Could Their Feelings Make You Fat?

By Colette Baron-Reid

Have you ever been to a crowded mall, or grocery store and just had to leave because it was too overwhelming to be there? Have you ever had to turn off the news because you were becoming too anxious? Are you also a person that has had  difficulty losing weight, even gaining weight when dieting or for no reason at all??? Do you find that by 4pm you just cant wait to stuff your face?

If you identify with these questions you just might be part of the hypersensitive population I call People Who Feel Too Much who suffer from empathy overload. You may have noticed this phenomena of feeling too much during stressful situations like holidays and family gatherings, or when you are in toxic personal relationships or work environments. The truth is you may be feeling a mix of things besides your own personal experience you could be your reacting to what others are feeling too!.

Scientists have been observing the ways in which human beings share an invisible bond that allow us to know and sense the energy of others. Books like the Intention Experiment by Lynn McTaggart, The Empathic Civilization by Jeremy Rivkin, and experiments carried out by Princeton University PEAR lab, and the International Consciousness Research Laboratories all point to the fact that we are all intrinsically connected energetically at the level of awareness that for some is more acute than others.

Carrying the weight of the world on your mind can be debilitating even though it’s invisible. As someone who feels too much, your mind becomes so full of others’ emotions and outside energy that you’re no longer sure what you’re really feeling. You may be moody, stressed, anxious, and unsure of yourself. You might have difficulty concentrating and sensing your intuition above all the racket that’s come in from the outside. As a result, you’re rarely at peace and have trouble moving forward in your life.

If you’re someone who is carrying that extra weight on your body, you tend to unconsciously eat to ground yourself and to protect yourself from the energetic onslaught from the world at large. In both my research and personal experience for my new book Weight Loss for People Who Feel Too Much ( pub date. Crown Archetype March 2013), I have discovered that the late afternoon tends to be the most difficult time of day—by then you’re so full of the energy swirling around you that you need a quick fix to feel settled. As a result, you reach for sugary snacks or any high calorie food that can quickly take your attention away from the oversensitivity and into the sensation of eating and the temporary buzz it gives you.

So what is the solution to this? The only thing that works is to treat this as a mind/ body spirit program where food is only a small part of the conversation. After all the food issues and the weight issues are symptoms of a much more complex dilemma. Stress reduction- meditation, prayer, mindful eating and being willing to spend the time to ask “ Are these feelings mine?” are all essential habits to develop. Above all there needs to be a conscious effort to be compassionate to your self and learn to set healthy boundaries with others.

If you’re interested in joining an online 10- week intensive to support you through the holiday season Colette Baron Reid is offering Weight Loss For People Who Feel Too Much 2.0 – starts live Oct 3^rd but all classes are downloadable if you cant make it live.