Put a Stop to Emotional Eating

If we only ate when we were hungry, there would be no such thing as a weight problem in this country.  We eat when we are hungry, but we also eat when we are under a lot of stress, when we are feeling over whelmed, and if we feel lonely or bored.  This is what is called Emotional Eating.

The first step in putting an end to your Emotional Eating, is to recognize the triggers that cause you to overeat. Have the awareness to put down the fork.  Make smarter choices. Decide if you are hungry, or if you want food to fill in an empty part of your day.  Once you establish this, you can choose to eat a healthy snack or get a hug from your kids or partner, go for a walk, or take a bath.

Four popular reasons for Emotional Eating:

• You have had a long and tiring day. You FINALLY get to sit down and relax!
  Instead of reaching for that snack and plopping down in front of the tv, relax with a book and a cup of tea, or take a nice hot bath with a few drops of lavender essential oil, or sit outside and enjoy the warmer weather.
  
  
  
• It is 3:00 and you are ready for the day to be over. You are just TIRED!
  Instead of reaching for that coffee beverage or sugary snack, go for a brisk walk around the block, rock out to some of your favorite music, or just get up and do some jumping jacks. If you are able to, taking a little nap is fine, too, but keep it to 20-30 minutes.
  
  
  
• You're bored. There's nothing to do or nothing you feel like doing.
  Instead of going on auto-pilot right over to the fridge, call a friend, walk or play with the dog, start a new project, organize your photos.
  
  
  
• Work is crazy, the kids have all sorts of projects to do and activities to get to, the house is a mess, and the pile of laundry is literally reaching the ceiling! STRESS!
  Instead of drowning out the stress with food, find ways to relax and release the frustrations and anxieties. Exercise, meditate, do some deep breathing exercises, or practice yoga.

Rebecca Duerr is an AADP Board Certified Holistic Health Counselor.  Through her own journey of motherhood, she has become passionate about supporting other mothers in reaching their own personal health goals. For more information about Rebecca and how she can help you reach your health goals go to www.RebeccaDuerr.com.

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