You feel sad, you EAT. You feel happy, you EAT. You are tired, you EAT! Angry, stressed?? You EAT!!
Sometimes, you eat to celebrate, and sometimes it’s a kind of punishment, you feel bad about yourself and you eat to punish yourself even more!
But then you feel guilty because you have broken your diet in a second!!
In the oder post, I mentioned a quiz that make you see if you are an emotional eater or not!
https://www.eatlikemira.com/2010/06/14/emotions-vs-diet-quiz/
If you are so, then this post is for YOU!
What is Emotional Eating??
Eating when you are emotional, rather than when you are hungry is something most people do occasionally including me!
But…
Emotional eating starts to be a problem when it becomes abnormal and you feel that it is out of your control! So you feel that you can’t stop eating!
This type of eating plays a major role in some people being overweight.
Different emotions can trigger eating like:
Usually when you eat because of your emotions, you are too happy or sad to feel whether you are actually hungry or not, so you can’t recognize the feeling of fullness, because you are taken into the emotions of this specific moment.
1- Self Control!
When you feel that you are eating too much and often because of your emotions, keep a food diary for a week. Include the time you eat, the reasons for eating and how do you feel after eating.
I know it is hard to do that when all you can think about is food!
But food diary can give you an idea of how often you eat for reasons other than hunger!
2- Look for an activity that goes with your emotions!
Find an activity that brings you the mental and psychological comfort you find in foods, whether its sugary or salty items.
For example, you can run on the treadmill when you are angry or stressed. Any intense activity can secrete endorphines, and these hormones will make you feel relaxed and eventually will block your cravings!
If you are eating because you are happy, replace that by activities that make you feel good about yourself, like shopping, clubbing, going out with friends or calling a friend!
3- Break it!
When you think happiness, it is chocolate! When you think sadness, and stress it can be chips!
You can change all these habits and turn your snacks into healthy ones.
If you want something sweet, you can try a fruit salad, yogurt with some fruits or breakfast bar for example, instead of chocolate cakes or doughnuts!
Also, a small amount of nuts and almonds gives you the feeling of fullness for a longer time, even more than biscuits!
What about a whole grain toast, with jam on the top? It is a great option to have as well. Sweet and nutritious!
Before you go sleep, have a cup of skim milk or low- fat plain yogurt! It will calm you down at night.
4- Feel hungry!!
People who are emotional eaters, often lose the sense of hunger. They are always full because they snack a lot.
Feeling the hunger before the meals is an excellent factor that contributes to weight loss or weight maintenance.
So eat your main meals when you are hungry and let your snacks be light and healthy.
And… When you feel that you are losing control towards food, ask yourself:
Am I still hungry or Am I eating for another reason?? 😉
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