Help! I am an emotional eater!
If this is you and your emotional eating seems to derail you from your goals then you are in the right place. I understand how hard it is to resist the foods that make us feel so good when we eat them!
Sometimes this seems like an impossible feat since you are bombarded with temptation at every corner right? The t.v. commercials, the billboards, the smell of the bakery etc….Between you seeing these ads and smelling the baked goods some days you just say to heck with it, I deserve this.
Or you may be thinking I have had a hard day, or its the weekend, or I will start back on Monday(this one is my favorite). Whatever the reason we have to realize that when we eat by emotions or impulse that we almost always will make an irrational food choice.
My Grandfather was always bragging on what a healthy eater I was and eating a lot seemed to make him proud of me, that stuck with me throughout life.
Sometimes when you identify the triggers for yourself you can begin to change that thought pattern. If you know that when you get stressed you always reach for the cookies then you can try both of these tactics. First thing remove those comfort foods from your reach.
Then find a healthy alternative to replace the habit. For example, you may find a quiet place and take ten deep belly breaths and start reminding yourself that you are in control of your vessel it does not control you!
Another great way to kill two birds with one stone is to exercise. If you are in a place to do that, taking a walk, a jog, hiking, a kickboxing class,etc… are great ways to redirect those emotions to empower you to win the battle!
I have struggled on and off with emotional eating my whole life. I have found comfort in cookies, sugar, and carbs and honestly it makes me feel better temporarily. As hard as this can be in the moment you will always feel better when you choose to overcome the temptation.
You feel so strong when you don’t allow your emotions to rule your behavior. Choices always begin with thoughts so you have to go back to your thought life and begin thinking thoughts on purpose! Dr. Caroline Leaf has some great resources on this subject.
I can say no! I love feeding my body healthy foods! Choose to think these thoughts on purpose and begin to speak them out loud as well! Make healthy confessions.
We are human and we all fall sometimes but when one of us falls there is another to pick us up and remind us that we can do this! I have fallen many times and still do, but I want to encourage you today that you can do this!
Making healthy choices is not always easy, but it is always rewarding. With discipline comes rewards! Are you an emotional eater?If you have any tactics that have worked well for you with emotional eating please leave a reply below!
Photo credit: fitlista.com
To Your Health,
Jenay Green
