Recent Articles | DianePetrella.com

Jun

Heal Emotional Eating with Help from Your Wise Self

What if you already had what you needed to heal emotional eating?
What if all the answers to your questions were right inside of you?
What if your own inner wisdom could guide you to a a more confident you?

Meet… your Wise Self. Welcome this Divine being as they guide you to take better care of yourself and your body and help you live a happy, healthy life.

Who is your Wise Self? People refer to this spiritual power in different ways. It has been called the Inner Advisor, Spiritual Guide, Higher Self, or Divine Light. I like to call it my Wise Self because, like an imaginary friend to a child, she is my mentor, someone I call forth in my mind—a strong, down-to-earth woman who is all-knowing, wise, and loving and whose guidance is always available whenever I ask.

Here’s the thing: You probably already know your Wise Self. (more…)

May

How to Stop Overeating

Diane Petrella

I received the following question last week. It describes a problem I know you may struggle with, so I’m answering it here:

“My biggest problem is trying to stop eating when my body has had enough. Once I start, it is very difficult to stop until I am miserably full. It just feels so good to eat… but it’s getting worse. Do you know how I can control this monster inside me?” –Kim

I know this feels like a huge challenge, Kim. And it is. But others overcome it and with patience and perseverance, you will, too.

Here are five things you can do that will help: (more…)

Apr

Feed Your Feelings with Love

Diane Petrella

When you feel the urge to eat—and you’re not hungry—most likely it’s because you’re emotionally overwhelmed, stressed-out and unable to contain your emotions. Maybe you feel angry after arguing with your partner, demoralized because you gained a pound, or hurt because your best friend forgot your birthday.

Whatever the trigger, if your habit is to turn impulsively to food when upset, somewhere along the way you learned that food soothes your hard feelings and numbs your pain. We all need to feel comfort when upset. Food may feel like a trusted friend, always there when you need it.

But as you also know… turning to food when upset can leave you feeling uncomfortable in your body and result in guilt and shame which just perpetuates the emotional eating cycle. To break (more…)

Dec

5 Ways to Feel Fantastic on January 1

Diane Petrella

We’re now officially in full-swing holiday mode. And it’s easy to let the to-do list, the cookie dough, the parties, and the lack of sleep pull us from our intentions and our schedule…right?

We rationalize tossing away our plans with thoughts like, “It’s more important to make these cookies for the neighbors than go to the gym,” or “Everyone overeats this time of year.”

Well, I know you can stay healthy, peaceful and on track with your weight-release or maintenance, even with all the temptation around you. Here are five of the techniques I swear by every December. (more…)

Aug

How Loving Your Inner Child Helps You Lose Weight

Diane Petrella

Your Inner Child needs you. She needs your attention, your support, and your love. When you connect with her and soothe the wounds she carries, you develop a deep faith in yourself. This helps you feel more at peace so you can release the need to use food for comfort and honor your feelings in a more grounded way.

Let’s start at the beginning and meet your first Inner Child, your one True Self.

You were born into this world as a perfect, loving, curious, and creative being. This is your True Self; your authentic you. Everyone’s childhood includes obstacles to overcome, but when you’re supported in a loving, nurturing environment, you can navigate life’s rough spots with faith and security, trusting you have the help and inner resources available to not only cope, but to thrive. Your True Self remains strong, secure, and deeply connected with her source energy, or Higher Power.

But if you came from an abusive, neglectful, or emotionally unavailable family, your True Self’s journey may have been compromised.

When confronted with the turmoil and loneliness of a dysfunctional or abusive environment, your True Self goes into hiding. Her authentic feelings go underground because it feels unsafe to express them. This results in a deep feeling of emptiness, as if something is missing. Anxiety, panic, or acting out behaviors may surface. Sadness and depression, or anger and rage, become a familiar emotional mask. She may soothe herself with food to cope. (more…)

Jul

When it comes to your clothes…remember the 80/20 rule!

Diane Petrella

Are you familiar with the Pareto principle? It’s a business principle suggesting that for many of our goals, 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts. Why am I mentioning this? Well, applying this to your clothes, you probably wear 20% of what’s in your closet 80% of the time.

I don’t know all the reasons for the 80/20 rule, but I do know this:

Our clothes hold the energy of who we were when we first purchased them. When we release clothes that no longer reflect who we are today, we expand our consciousness and become energetically lighter.

Assuming size isn’t the issue, have you ever wondered why something you used to enjoy wearing no longer feels right?

If you can relate, release those clothes that no longer resonate with who you are today. When we let go of clothes we no longer enjoy wearing, we actually clear out stagnant energy that has kept us, even in a slight way, rooted to our past. This drains us in ways we may not feel consciously, but nevertheless can hold us back subconsciously. When you release those items, you free yourself to reclaim your energy so you’re more fully grounded in present time.

This doesn’t mean you release all clothes from past years. It means you release clothes that no longer feel inspiring. And if you’re holding onto clothes that are too small, only keep them if you do not feel defeated when you see them. Otherwise, release them or at least put them out of sight to retrieve when able to wear them.

Use the Pareto principle as an unconventional, yet inspiring, self-care strategy and only wear what feels good on your body and release the rest. This simple change in your wardrobe can have a powerful uplifting effect.

Will you release clothes that no longer feel inspiring?

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May

Your Body Will Forgive You. Just Ask.

Diane Petrella

If you’ve struggled with your weight for a long time, it may feel hard to love, or even like, your body. When you feel at war with your body in this way, releasing weight feels much more difficult than it needs to be.

Anger, shame, and self-hatred add an emotional heaviness to what may already feel daunting. While the weight release journey holds challenges in the best of situations, these challenges lessen when you develop a more loving and respectful relationship with your body.

You don’t have to wait until you reach your goal weight to make peace with your body. You can experience peace now and when you do, your journey (and your body) lightens. (more…)

Apr

Let Go of Fear to Release Weight with Confidence

Diane Petrella

Pink Lotus Are you afraid you’ll never reach your weight loss goal?
Do you fear you won’t maintain your weight once you do?
If you can relate, take heart. Learn to free yourself from fear’s grip so you confidently move forward with poise and grace.

For many people, fear is an uncomfortable, yet familiar companion along their weight loss journey. Fear undermines your belief in yourself and stops you from having the life and body you want. You can renew your confidence and learn to give fear no power by replacing fear-based thoughts with thoughts of strength and determination. (more…)

Feb

How I Stopped Gaining Weight On Vacation

Diane Petrella

“To keep the body in good health is a duty.
Otherwise we shall not be able
to keep our mind strong and clear.”
Buddha

I just spent three awe inspiring weeks traveling in Southeast Asia. My friend Dianne, knowing I gained weight on another lengthy vacation six years ago, asked if I did this time.

I confidently replied, “Ultimately, no, I didn’t. I started gaining weight right away because I was eating more than I normally do with the endless buffets available. But then I remembered to practice what I preach. I made a conscious effort to turn things around. And I did.”

It felt good to walk my talk, especially in such a food and exercise challenging situation. I share below the mind-set shifts I made to stay grounded. Whether to maintain your weight, release excess weight, or stop gaining, I hope this inspires you to keep your mind and body a treasured priority, no matter what circumstances surround you. (more…)

Dec

A New Year's Ritual for Release and Renewal

Diane Petrella

Here’s my favorite New Year’s ritual. It’s my trusted path to release the old and embrace the new.

I invite you to take time this week to reflect on this past year and the changes you want to make going forward. Use this not only to inspire your weight release journey, but for all areas of your life.

I feel empowered when I do this writing exercise, as if I’m calling forth the powers of the Universe to support me. I hope you find it as inspiring as I do.

Get yourself cozy and comfortable with pen and paper. There’s something about writing by hand that keeps you more connected with your heart energy, but if you prefer using your computer or tablet, by all means do so. Give yourself quiet, undisturbed time. Add a cup of soothing tea and a candle to set a reflective mood.

Complete the three parts of this practice in the following order: (more…)