Emotional eating does not discriminate, it can happen to even the best of us at times. Emotional eating can be brought on by feelings of sadness, anger, frustration, stress and even happiness or joy. People often turn to food as a reward or for comfort in the hope that it will solve their emotional dissatisfaction. This however only momentarily masks any underlying issues and most often than not amplifies our emotions. If you know this is a problem for you, try using these tips to help you break free from the cycle of emotional eating.
Identify Your Triggers
Identifying what triggers your emotional eating is the first step to regaining control. You may notice that specific situations, places, people or feelings trigger negative reactions. For example maybe you are bored with nothing to do, this creates feelings of emptiness and worthlessness so you find yourself looking to food as a means to fill the void. Or maybe your emotional eating is triggered by chronic stress? Increased levels of cortisol causes the body to crave foods which are sweet, salty and high in saturated fats. There is a clear difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger and understanding these differences is just as important as recognising your triggers. Outlining your triggers is an essential part of fixing the problem.
Keep A Food Diary
Keeping a food diary can be beneficial regardless of whether you’re someone trying to lose weight, an athlete looking to improve performance or some who wants to better understand their eating habits. A food diary that tracks your food intake, energy output and mood can help you to identify patterns in your eating habits that might be triggering emotional eating cycles. It’s also a good way to monitor dietary deficiencies, totally restricting particular foods or excessively limiting your calorie intake will not help to break the cycle. Having a record not only highlights the cause of the problem but it also tracks the times when you are progressing well, this will allow you to take a more positive approach to dealing with your emotional eating.
Make Exercise A Priority
Making exercise a part of your daily routine is a great way to manage stress and boost your mood. Even low intensity exercise, deep breathing and relaxation can lower cortisol levels and release endorphins that make us feel positive and energised. This tackles food cravings and improves our self-worth which encourages us to stick to a healthy, balanced and nutrient rich meal plan.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep helps to regulate our hunger hormones and therefore keeps our appetite under control. Without adequate sleep you’re more likely to crave foods that are rich in fat and sugar because your body is seeking a quick energy hit. Lethargy and fatigue in conjunction with the consumption of these types of foods can trigger an emotional eating cycle. By getting plenty of rest you are eliminating some potential triggers as well as helping to keep your mood and appetite in check so you are better equip to deal with any daily stresses that you may face.
Seek Support
If emotional eating has become an ongoing problem which you cannot get a handle on then now is a good time to ask for help. Whether this comes in the form of a friend, family member or an allied health professional such as a dietician, make sure it is someone who you can speak freely and openly to without being criticised or ridiculed. Never underestimate how helpful it can be to have someone to talk to about your struggle. A good support network will help you work through your thoughts and feelings, provide you with constructive feedback and help you to refocus on your goals.
As I mentioned earlier in this article we can all find ourselves dealing with emotional eating at some point or another. For some of us it’s brief and infrequent but for others it is a chronic problem that controls their life. That being said beating yourself up about it is not going to solve the problem, it’s merely only going to increase negative feelings about yourself and your self-control. Supporting yourself with healthy lifestyle habits and a positive network of people can help you to manage any hiccups without resorting back to emotional eating.
xx Tara
Have you experienced an emotional eating cycle or know someone who has? Let me know in the comments section below.
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