How can I avoid the negative thoughts that cause me to overeat?

Negative self-talk creates low self-esteem and, despite everything we've achieved, thoughts like "I'm no good" may still plague us. Negative self-talk is like a witch's incantation: It's mesmerizing. To break the spell, you need a powerful antidote: awareness. Set the intention to notice the way you habitually talk to yourself. When you notice yourself falling under a spell and a negative feeling is on the scene, ask, "What am I telling myself to make myself feel bad?" This interrupts the pattern.

If a thought makes you feel bad, you can know that it's not true. Take any negative belief to inquiry and you discover that it never tells the whole truth. Just because you have a history of falling under a particular spell doesn't make it any less a lie. Once you see the lie, the spell is broken, and the negative self-talk no longer has any power over you. If those thoughts arise again, either replace them with positive thoughts, question them using inquiry, or turn away from them altogether.