Angie O

In the past couple weeks Pam and I have both had conversations via email with people on the "ieatfit" food plan asking how to control eating emotionally. Emotional eating will sabotage your weight loss goals. Emotional eating is eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, anxiety, boredom, sadness or loneliness. Often, emotional eating leads to eating too much food, especially high-calorie, sweet, salty and fatty foods.

How can you regain control? This is a question that if once you know the answer will save you major set backs. Once again, Pam and I can be the guinea pigs for this! Both of us had major struggles in the beginning of our accountability together with emotional eating "WHOOPS"! Luckily it was not usually happening at the same time so our advise to each other was when the advise giver was clear headed!

The good news is that once you realize you are prone to emotional eating you can refocus and gain control before it controls you!
Major life events — such as unemployment, health problems and divorce — and daily life hassles — such as a stressful work day, bad weather and changes in your normal routine — can trigger emotions that lead to overeating. But why do negative emotions lead to overeating?

Some foods have addictive qualities. For example, when we eat certain foods, such as chips’ that have hydrogenated fat or foods with hidden sugars , our bodies release trace amounts of mood- and satisfaction-elevating hormones. That "reward" may reinforce a preference for foods that are most closely associated with specific feelings. And, for a few minutes the pleasure of eating offset the negative emotions.

We also use food as a distraction. If we're worried about an upcoming event or rethinking an earlier conflict, eating comfort foods are a distraction. But again, the distraction is only temporary. When we're eating, our thoughts focus on the pleasant taste of the comfort food and when we are done , our attention returns to the same worries, and now we bear the burden of guilt from overeating. It's the worse!

So, how can you regain control???

• Learn to recognize true hunger. Is your hunger physical or emotional? If you ate just a few hours ago and don't have a rumbling stomach, you're probably not really hungry. Give the craving a few minutes to pass.

• Know your triggers. This is an important reason for tracking in our "ieatfit" journal! Write down everything. Over time, you may see patterns emerge that reveal negative eating patterns and triggers to avoid.
Look elsewhere for comfort. Instead of unwrapping a candy bar, take a walk, treat yourself to a movie, listen to music, read or call your accountability buddy. If you think that stress relating to a particular event is nudging you toward the refrigerator, try talking to someone about it to distract yourself. Plan enjoyable events for yourself.

• Don't keep unhealthy foods around. Avoid having of high-calorie comfort foods in the house. If you feel hungry or blue, postpone the shopping trip for a few hours so that these feelings don't influence your decisions at the store.

• Snack healthy. If you feel the urge to eat between meals, choose a low-fat, low-calorie food, such as fresh fruit, vegetables with fat-free dip or unbuttered popcorn. Or test low-fat, lower calorie versions of your favorite foods to see if they satisfy your craving.

• Eat a balanced diet. If you're not getting enough calories to meet your energy needs, you may be more likely to give in to emotional eating. That is why it is so important to eat every 3-4hrs. Emphasize whole grains, vegetables and fruits, as well as low-fat dairy products and lean protein sources. When you fill up on the basics, you're more likely to feel fuller, longer.
• Exercise regularly and get adequate rest. Your mood is more manageable and your body can more effectively fight stress when it's fit and well rested.

If you give in to emotional eating, forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Try to learn from the experience, and make a plan for how you can prevent it in the future. I won't say Pam and I never fall into the "emotional eating" trap anymore. BUT, I can honestly tell you it is very infrequent and when we do we know it before we do it and we always admit it. LOL Focus on the positive changes you're making in your eating habits and give yourself credit for making changes that ensure better health.