(Dr. Denise Lamothe's 3rd visit to Power Surge)


Dearest:  Tonight's guest, DR. DENISE LAMOTHE, is a licensed psychologist with
a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and in holistic health. In her practice, she 
combines traditional and alternative methods to work "holistically" with each 
client's physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.

In her practice, Denise's areas of expertise include eating issues, life 
transitions, midlife and menopause, alternative lifestyles, anxiety, depression 
and stress management. So, feel free to ask about any of these issues. Denise's 
book, The Taming Of The Chew: A Holistic Guide To Stopping Compulsive Eating
is NOT A DIET BOOK.

We have enough diets! It is a book for those who have tried dieting and 
discovered that diets lead to failure. She helps the reader to make changes 
physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually, to come to a healthy weight 
and to develop a loving and healthy respect for themselves and their bodies.

Welcome back to Power Surge, Denise. 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  Thanks, I'm pleased to be here. 


Dearest:  Denise, I read that compulsive eating is a problem that affects the 
vast majority of women in our country. I never realized compulsive eating, per 
se, was such a problem among women. Can you explain exactly what compulsive 
eating is and why it affects women to such a great degree?


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  Sure, compulsive eating is eating more than you wish or 
need to at any time.  Different amounts for different people.  This is primarily 
a woman's issue because we are socialized to look thin and be perfect  and we 
cannot. It isn't possible, but we try! 


Dearest:  But, Denise, doesn't everyone eat more than we need or wish at various 
times? Does that constitute compulsive eating? 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  Not necessarily... But most women report that it is a cause 
for concern for them. They generally have perfectionist self expectations and 
feel frustrated.  I never met a woman who said she loved her body just the way 
it is.  Usually, women overeat in reaction to feeling inadequate but it is hard 
in our culture to appreciate ourselves fully and to truly feel good about 
ourselves.


Kataneena:  I definitely eat to mood alter. Food calms me. How can I break this 
practice as it does give me positive feelings initially?


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  Yes, at first it does work... but not in the long term.
It is important to find other ways to deal with difficult feelings. I work with 
many clients to help them find ways to manage sadness, anger, etc. 

I highly recommend folks learn deep breathing/meditation skills and practice 
every day. This is most effective as a way of tuning into yourself and what you 
are feeling. Sometimes, the urge to eat will pass as you relax in this way. 
Then, when you get to recognize your feelings, you can express them. for 
example, if you are angry, you may want to beat on a cushion or cry.  What is 
important is that you honor your feelings and express them somehow.


Dearest:  Why can't some people get motivated to lose excess weight, even when 
we know that weight is harming their health and even if they're in touch with 
the "reasons" for their overeating?


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  We can be in touch with the reasons (or at least some of 
them) but making changes is always hard. we are all human and, as such, cannot 
always behave perfectly... We can try but we will ultimately fail. What the goal 
is is this: to stay in balance emotionally and physically as much of the time as 
possible, not every minute.


Dearest:  My last question on this topic, do you think we set ourselves up for 
failure before we even begin? 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  Sometimes we do.  Usually, especially if we have a history 
of "diet" failures, we begin a program with the notion that we will fail again.  
I strongly suggest you never diet again. It is diets that cause weight gain. To 
be really happy, peaceful and successful, we must all learn to love ourselves, 
to express our feelings, to resist the pressures that come from society to be 
certain ways and look certain ways and we must also learn to nurture out spirits 
and give ourselves what we truly need -- which never really is a mountain of 
candy or carbohydrates.


Jillian:  Hello Dr. Lamothe. I am extremely thin and have great difficulty 
gaining weight. My cholesterol is borderline and I'd like to try to add the 
weight the correct way. I could use some extra energy and have anxiety problems 
as well, which is probably the reason my metabolism works so fast. Any 
recommendations? 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  I would suggest you talk with someone first about the 
anxiety. It is pretty nearly impossible to take good care of yourself 
physically, emotionally and spiritually if you are battling nerves.  Perhaps 
once you learn ways to manage your anxiety effectively, you can then put some 
sound nutritional practices into your life. 

Remember, we are all struggling in one way or another. What I emphasize is
the importance of finding balance in your life. This sounds rote, but it is
not easy, is it? 


Dearest:  Jillian, I also might recommend a great way to lower your cholesterol, 
which is usually menopause-related PLUS put some extra weight on and alleviate 
some of the anxiety would be to try using Revival Soy protein as an extra 
meal/supplement. If you want more information about it, you can read more at 
www.power-surge.com/recommend.htm 


Jillian:  Thank you, I may try that. I have the appetite, just don't put the 
pounds on. 


Dearest:  So, you can kill 3 birds with one stone or isoflavone, so to speak :) 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  By the way, I also highly recommend Revival, and drink a 
shake myself several times a week.


Jillian:  Is soy completely safe? 


Dearest:  Yes, it is. I have a wealth of information about it on the Web site. 
Email me if you want some links, Jillian, at Dearest@aol.com 


MoodyMamma:  Since entering menopause my compulsive eating comes in cycles.
When I am in one of these cycles I cannot fill up. I am afraid to eat a first 
bite, as it is like an alcoholic having a first drink. Help! 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  Menopause does change out bodies and their reactions to 
many things. It is common for women  to suffer weight gain at this time. I 
suggest you really take extra time to nurture yourself right now. eat plenty of 
organic fresh veggies, get plenty of protein and make sure you get oil into your 
diet -- like flax, olive and butter. We need all these nutrients. There are also 
supplements you can find to help with various symptoms. The Revival shakes can 
help too. There are also some excellent books I can suggest to help. The Wisdom 
of Menopause (Christiane Northrup) for example. I think the Power Surge site is 
a wealth of information specific to this life process. 


Dearest:  Especially during menopause, oil is essential.  You'll find
all this information on the Power Surge Recommendations page: 
www.power-surge.com/recommend.htm and in my menopause survival tips at 
www.power-surge.com/educate/survival.htm which includes info about what
to eat during menopause. 

Thanks for your kind words about Power Surge, Denise :) 


SturdyWoman:  Denise I recently lost 50lbs. I was being so good and exercising 
every day, I hurt myself and ended up having sciatic problems I feel myself 
slipping back to my old habits, help. I really don't want to gain it back.
My self control is waning.


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  It's difficult when you have an injury that disrupts your 
best efforts.  Please find out if you can exercise differently, as in swimming 
or something gentle. This can help you feel better all around and this will help 
you to stay in touch with your body. Can you do something like that?


SturdyWoman:  Thank you. I'm trying to go for short walks. 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  That's great.  Anything you can do to move your body helps.  
So does journalling, talking with friends, laughing, praying, meditating, taking 
warm baths, etc.  Good luck! It wasn't easy, I'm sure, to lose all that weight 
in the first place and now you can summon your best, self-loving energy to get 
you through this time. 


Dearest:  Denise, why don't they do more studies about why so many people gain 
back they've lost (and more!), rather than just coming out with one diet after 
another? 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  As I said, diets cause weight gain. We deprive ourselves 
and then make up for this deprivation later.  The situation is that the American 
diet is full of excess carbs and sugars (many of them hidden) and people hardly 
know what to choose anymore.


Sierra47:  How do I get over the feeling of defeat, oh no, what if I put the 
weight back on? 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  People often think that when they reach some magical goal 
weight that they will finally be THERE. But, when they get there, there is no 
there there and then the anxiety that comes up causes more eating. It's so 
discouraging. I suggest never weighing yourself and never dieting.  Instead,
try to create more balance in your life. Take time for yourself and give 
yourself what you really need. The yo yo dieting will just lead to more of
the same.  Also, some folks think that after the deprivation is over and they 
are at that low weight that they can then eat as they did in the past, which
led to weight gain in the first place. Doing the same thing and expecting 
different results is the definition of insanity.


Dearest:  By the way, you can read Denise's earlier transcripts in the library 
at www.power-surge.com/library.htm and welcome her as Power Surge's new 
"Weight/Eating issues" expert. You'll find her on the Ask the experts page
at www.power-surge.com/asktheexperts.htm 


Kataneena:  I agree with you on what we should do, but how do we learn to nurture 
our souls and accept ourselves? Who can teach us this? Where can we learn these 
skills?


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  Developing our spirit is very individual. Read inspiring 
books, get out into nature everyday, play with children and watch how they are 
connected, meditate, pray, laugh, nurture yourself and your spirit every day,
make special time to do this. We are all so busy, we ignore our inner needs.


Dearest:  Denise, for those who missed your previous chats, would you kindly 
explain what the "Chew" is in your book, "The Taming Of The Chew," and how it 
impacts our eating habits? Also, why do you refer to the "chew" in the female 
vernacular?


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  The "Chew" is that part of each of us that works against our 
best interests. It is our saboteur. The book is written in female pronouns 
throughout and so that is why the Chew is referred to that way.  Reality is, 
however, that the Chew is androgenous, doesn't even have to have any gender.
Each person is free to think of the Chew in any way they choose.


Rutgers:  The extra weight I am carrying right now seem to be all in my abdominal 
area. I feel embarrassed going around like a pregnant woman at 50. Are there 
certain groups of food that I should be avoiding or is it my body type? Help!


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  Weight around the mid section is known as you insulin meter. 
This indicates a diet high in sugars and simple carbohydrates and lacking in the 
protein, fat and vegetables I mentioned earlier. I highly recommend Diana 
Schwarzbein's book, The Schwarzbein Principle to help you understand this and 
make healthy dietary changes.


Dearest:  Denise, but aren't there women who develop that Buddha belly as they 
become older even if they're not eating lots of sugar and carbohydrates? I never 
had a stomach in my life until I became postmenopausal. 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  I love the phrase "Buddha belly" It helps me remember that we 
are getting wiser as we age to perfection. Body type has a lot to do with it and 
also menopausal hormonal changes are a factor. It's hard to know for sure, but, 
for most people of any age the midsection indicates the need for some kind of 
dietary adjustment.  In's not for everyone though.


Dearest:  I need more than a dietary adjustment at this juncture. I think I need 
to go to an auto mechanic and get a complete overhaul! :) 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  There you go -- and, your sense of humor helps a lot. It
is so important for us all to lighten up and to appreciate and love ourselves.


Dearest:  Thanks so much, Denise. Such wise answers :) My humor isn't helping
my eating issues except I laugh more when I eat :) 


CSIFan:  Re: supplements mentioned earlier.  Have you a recommendation as to what 
would be helpful to us (and our metabolisms) at this time in our life? EGCG, a 
natural green tea extract is said to enhance metabolism. Chromium aids in fuel 
conversion? 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  I refer all of you to the Power Surge site for specific 
recommendations.


Dearest:  CSIF, you can go to the Recommendations page at 
www.power-surge.com/recommend.htm.  I would also recommend going into the
library and doing a search. 


Marlo:  Isn't it true, that you eat more when your nervous? I'm just the opposite.  
I can't eat. When my mother got sick and passed away I lost fifteen pounds. I felt 
so guilty, that she was so sick and couldn't eat. I couldn't put a morsel in my 
mouth. Why is this? 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  General anxiety often drives people to eat, especially sugars 
and carbs. Extreme anxiety generally does the opposite. Your experience was 
defiantly HUGE. I hope you have talked about your guilt with someone and allowed 
yourself to be gentle with yourself and to heal. I am sorry for your loss.


Dearest:  Yes, we all are, Marlo :( 
Dearest@aol.com
I'd like to get a weekly weight chat going again.  E.mail me at Dearest@aol.com
if you're interested in the weight chat. If I get enough people, we'll arrange
a day of the week that's convenient for us all. 


Dr. Denise Lamothe:  Good night and I hope to join you all again in the future.


Dearest:  Denise, thank you for joining us again tonight to discuss eating and 
weight issues, what causes them and what strategies we can use to better manage 
our eating problems. I recommend Denise Lamothe's book, "The Taming Of The Chew." 
Denise is also Power Surge's new weight/eating issues expert in the Ask The 
Experts area of the Web site. 

Be sure to visit www.deniselamothe.com. Please join me in thanking Dr. Denise 
Lamothe for another fascinating discussion. 

And don't forget to visit Denise's new area on Power Surge in the Ask The Experts 
area at www.power-surge.com/asktheexperts.htm 

Thank you, Denise. You were wonderful, as usual :) 



Read Dr. Denise Lamothe's first transcript.
Read Dr. Denise Lamothe's second transcript.

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Dearest
aka Alice Stamm
Power Surge
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