1) Get a full understanding of how emotional eating works - What is emotional eating? It happens when you use food to mask or manage your feelings, instead of eating because you are hungry. This can cause you to feel guilty and start a vicious cycle where you feel worse and worse every time you eat. This doesn’t always occur in a negative context. A lot of people celebrate success with food, which can lead to overeating.
2) Keep your perspective balanced - There is nothing wrong with taking pleasure in food and enjoying it with others. It is time to be concerned when emotional eating gets in the way of your health.
3) Ask yourself if your eating habits are out of control - Maybe you want to eat healthier but you keep falling off the wagon. Be honest with yourself. You might want to start the day off with a bowl of oatmeal but you end up grabbing a biscuit instead.
4) Pay attention to your cravings - A strong desire for certain foods is a common symptom of emotional eating. If you are hungry, everything of the menu will likely sound delicious. But if you are depressed over something in your life, ice cream or cake will be the only thing you want to order.
5) Notice your hunger levels – Another red flag is eating when you feel full. Ask yourself if you really need another helping of potato salad.
6) Think about your family history – Your eating habits are probably learned from your childhood. You might have been rewarded with junk food when you got good grades in school.
Develop a Healthy Relationship with Food
1) Keep a food journal – Keeping a food journal might be a rude awakening. You can spot bad eating habits easier when you write down what you eat. You might discover you eat junk food when you are bored, even after eating a full meal.
2) Eat more healthy foods – Use your cravings to be helpful instead of detrimental. Try dipping some baby carrots in hummus. That is a much healthier snack option than grabbing for the Doritos bag. Eat some fruit when you crave sweets.
3) Eat smaller portion sizes – Don’t eliminate all your favorite treats. You don’t want to deprive yourself. A little cheating is okay as long as you don’t go overboard.
4) Try to get distracted – Be productive to try and keep your mind off of food. Go for a hike, read, or spend time with your kids or significant other.
5) Develop healthy coping skills – Eating comfort foods will only help in the short term. Find healthier options for controlling stress, like listening to music or working out.
6) Avoid any temptation – If you have a sweet tooth, keep sweets out of the house. If you love Krispy Kreme donuts, don’t stop by and pick up a dozen.
7) Get enough sleep – Being tired all the time will lead to unwanted overeating. 8 hours of sleep every night should be a good number to shoot for. Enjoy a warm bath before bed to help raise your body temperature which will help you fall asleep faster.
8) Reward yourself for being good – Pat yourself on the back when you have been a good boy/girl. Praise yourself when you have attained your goals. Take yourself to a special place that you love going to, to celebrate your success.
9) Get some professional help – If you need more help, talk to an expert. Talk to a nutritionist. They can help you develop a diet that fits your lifestyle. Free yourself from emotional eating to live a healthier life. Get back in control of your life with these tips.
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