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Emotional Eating The holiday season is behind us now and spring is fast approaching. Many people have made New Year’s resolutions to get more exercise, eat better and lose weight and information is everywhere about exercising and how to have a balanced diet. But one thing that can sabotage our efforts is emotional eating. That is, eating for comfort and using food to cope with our feelings. In fact, some experts say that about 75% of overeating is emotional eating. The first step in conquering emotional eating is to figure out your triggers – situations and feelings that lead to eating when you are not hungry. Keeping a food journal can help you identify your triggers. Write down what you eat, when you eat and how you were feeling at the time. You might find you eat when bored, or when nervous at parties, or when stressed. Some common triggers are uncomfortable feelings such as:
With your triggers identified, you need alternatives to eating. Come up with a list of things to do instead of eating. If you stay busy with something else the urge to eat will usually pass. For example, you might do some of the following:
Be creative in your alternatives so you’ll have a wide variety to choose from. Be vigilant and you will be successful and won’t undermine your efforts toward a healthier you. John Holt
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