Weight Loss Success Tips
Emotional Eating

Emotional eating can be a major factor in a person's success or failure to manage their weight. Let's take a look at the problem and then a few suggestions on how to handle it.

The Problem

If you suffer from emotional eating, the first step is to identify the source of the problem. In most instances, emotional eating is linked to an unpleasant feeling or life-changing scenario. However, it could also be triggered by positive emotions, such as a new job or achieving a long-term goal.

Some common causes can include:

Stress. The most common trigger is stress. Have you ever had an extremely stressful day and all you feel like doing is stuffing your face with comfort food? As your body perceives stress, it releases the hormone cortisol. What this does to the body is triggers cravings for certain foods.

Boredom. Those boredom hunger cues can hit at anytime, anywhere! If you're working from home or bored around the house, you might find yourself continuously visiting the fridge.

Silencing Emotions. Whenever we're feeling happy, angry, fearful, anxiety, or loneliness, food can be a comforting way to distract you from your feelings and emotions.

The Solution

Once you've found the root cause, it's important to support yourself with long-term healthy habits. Exercise, adequate sleep, mindfulness, and human connection are essential factors to help overcome emotional eating over the long term.

Awareness

When you find yourself in the midst of emotional eating, pause and take a moment to spot exactly what has triggered that behaviour. Spotting triggers can really help with avoiding the same behaviour in the future.

Find other ways to cope with stress

If you don't have a hobby or sport, it's time to try something new! A great coping mechanism can include taking a walk or regular forms of aerobic exercise. When you manage your stress effectively, this can have a multitude of benefits - increasing your motivation, productivity, creativity, and even your immune health.

There are other methods of handling stress such as listening to music that you enjoy or having a chat with a friend.

Go for the healthy option

Typically, when we're stressed, the first thing we will do is open the cupboard. If you do feel the urge to eat or snack, choose a healthy alternative. This can include fresh fruit, low-fat dips, nuts, or other low-calorie foods. Try to pick foods with high water content, such as celery sticks to satisfy your craving for longer.

The Final Word

Emotional eating can be a major factor in why some people can't keep their weight under control. Addressing this issue can empower a person to be more in control of their body and their weight.