3 Ways to Battle Emotional Eating

Even though I consider myself to be pretty health-conscious when it comes
to diet, I still have a complex emotional relationship with food. Last
Monday, I had a really rough day at work (Strike 1!) and came home to a
messy apartment (Strike 2!). Then I logged into my bank account online and
remembered that it was "student loans week": the week when a ton of my
student loan bills come due. So needless to say my bank account -and my
mood!- were drastically depleted (Strike 3!). My first thought? Order some fried noodles with roasted pork. The thought
of all that salty, warm goodness -to be followed by a large glass of red
wine- brought me an immediate burst of happiness. What bills? What laundry?
What work issues? I'd had a rough day- I deserved it! So there I was,
sitting on my couch about to reach for my wallet and my iPhone. What
stopped me? Well, a few things: *1. Emotional Eating Actually Makes You Feel Worse* You know that awful feeling you get when you're looking down at an empty
bowl of ice cream, or an empty Chinese food carton or an empty super-sized
bag of chips? That "what have I done???!!!" feeling? Yeah, not a good
look. I don't know about you, but I think the worst part of emotional
eating is the *aftermath*. * *It's* that* feeling that stops me in my
tracks when I get the urge to pig out. *2. Do Something Relaxing That Doesn't Involve Food* Sometimes when I'm feeling like I might reach for food to feel better I
just try and do something *else *that I know will relax me. On the Monday
in question, I got off my couch and took a long, hot shower. This relaxed
me enough that when I got out, I was able to put all those unhealthy food
thoughts out of my mind and eat something healthy. Showers work for me, but
it might be something different for you. Maybe for you it's watching your
favorite movie. Or -if you're really good- maybe you'd enjoy going for a
walk or a light run. Whatever it is, find something that relaxes you, so
that you know what to do when you're stressed and might reach for food. *3. Call a Friend / Journal* Instead of reaching for a glass of wine or a carton of ice cream- call a
friend. Talk to him/her about what's bothering you. Maybe take a walk to
just vent to that person about your problems. If you don't feel comfortable
talking to someone about what's bothering you, you can even have a dialogue
with yourself by journaling. Getting your feelings out on paper might make
you feel better and stave off the need for binge eating. *My (last) two cents* We all struggle with emotional eating/drinking. For me the first step has
been to recognize when I'm eating because I'm *hungry* and when I'm eating
because I'm upset/annoyed/[fill in negative emotion here]. Once you're
aware of what's motivating you to eat, you're better prepared to control
your eating. And of course, if you're really having a tough time, don't
hesitate to seek professional help. Talking to a professional therapist can
do more for you than overeating ever can. Happy clean living,
ChicFitChef **Have you ever struggled with emotional eating? How do you avoid
temptation?**   ------------------------------------ ChicFitChef.com was started by Helen Ogbara, an attorney and health enthusiast, inspired by her experiences cooking diabetic-friendly meals and getting fit at home through workout DVDs. ChicFitChef offers readers the real scoop on healthy-living through diabetic-friendly recipe ideas, exercise & fitness tips and personal health-awareness interviews. Visit chicfitchef.com for a fresh perspective on living a healthy lifestyle!

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