Emotional eating and possible ways to stop it
When you think of stopping emotional overeating, does it seem like an impossible goal? You're not alone - many people who suffer from this problem feel imprisoned and helpless. It can seem like you are unable to break free from the overwhelming emotions and habits. But there's good news - it's a treatable problem.
Being honest with yourself is an important first step. Emotional overeaters tend to judge themselves pretty harshly, but don't - you're not an isolated case or some kind of freak. It's a sign of strength to seek help! It means you've identified the problem.
If you're struggling with this problem, there are some things you can do to get things under control while you're seeking professional help. Here are some tips.
Use Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping) to stop emotional overeating
Learn EFT Tapping from a well-trained expert or EFT Tapping Master. Once you know the modality, when an emotional moment hits, you have the tool at your finger tips to take the edge off these emotional moments. Or, I invite you to work with me for a number of sessions. I can help you tackle emotional overeating.
Use your grocery list as a way to stop emotional overeating
When an emotional moment hits and you head for the refrigerator or pantry, what kind of foods do you usually go for? Often, emotional overeaters head for high-calorie comfort foods like ice cream, chips, or candy bars. But you can't eat those things if they are not in your house! Here are some examples of foods to put on your grocery list in place of the ones you may be tempted to buy. (Another tip - buy only the foods on your list. Compulsive buying of food is tempting.)
* Brown rice (instead of white rice)
* Millet (instead of or in addition to rice)
* Fresh fruits and vegetables (rather than canned)
* Low-fat, low-calorie yogurt (rather than ice cream)
* Popcorn kernels for air popping (rather than chips and fatty snacks)
* Lean protein like fish, turkey, and chicken (instead of deli meats and processed meats like hotdogs and bologna)
* Natural, healthy cooking oils like olive and safflower oil (instead of shortening, lard, or unhealthy oils).
Don't Crash Diet - It can make emotional overeating worse
It's good to be proactive in solving problems, and emotional eating is no exception. If you try to crash diet, you may find yourself eating more after the crash diet is over. So, rather than stopping eating everything you love, try some of these tips.
* Allow yourself to have a dish of frozen yogurt each week as a treat. This approach tends to be easier than just cutting out all frozen treats. You could use this approach with other "naughty" foods, too - it may be easier to resist if you know you are going to have that food on Saturday (or whatever day of the week you choose to have a small treat).
* Boost your nutrition with a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement.
* Increase your consumption of nutrient-dense foods.
Eating regular meals can minimize emotional overeating
Experts recommend regular mealtimes as a way to combat emotional overeating. If it's not "time" for food, then you may be better able to hold off on eating until it is time. Also, eating regular meals helps you to be deliberate about your intake of nutritious foods. And finally, having regular meal times tends to make for a more relaxed eating experience, which is the direct opposite of anxiety-driven overeating.
Invitation to explore another way to stop emotional overeating
For new clients who what to experience EFT's powerful healing effects, book a free complimentary consultation now.
In the meantime, here are 𝟰 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
𝟭. 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
- You may turn to food when you have certain feelings because we are taught from a young age that food comforts us but don't use food as a reward.
𝟮. 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺
- When you focus on what you weigh and problem, you end up thinking about food more often than you would otherwise, and that makes it harder for you to keep food in check.
𝟯. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆
- exercising or talking with family and friends can help take your mind off of food and will make overcoming emotional eating much easier.
𝟰. 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽
- If the cause of your emotional eating is much deeper than stress or anxiety, such as depression or grief, seek professional help right away. They can give you tools to deal with these deep emotions in a healthy way so that food does not become a coping mechanism for you.