't have anything to do with me, or so I thought.

What I actually heard this time is that most overeaters eat from emotions, hidden triggers that drives and sustains weight gain - they're waiting to derail our efforts when it comes to losing weight or conquering any other addiction for that matter. I decided that nothing else had worked for me; maybe this was something I really needed to investigate.

Finally, it clicked. I had my own emotional eating triggers that had been operating in my life a very long time. They're called rejection, abandonment, boredom, loneliness and embarrassment. (I had to think about this, a lot, in order to find out why I was eating and eating and eating. It took some time but those I named above surfaced.) Wow, what a combination? No wonder I couldn't lose weight and keep it off. I was a captive of my eating triggers and eating all the time.

Food soothed my aching heart and never argued with, rejected or abandoned me. That is, until I actually looked in the mirror and put on clothes that no longer fit properly.

I've begun to deal with these life and happiness thieves. I am getting older and have also become concerned about staying healthy as well. Recently, to punctuate just how important this is, I found myself studying how obesity cuts short life expectancy. That got my attention and I got busy.

My hidden triggers are no longer hidden. That which is out in the open can be dealt with and controlled or eliminated. These triggers no longer have power over me because I chose to deal with them as they happen. That being said, have I arrived? Absolutely not! This is a daily process which I must be aware of so that nothing sneaks up on me that I don't expect. I'll share more about that in Part 2 of this series.

In the meantime, might you have some hidden triggers of your own? If so, you too can chose to take control of your life and your weight. You're worth it. As Bob Greene - Oprah's trainer - says, "you deserve to 'live your best life'"!