This post marks the beginning of a new feature on A Weight Lifted that we hope you’ll be excited about. We’re inviting questions from readers which various staff members of our healthy weight loss program will answer. As a quick review, our focus at Green Mountain is on normal eating, trying to help women stop dieting and begin to live healthfully so that they are no longer trapped in the up and down cycle of weight worries. There’s a lot involved with that — big issues ranging from chaotic eating due to busy lifestyles or the diet mentality to emotional eating, exercise resistance , stress management, body image, self esteem and more. If you have a question you’d like answered, please email us at info @ fitwoman.com (spaces removed). Put “Blog Question” in the subject line. We can’t promise to answer all your questions but we’ll try our best! Our first question comes from Sara from See Sara Shrink! where she blogs about “the adventures of the ‘Incredible Shrinking Sara’ as she drops 100 pounds….” Sara asks: “What do I need to say to myself when I’m wanting to make a bad food choice (like eating when I’m not hungry)? How can I focus on my ultimate goal and not just meet an immediate emotional need with food? ” First, thanks to Sara for clarifying that what she means by “bad food choice” is a behavior, not a food. By not categorizing individual foods as good or bad, we can better discover what foods really are the best choices for us. If we think we can’t have them (the kind of thinking good food/bad food sets up), we often get caught in wanting them purely out of feelings of deprivation, an insidious form of emotional eating. But enough from me. Here’s what the fabulous Teri Hugo Hirss , expressive movement and health psychology expert at Green Mountain, has to say: “Take a couple of deep breaths. Ask yourself, “Is this truly what I’m needing right now? What am I really needing in this moment? Is there a better option for meeting my need that allows me to stay in alignment with my goals?” A simple answer to what can be a very strong pull. What Teri is saying is to take the time to look closely at what we need. Will food meet that need?

Original Source of Reader Question: How Do I Stay Focused on My Goal?