Don't Be an Emotional Eater

Did you just get in a fight with your spouse, kid, or maybe even your mom; maybe the traffic on your commute home really got your blood boiling?  You may be hungry in the the first place, but your reaction is often to go into the kitchen and find something creamy, smooth, fattening, salty, or crunchy?  If so, you are an emotional eater.

Maybe you have thought about being an emotional eater before but the hardest part yet, is being able to crack the cycle.  The problem with emotional eating is it promotes an even bigger pattern of anxiety and self-loathing that will put you on a destructive path to weight gain.  The nasty part is emotional eating has physical triggers that can distract from your real emotions:

• Eating produces a sense of fullness and increases blood sugar levels reducing the physical agitation that comes with negative feelings.  This will produce an experience of "emotional numbness"
• Eating to the point of physical discomfort distracts from any emotional pain
• Continuous/subconscious eating distracts from disturbing thoughts
• Consuming foods that are enjoyable will bring pleasure and will temporarily relieve sadness
• Certain foods raise endorphin levels (the "feel-good" chemical in the brain) improving your mood
• High carb foods facilitate the release of serotonin.  This is the calming brain chemical that erases the feelings of stress and tension.

Once you are able to accept these facts, it is time to make some changes.  Actions like these are all about the habit you have created.  There is never going to be a time in your life that is stress free so the idea is to change your reaction to the stress in your life.  The key to this is to first identify the things that trigger emotional eating.  What is it that makes you feel pressured, sad, mad, or anxious?  Once you have narrowed in on your triggers, you can regain the control of how and why you eat.

To identify these triggers, start by creating a journal.  Every time you eat, log what you're having, serving size, who you are with, and your emotions involved.  Face the recurring issues that drive you to eating; bring them out of your subconscious and tackle them head first.

These issues may not be things you can avoid, such as a bad day at work, but brainstorm a list of alternative activities that help you de-stress or drive your energy toward another goal.  These are some of my favorites that I use for myself.

• Exercise (of course I would say this first, but it really does work.  I like to take my anger out on the weights or on a really good run.  If you are not someone who likes an intense workout, use a hike or bike ride to ease your mind)
• Read a book/magazine
• Take a bath
• Call a friend or family member -  I feel blessed to have a sister
• Work on a hobby (knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, collectors items)
• Take a nap
• Try a new health conscious recipe (don't have a cookbook? they are all over the internet these days)
• Play with a pet  

What are some of your favorite things that get you out of a bad day??

If you have any other questions, please ask!  I'm here to help!

oxox, Em