Emotional Eating affects even the most dedicated dieter from time to time and can be one of the most difficult dieting hurdles to jump.
Here are five steps to help stop your emotional eating and overcome the mood munchies:
Step 1. Know Your Enemy
To be able to stop your binging in its tracks you first need to know which emotional trigger applies to your situation.
Do you eat when you are bored, stressed, upset? Finding your weak point will help you make a plan for when those situations arise.
Step 2. Understand Your Cravings
The next step is identifying which foods you crave at those times and find a substitute.
If you have a chocolate craving then you might be lonely or upset. Bananas have the same mood boosting properties without the calories.
A yearning for crunchy crisps is often associated with frustration, think of healthier snacks that pack the same crunch factor such as apples or celery.
Step 3. Remind Yourself That Food Won’t Fix the Problem
Food can’t fix emotional issues. The only problem that food can solve is hunger. Sure eating might make you feel good in the short term, but to fully conquer your cravings you need to understand that food isn’t going to help.
Step 4. Try and Identify the Real Reason
Working out the real reason that you are emotionally eating can be half the step in solving it. Once you know what is making you feel bad you can make a plan to overcome and treat the real problem.
Step 5. Find a Healthy Comfort Alternative
Finding an outlet for your emotions is important and there are many other options to choose from than eating. If you are creative then try painting or writing. If you are more physical, then take out your frustration at the gym.