Did you know that 75% of overeating is caused by emotions? When you eat large quantities of junk or comfort foods in response to your emotions is called Emotional Eating.
This kind of behavior can quickly become a habit and can not only prevent you from fitting into your clothing but can also teach you how to mask your feelings with food instead of effectively dealing with issues.
There are triggers for emotional eating. Here are some:
Depression, boredom, loneliness, chronic anger, anxiety, frustration, stress, problems with interpersonal relationships, and poor self-esteem.
There are three main categories when it comes to Eating Triggers. It's important to recognize them if you happen to be eating your feelings.
1.Social. Eating when around other people. For example, excessive eating can result from being encouraged by others to eat; eating to fit in; arguing; or feelings of inadequacy around other people.
2.Emotional. Eating in response to boredom, stress, fatigue, tension, depression, anger, anxiety, or loneliness as a way to "fill the void."
3.Situational. Eating because the opportunity is there. For example, at a restaurant, seeing an advertisement for a particular food, passing by a bakery. Eating may also be associated with certain activities such as watching TV, going to the movies or a sporting event, etc.
Keeping a food diary will help you determine what causes you to eat.
You should be able to see why you eat and when you do pretty quick.
How to Stop Emotional Eating
Identifying emotional eating triggers and bad eating habits is the first step; however, this alone is not sufficient to alter eating behavior. Usually, by the time you have identified a pattern, eating in response to emotions or certain situations has become a habit. Now you have to break that habit.
Is this you? I know I tend to turn to food when I'm sad but when I start to reach for food in response to an eating trigger, I try doing one of the following activities instead.
Read a good book or magazine or listen to music.
Workout. Go for a walk or jog or do some basic yoga in my living room.
Talk to a friend.
Start laundry or clean the bathroom. Even if everything is "clean" something can always use a dusting.
Write a email or go OLD SCHOOL and write a letter. The recipient will be amazed to get something other than a bill in their mailbox.
Sometimes distracting yourself does not work. You might need to do one of the following:
Relaxation exercises
Meditation
