5 ways to combat emotional eating

Posted on November 10, 2009 12:00:00am, by Gerrianne Clare

How many of you have found yourself with an empty bag of potato chips, or some other food item, wondering how you could possibly have eaten ALL those chips, already? You don’t remember tasting them or even chewing them and all of a sudden they are gone. 
 
Then the self abuse sets in:
 
Why don’t I have more self discipline?
I know better than to eat potato chips!!
What is wrong with me?
 
Wouldn’t it be great to find ways to combat emotional eating? I have noticed some common elements when I coach my clients with their emotional eating:

 

        1)      The emotional eating usually occurs later in the day when physical energy is low
2)      There is often no real trigger that they can tell, it happens unconsciously
3)      The same foods are often the culprits – chocolate for some, chips for another, cheese and crackers for another. For others it may be anything savory or anything sweet
4)      Once the eating begins, the food gets consumed with little chance of stopping
5)      Self abuse and regret step in once people realize how quickly and unconsciously they ate the food.
 
Does any of this sound familiar? Now, I have suffered from emotional eating myself and all of these elements are true for me. Can you think of any more that you notice?
 
So what is going on? Why is this happening to you? What can you do about it?
 
Here are five steps to help you start curbing your emotional eating:
 
1.  Do some soul searching!! This helps you develop awareness as to what is true for you. Ask yourself the following questions: Do I eat emotionally? Is this a problem for me? What do I want to do about this?
 
2.  Tell yourself the truth – Do you really want to get a handle on your emotional eating? Many people run their lives by “shoulds” and state they want to do something about their eating but if they really told themselves the truth, they do not want to do anything about the problem.  When this happens, they may talk and act like they want to change their behavior but they often unconsciously sabotage their efforts to change anything. The key here is “be honest with yourself”. 
 
It may seem totally irresponsible to say “I don’t want to do anything about this” but that is the truth. You can then make a decision about your next course of action. When you are fully aware that you are deciding (not choosing is also a decision), it is a much more powerful place to come from. You are telling yourself the truth and that creates freedom
 
3.  Be curious - If the answer to #2 is YES, then your next step is to be curious. Don’t try and change your behavior at this time, just become aware of your eating habits. If you are motivated, use a journal to keep a log of what you eat and when. Are there any patterns, when do you head to the fridge, when do you eat unconsciously? The important part of this activity is that you are curious and non-judgmental. Remember, you are gathering data to get a clearer idea as to what is happening for you. 
  
If the answer to #2 is NO.  Be gentle on yourself, be curious about what is true for you, what is going on in your life, and how connected you are with you.  Unless you feel a sense of who you are and what you want, taking steps to improve your life can be difficult. As a first step, read my blog on "5 easy ways to tune into your body" to help you develop some connection with yourself.
 
4.  Identify your triggers -  As you become aware of your eating patterns are, write out what triggers that start you eating emotionally. 
  • What time of day do I tend to eat emotionally?
  • Is there a common thread? For example every time your mother calls, your boss makes another demand, 3:00 p.m. rolls around and you are tired, you are caught in traffic etc. See if you can identify common elements to the time that you eat emotionally. 
  • The more awareness you develop about the situations that trigger you, the more able you are to change your reaction to what is happening around you.
 
5.  Be proactive – The best way to get a handle on your emotional eating is to
  • take time throughout your day to notice how you are feeling,
  • identify when potential triggers show up for you,
  • have healthy snacks on hand to help you curb your appetite before the eating begins – eating every 2-3 hours keeps your blood sugar even and keeps the munchies at bay
  • get connected with yourself. Take breathing breaks throughout your day to tune into your body, mind and emotions.
  • Take things one step at a time. Be gentle on yourself and notice what happens for you. 
It is difficult to change any eating habit in the middle of its manifestation. The best way to stop them is before they even show up. Taking time to identify what is true for you, what triggers you and what you can do about it “in the moment” can be powerful tools to help you change your emotional eating.
 
Take care and I will blog with you later.
 
Gerrianne

 

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