“I learned that a lot of times when I thought I was hungry, I was really eating for emotional reasons, for comfort,” says Pekrul, who lost 17 lb during the 12-week program. “I learned to recognize and respond appropriately to my emotions.” If you’re bored or stressed, for instance, do a craft, or listen to a meditation tape instead of eating. Pekrul uses a scale, as part of her weight loss program, to help her identify when it’s time to eat. The scale goes from 0 (famished) to 10 (completely stuffed). The goal is to stay between 3 and 7 at all times: 3 is reasonable hunger and a good time to eat; 7 is comfortably full but not stuffed.
