There are always going to be events and circum- stances you cannot control. Parties happen. Holidays happen. If you avoid these situations because you believe you don’t have the internal control to manage them, you are actually proving your negative belief system right and letting it run you. If you keep the junk food in your house and use it as a way to feel, instead of eat, then you get access and you can change the belief forever. That is how this works permanently. The strength is created within. For example, you are sitting at home, watching TV, and you have an urge to eat the bag of potato chips in the pantry. Instead of fighting the urge, getting anxious, and eating the whole bag, try feeling what the urge feels like. Explore it. Why are you having the urge? Many of my clients realize they are having the urge as a reaction to another feeling and their desire to dis- tract them from it. Maybe they are feeling bored and the urge to eat potato chips offers the excitement of the drama of overeating and judgment. Okay, stay with the boredom. What does that feel like? Go deep- er. You might find that boredom is coming up because your kids are at camp and you would usually be with them right now. Then, you access loneliness. Then, you might access the belief that without being a mom to your kids, you are worthless and lazy and all you do is watch TV. There it is. Negative belief. Not true. 130 • If IAm So Smart, Why Can’t I Lose Weight?