Do you crave something to eat even when you’re not really hungry? Do you sometimes find yourself snacking away to deal with tight deadlines at work? Have you ever mindlessly munched on candy bars and ice cream when you’re upset or depressed? Do you turn to “comfort food” when you’re anxious or worried?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you might be an emotional eater.
To overcome emotional eating, you must first recognize what you’re really feeling, and then find a way to cope with your feelings differently, perhaps more positively. Weight loss advice will work if you don’t know why you are compelled to eat instinctively.
Physical hunger is different from emotional hunger. How? When you feel (or hear) your stomach growling and you feel lightheaded, then you are physically hungry. When you feel the urge to eat, on the other hand, not because your body signals meal time, but because you want to satisfy your desire to chew on something, perhaps in your attempt to soothe an unpleasant feeling, socialize, grieve, or even relieve boredom, then you are emotionally hungry.
To defeat emotional eating, you must only eat to satisfy physical hunger, and not fall into the traps of mindless snacking.
Here are a few tips to conquer emotional eating:
- Chew your food slowly and listen to your body for clues that you’re physically satisfied.
- Don’t sit in front of the TV (or lounge in bed) with a huge bowl of food; chances are you will find yourself eating the entire thing without realizing it.
- Don’t deprive yourself of foods you love. You can still treat yourself to some of your favorite foods–just don’t overdo it.
- Find the link between the events in your day and your cravings for food. Recognize the triggers that pressures you into eating more, like losing a client or arguing with a friend.
- Deal with your “triggers”. If these are unavoidable things, find ways to deal with stress or events that create emotional hunger.
Conquering your emotional eating habits takes hard work, but with practice, time, and dedication to stick to your fitness goals, you will surely overcome these cravings for a better, healthier new you!
Contact me if you are interested in hiring me as a personal trainer. I serve the Colleyville, Southlake, Grapevine, Hurst, Euless, and Bedford, Texas area. It’s time you see results!