Emotional Literacy: The Second Essential Skill for Breaking the Weight-Regain Cycle that connects you with your body

In this episode of Before Dieting, I continue with part two on the essential skills women need when they’re stuck in a repeating weight pattern. Last week’s episode explored the role of investigative journaling, how it slows you down, brings you back to yourself, and creates a space for honest enquiry about your weight.

This week focuses on the second essential skill: emotional literacy.

Many women caught in recurring weight gain feel disconnected from their bodies and unsure about what they’re actually feeling. Emotions can swing quickly, from hyper-alertness to numbness to over-the-top reactions, making it almost impossible to understand how emotions drive eating.

Bronwyn explains how emotional literacy helps you identify and name emotions accurately, and why these matter for weight. When you can distinguish frustration from irritation or anger, you stop treating them as the same signal and food stops becoming the generic answer.

Other topics covered include:

• why emotional numbness is a survival strategy

• how numbness blocks fullness cues and drives relief eating

• how journal writing and emotional literacy work together

• why “stress” and “anxiety” are not emotions

• a simple three-step starting point for women who feel emotionally shut down

I close with key takeaways and a reminder that emotional literacy is a skill that grows with practice, and every small step reconnects you to your body.

If you’d like more information head over to https://www.weightingforhappiness.com.au or email me [email protected]