I am one of those that tends to be an emotional eater. This emotional eating comes from any variety of emotions; happy, sad, anxious, bored, lonely, etc. And usually, the foods that I eat are considered comfort foods that aren’t so healthy. There’s definitely a connection between mood and food. For example, when you’re down and depressed, food can be a way to distract yourself from thinking about your problems. Another connection comes from certain foods like chocolate, which release small amounts of mood and satisfaction elevating opiates.

The Mayo Clinic has put together a very helpful list of ways that you can regain control of your eating habits so that you’re able to stop your emotional eating. They’re all easier said than done, but with work and effort, would be possible.

1. Learn to recognize true hunger: Is your stomach rumblin’ and grumblin’? If not, you’re probably really not hungry.
2. Know your triggers: The important thing here is to recognize you eating patterns so that you can avoid negative ones.
3. Look elsewhere for comfort: Instead of eating those comfort foods, take a walk, listen to music, exercise, call a friend.
4. Don’t keep unhealthy food around: Simply put… keep the junk at the store! This is much easier said than done. But, it’s true. If unhealthy foods are around, you’ll likely go for them when you’re stressed.
5. Snack healthy: Find healthy snack options that also satisfy you so that you won’t be craving potato chips and ice cream. One of my favorite snacks is veggies and dip with a fat-free dip, or apples with a little bit of low-fat peanut-putter for some protein.
6. Eat a balanced diet: This is important. If you’re eating a balanced diet and getting enough calories, chances are that you’ll feel fuller for a longer period of time.
7. Exercise regularly and get adequate rest: I think getting adequate rest is something that a lot of us have a hard time with. We have to be doing 50 different things in 50 different places which makes it difficult to adequate time for rest.

Like I said, all of those things are so much easier said than done. It might be best to focus on just one or two of those components instead of trying to do them all at once. One of the things that I have learned to do best is to recognize true hunger. When I stopped to think about what I was eating and when, there were many times throughout my week that I ate simply because I was bored. Emotional eating can really take you off track when you’re trying to lose weight, but using the suggestions above will help you to meet your weight loss goals, and change your lifestyle.

Source: Mayo Clinic [Via Yahoo Health!]

Post Tags: comfort-food, diet, emotional-eating, emotions, exercise, food, rest, snacks, weight-loss

 

Additional Reading:
• Mindful Eating Can Help You Lose Weight
• Control Your Weight to Keep Diabetes at Bay
• Dr. Oz’s Trick to Stay Full Longer
• How Do You Determine When You’re Full
• Foods That Can Trigger Migraine Headaches

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