Emotional Food Consumption
What is Emotional Overeating?
It’s common for Heather to find herself watching TV with a bag of potato chips following a stressful day at work. Although Heather turns to food for comfort after a frustrating day, she has discovered that food actually does not help her feel better.
Heather is an emotional eater. Emotional eating is eating for reasons aside from hungry famished “typically it is in response to a certain mood or event in your day. Emotional eating means your emotions, not your body, dictate what, how and when much you consume.
Emotional eating is an attempt to repress counterproductive feelings such as depression , anxiety, exhaustion, or tedium. Many life triggers can incite emotional eating. Health issues, monetary issues, work stress, or being overtired are all common triggers for emotional eating. Emotional eating is sometimes called mindless eating “without thinking, you reach for that high calorie , high-fat comforting foods when emotions are high, more often then not without even enjoying it. The worst part is that emotional eaters often do not feel satisfied, instead they feel guilty. Unfortunately, even if you do not enjoy the food, the calories still count and the pounds start to add up.
How to Overcome Emotional Eating
Food Journal : A great way to stop emotional eating is to have some understanding of your eating routine “what you eat, when you eat and how much you eat. Over a period of time you will see patterns that help you to comprehend your eating patterns as well as your mood and feelings. The Achieve-Life food diary is a great way to get started!
Triggers : Try and identify what prompts you to start emotional eating. Does it occur when you sit in front of the TV or the PC? Does it occur during particular times of the day? By identifying your emotional eating habits, you can start altering those bad habits and take control of your diet . Take a break from the computer and go for a walk or call a pal. Instead of watching TV, try reading or listening to music.
Your Kitchen : If you are craving a snack, avoid the high calorie chips and reach for a healthy alternative, there are a lot of options!
Take a look at the Achieve-Life healthy snack ideas for some healthy options. Instead stock your shelves with delicious, low cal foods to snack on when the craving hits. You can’t eat the Ding-Dongs if you do not have them!
Reward : Establish some goals. If you had a great week and resisted the lure of emotional eating, you deserve a reward! Congratulate yourself with a relaxing spa or movie, or maybe buy those cute sandals you have been desiring. Provided that food is not your reward, you earned it!
Clearing up your emotional eating issues can be doubly gratifying. Not only will you avoid the guilt that comes with emotional eating, you may avoid the calories and the extra pounds. You may not only feel better, but look better also!
Brandi Hannah of Achieve-Life says that Achieve-Life weight loss program to help you in achieving the life you have always wanted.
