Buffering

   Do you frequently buffer with food?  Do you eat when you're not hungry?

•     When you buffer, if means that you use external things (such as food or alcohol or shopping) to avoid feeling something you don't want to feel (your negative emotions). 
•  Buffering may give you “false” pleasure by giving you a dopamine hit (Dopamine is the "feel good" hormone) which will then encourage you to keep buffering. 
•     If you buffer with food, you may be eating a lot of processed foods or eating foods that contain a lot of salt, sugar or fat.  These foods often temporarily make you feel better. 
•  When you buffer frequently, things that you don't want to occur may happen - such as weight gain, or addiction, or debt.
•  And your negative emotions that you are trying to avoid, will eventually return because you have not worked through those emotions. 

So how do you avoid buffering?  Before you can avoid buffering, you first need to become aware of when you are buffering.   

•  Do you know when you buffer and with what? (My favorite buffering foods are ice cream and salted cashews.)
•  Do you buffer when you’re upset or stressed or when you've had a hard day? 
•  Do you buffer to avoid thinking about problems in a relationship? 
•  Do you buffer as a way to procrastinate to avoid doing something which you really don't want to do? 

          What happens if you allow yourself to feel the negative emotions which you have been buffering to avoid?  When you learn to feel those negative emotions without buffering, you will not only be able to control your overeating (or over drinking or overspending), but you will increase your self-confidence as well.  When you know that you can experience any emotion without falling apart, what else will you be able to do? 

I can help you to stop buffering so that you can lose your weight permanently.  With coaching, one of the things we work on together is how to feel your emotions without buffering. Set up a free, no obligation, and no pressure, consultation call with me at https://drbarbaralkatzcoaching.mykajabi.com or e-mail me at [email protected].  Make this the year that you stop overeating for good! 

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