Melissa Plantz, Author at Little Elm Christian Counseling

Effects of Overeating Disorder on Mental Health

Effects of Overeating Disorder on Mental Health

By Melissa Plantz|2024-09-27T09:26:31+00:00August 9th, 2023|Christian Counseling For Teens, Eating Disorders, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Compulsive Overeating Disorder is a mental health condition and behavioral disorder characterized by uncontrollable urges to eat when you are not hungry. Overeating disorder is a disordered eating condition. This means that it may not necessarily fall under the category of eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa, bulimia, or binge eating, but the behavior is outside of what is considered normal eating behavior. Overeating Disorder Vs. Binge Eating Disorder Overeating disorder is a compulsive behavior. The main difference between overeating disorder and binge eating disorder is the severity of symptoms and the frequency of binge eating episodes. Both can take a toll on your mental health, although binge eating is more severe. With an overeating disorder, you may hoard or hide your food. You may feel embarrassed over the volume of food you eat and eat in secret. You eat even when you are not hungry, and this can cause pain, bloating, and digestive issues. Your weight may fluctuate, or if compulsive overeating is a consistent behavior, you may experience rapid weight gain. Your body image and self-esteem may decrease the more often you engage in the behavior and see negative physical changes. Causes of Overeating Disorder and Binge Eating Disorder Overeating disorder can have numerous causes. Stress and hormonal changes are common causes of the behavior. When you are stressed, you may reach for comfort food to fill an emotional need. Hormonal changes can drive cravings, leading you to eat sugary or salty foods when you are not hungry. If you are a woman, you may feel these changes more intensely, especially around your menstrual cycle. The week leading to the beginning of a period and the week of ovulation can trigger compulsive overeating. Often our emotional needs drive overeating disorder behaviors. For example, if you find yourself alone [...]

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Studying Bible Verses About Loss to Cope with Grief

Studying Bible Verses About Loss to Cope with Grief

By Melissa Plantz|2024-09-27T09:26:19+00:00November 26th, 2022|Featured, Grief Counseling, Individual Counseling, Spiritual Development|

The sense of loss can run deep. It encompasses mourning and grief. It can stem from the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or the failure to accomplish a dream or goal. The grieving process applies to any loss and includes five stages: denial (shock), anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Whatever stage of the grieving process you are currently going through (you can cycle through the stages a few times before acceptance), studying Bible verses about loss can help you see how God brings us comfort during the hardest trials in our lives. He helps us overcome grief. Bible Verses about Loss We live in a fallen, sinful world, and we experience loss and grief because of this. Our tears fall, and our hearts hurt for what could have been or the memories of something or someone special to us. Yet, God sent us His Son to ensure that we will have joy and no more tears for eternity after this life. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – Revelation 21:3-4, NIV In the meantime, we must walk through dark times, knowing that we will emerge stronger, braver, and wiser. We will come out the other side and move past this loss. When we enter the denial stage, we want to avoid the pain. We procrastinate on the arrangements after the death of a loved one, often delegating them to someone else. [...]

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Ways to Manage Stress While Losing Weight

Ways to Manage Stress While Losing Weight

By Melissa Plantz|2024-09-27T09:26:46+00:00November 24th, 2022|Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development, Weight Loss, Women’s Issues|

Did you make losing weight a New Year’s resolution? Did you decide that this was the year for a new start? And just like every year prior, is it hard to manage stress, when it feels like your stress level has gone through the roof? You are not alone. A large percentage of the population cites losing weight as a goal at the beginning of the year. However, the responsibilities of life bear down on us, making reaching that goal that much harder. But you do not have to let the pressure derail your weight loss efforts this year. Instead, learn ways to manage stress and make small shifts in your behavior and mindset to reach your goals. Ways to manage stress and while losing weight When it comes to ways to manage stress, you may have to incorporate the trial-and-error method. For some people, walking each morning outdoors is enough to lower their stress levels. For others, frigid temperatures make walking difficult, so they rely on stretching sessions throughout the day. When you have several options to choose from on ways to manage stress, you can select the ones that work with your lifestyle and forget the rest. Read the tips below and choose a few you can try today. Go outdoors. Getting out into the fresh air can lift your spirits and boost your calorie burn. Sunlight provides vitamin D and can lower blood pressure. Combine this with the act of walking, and now you are strengthening bones and boosting the immune system. When you make walking outdoors a consistent endeavor, it changes your mindset. You come back from your walk energized and calmer than when you started. Practice deep breathing. Deep breathing forces your muscles to relax as you focus on your breath. When you inhale through [...]

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Preparing for the Big Day: Bible Verses about Marriage

Preparing for the Big Day: Bible Verses about Marriage

By Melissa Plantz|2024-09-27T09:25:33+00:00September 26th, 2022|Featured, Individual Counseling, Premarital Counseling, Spiritual Development|

A wedding includes so many details that it is easy to get caught up in the planning stage. Many couples want a church, minister, rings, flowers, candles, reception, food and drinks, party savers, photos, groomsmen, and bridesmaids. But how much time are you putting into planning your marriage? Are you studying Bible verses about marriage? The wedding and reception will last less than a day, but your marriage will hopefully last for the rest of your life. Yet, we place more emphasis on the wedding than the marriage. The Bible speaks of the union of a man and a woman, the partnership, and the intimacy. Studying Bible Verses about Marriage Pick a time when you and your significant other can sit down and study Bible verses about marriage. Consider seeking out a counselor for premarital counseling. It may be a much more beneficial investment than the wedding and honeymoon combined. Making Christ the center of your marriage and your family will help when times get tough, knowing that in God’s strength you can strive to be the godliest and most loving spouse possible. If you want the same for your partner, make sure they know where you stand. The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” – Genesis 2:18, NIV God created the union of a man and a woman with the creation of Eve. God had already made the animals and saw that Adam needed a companion, a helpmate. God thinks so highly of marriage that the church is referred to as a bride waiting for her groom (the return of Jesus). God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” – Genesis 1:28, NIV [...]

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