Each of us has a primary ”eating personality type,” and whether we realize it or not, it can be one of the biggest obstacles we face. If you’re not quite sure what an “eating personality” is, I’ll give you a summary of the definitions as described in chapter 9 of my book – Weight Loss Secrets of Superstars.
Personality Name: The Binger
This personality enjoys eating and is not to be confused with “The Survivor” who goes on starvation diets that often result in a binge later. Bingers consume large amounts of fast food, prepackaged food, and junk food simply because it’s conveniently available.
If you put good food in front of them they’ll eat it, and they most often continue to eat until they’ve finished the entire box, container, or everything on their plate. Additionally, they also tend to eat as an activity when they’re bored to pass the time.
The Bottom Line: Eating and / or dining out is part of their lifestyle.
Personality Name: The Sentiment
When the going gets tough, this personality reaches for a box of chocolates or a bag of snacks as a quick escape. They often use comfort foods to make up for whatever they feel they lack, whether it’s love, companionship, or personal enjoyment. When they feel confined or a loss of freedom, they’ll try to eat their way out of it.
If the US wins the World Cup, they’ll celebrate with a feast, and if they lose their job, they’ll mourn the loss in the same way. Their emotional highs start with a stomach-warming meal, and the bottom of their roller coaster ride ends with one as well.
The Bottom Line: They like an instant fix and / or immediate gratification.
Personality Name: The Survivor
The most common words out of the Survivor’s mouth are “I hardly eat anything and I still gain weight.” This personality usually has a body that is in survival mode due to inconsistent feedings, starvation diets, or eating the wrong foods at the wrong times.
The Survivor can also be a person who is insulin resistant, which is most often brought on by years of poor eating habits (regularly consuming foods containing highly processed ingredients), lack of exercise, and a high amount of body fat.
The Bottom Line: They continue to gain weight in spite of eating so little because their body goes into what’s commonly called “survival mode.” This causes their body to go into a panic state which encourages rapid fat storage and muscle tissue break down.
Personality Name: The Olympic Athlete
This personality is a mixed breed who either says “I exercise all the time and I still can’t lose weight,” or “My body isn’t responding to my diet or workout routine anymore.”
First things first, when it comes to exercise, too much (exercising compulsively) is counterproductive because it doesn’t give your body the opportunity to recover. That means every time you work out without taking some time to rest, you’re actually breaking your body down excessively at a cellular level.
Eventually, if you don’t slow down, at some point your body will begin to experience some very negative setbacks. Some of these usually include: muscle loss, increased fat storage, low levels of energy, a reduction in immunity, fatigue, depression, binge cycles, and a lack of motivation.
The Bottom Line: They exercise too much and usually eat too little because they’re in too big of a hurry to lose weight.
Personality Name: The Floater
Losing weight and getting in shape is something most Floaters would like to do, but have never had a strong enough reason to motivate them. Floaters often start out with great enthusiasm, but soon forget what they’ve set out to accomplish.
They tend to be interested in the “diets” they read about in the magazines and usually give them a short run. Then, a few days later, they decide that the diet isn’t practical for them and discard the flavor of the week to find a different one.
Floaters lack results because they don’t stick with a nutrition and exercise plan. More importantly, they don’t have a “real” reason to succeed.
The Bottom Line: They don’t have a “real” reason to achieve the results they want.
The importance of understanding these eating personalities is that it will enable you to more easily identify your reason(s) for being overweight. Once you understand why you are overweight, you can begin working towards finding the best solution to permanently eliminate excess body fat.
One thing to keep in mind is that most of us are not just one personality type. We can have the tendencies of one, two, or we can even be a combination of all five. Having been a combination of all five myself at different times in my life, I’ve created this website and The Superstar Health Organization to address the needs, issues and challenges each of us faces. (Click here to read about the foundation: http://www.superstaruniversity.com/the-organization)
For even more tips, advice and support, become a member of SuperstarUniversity.com and The Superstar Health Organization now! As a member, you’ll not only be well on your way to being at your ideal weight and having the rockin’ body you’ve always wanted, but you’ll also enjoy a number of spectacular perks, bonuses and benefits. Click here for all the details.
All the best,
Alex Hernandez
