4 Ways To AVOID Emotional Eating

We're all guilty of emotional eating at some point in our lives.

Emotional eaters use food to try to manage emotions. These emotions can be anything, ranging from boredom and stress to sorrow and frustration. Personally, I used to constantly snack out of boredom, and gorge on chocolates and cake when I was feeling blue.

Food can work as a tension reliever. Thinking about food and then eating the food can serve to distract us from the real problem at hand. It can take the edge off anything that we would rather not feel like boredom, or sorrow.

In addition, certain foods like chocolate do provide a temporary boost in happiness. Unfortunately, this feeling doesn't last for long because such foods tend to be high Glycemic Index foods. The inevitable crash when blood sugar drops actually makes us feel even worse.

Emotional eating leads to weight problems. Emotional eating by default implies that we are eating when we don't need to, when we're not hungry and are already full. These foods are simply extra calories, and often very unhealthy foods. Instead of digesting and using these foods, the body simply stores them as fat cells - which lead to weight gain.

There are a few things you can do to avoid emotional eating:

1. Recognize emotional eating

Know when you are eating in order to avoid or overcome unpleasant feelings. Ask yourself whether you are hungry, or simply interested in eating in order to avoid other emotions.

2. Use other strategies to deal with boredom

If you tend to eat or snack because you're bored, try doing something else. Many people recommend starting a good hobby. As a "boredom eater" myself, I've found that having some sugar free chewing gum on hand really helps. Whenever I'm bored and feel like eating, I simply chew some gum - this helps me feel as though I'm eating.

3. Keep ice cold water in the fridge

When you feel like eating but aren't really hungry, try drinking ice cold water. Studies show that many Americans stay dehydrated on a regular basis, without even realizing it. Drinking cold water can satisfy what might initially feel like hunger.

4. Practice stress management techniques

If you work at a stressful job, it can be easy to justify regular trips to the vending machine or a few drinks every day. However, in such circumstances, it's important to deal with the core problem - stress. Try to learn and implement some time management techniques. In addition, practice deep breathing and meditation techniques which help to tackle stress.

As you can see, emotional eating is not a problem that can be solved with a "one-size fits all" solution. Some people can overcome this problem easily while for others, it may take some time. Don't let the time involved in overcoming this problem dissuade you - take steps now and the results will be worth it.

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