Emotional Eating -- Tips That Work
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September 12, 2009 (Updated September 13, 2009)
By Susan M. Callahan, Associate Editor and Featured Columnist
How do you know if you're an "emotional eater"? Easy.
Emotional eaters use food to medicate their emotional
stress. When they 're sad, they reach for chocolate ice
cream instead of crying. When they're excited, they reach
for potato chips instead of shouting for joy.
Emotional eaters are also sometimes called "unconscious
eaters". They sometimes can't recall how much they've
eaten or even what they've eaten. Many overweight
people respond to the question "do you over eat" by
stating ", "I really don't eat that much". Truth is, we don't
remember what we ate. We don't remember because when
we ate we were in a fog of emotion.
In America, we are almost all set up to become emotional
eaters. Ever notice how many food commercials are shown
with sporting events like the Super Bowl or the Oscars?
The subliminal message is-- food is necessary to really have
"fun". Most of us are even conditioned to never watch a
movie without also munching on a box of popcorn or
downing a hit dog and a large soda. It wasn't always this
way, of course. Several decades back, our grandparents
got through listening to a whole radio show without
munching. Imagine that.
Is there a way out of this pattern of emotional eating? Sure.
Here are some tips you can use to break the pattern of
emotional eating:
1. Write it Down. The way out of this is to write down what
emotions you are feeling at different points in the day
when you eat. Keep the emotional eating journal for a
week. You'll be surprised at what it reveals about you. Over
time, you'll be able to control the urge to reach for food
instead of your journal. Try it. It works.
2. Drink First. Try to create a rule for yourself-- never eat
before you drink a glass of water. What this does for you is
to make time your ally in your battle against emotional
eating. Just taking a few seconds to drink that glass of
water gives you time to collect yourself. It also helps to fill
you up, making you less likely to ignore the signals your
body will send you that you are already full and don't need
to eat.
3. Points for Feelings. The key to breaking the pattern of
emotional eating is to feel your feelings. It's just that
simple. People who let themselves feel their feelings are not
likely to try to "stuff" their feelings or suppress them with
food. Food is merely a distraction from the pain, stress or
discomfort of feeling your feelings. When you're sad, feel
sad. Cry. When you're angry, recognize that, and be angry.
Throw a pillow. It may seem scary at first, but, over time
you will grow accustomed to experiencing your true
feelings, rather than being afraid of them.
Here's a simple trick that helps you to feel your feelings.
The next time you're angry, give yourself 1 point. The
mere act of having given yourself a point will help you
remember to feel that anger next time, rather than
distracting yourself from it with food. Same for sadness.
When you feel sad, give yourself another point. When you
feel overjoyed, give yourself another point, and so on.
Over time, you'll start building up points instead of calories.
You're just getting started. Find our more valuable
information on the best choice of diets for weight loss:
Ideal Breakfast to Lose Weight/ Diet and Exercise --A
Simple Plan for Life / Foods That Shrink Your Waist / Why
Waist Size Matters / Weight Loss-A Review of Plans That
Work
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