Finding ways to stop emotional eating is important for achieving weight loss. When you eat because you are sad, worried, stressed or frustrated, it can lead to excessive weight gain. It's important to tune into the reasons that are causing you to overeat. Here are five ways that you can stop emotional eating.
1. Ask Yourself Questions before Eating
One of the easiest things you can do to eradicate emotional eating from your daily life is to stop and ask yourself a simple question before you eat: Am I hungry? Each time you open your fridge or your cupboards in search of food, ask yourself if your need for food is due to physical hunger. People often eat because they are stressed or sad; asking yourself this question will help you determine the true cause of your need to eat.
2. Incorporate Relaxation Activities
If you find that you are reaching for food because you are feeling anxious, worried, sad or bored, find ways to relax. Establishing a daily practice of meditation might help. Going for a long meditative walk or sitting still for a few minutes each day might be helpful. People have their favorite ways to relax; the key is to find what works for you. You might prefer to listen to your favorite music or sit outside on your patio. Whatever you choose, let it be an activity that helps you to reduce your anxieties.
3. Implement a Daily Workout Regimen
A good way to stop emotional eating is to establish a daily fitness regimen. Exercise is good for your body and your mind. It will increase your circulation, keep your heart healthy and enhance your mood. When you find the urge to eat due to emotional reasons, consider exercising instead. Going for a hike in a scenic location or going to the gym with your best friend are ways that you can avoid eating and burn off calories at the same time.
4. Keep a Daily Journal
To stop emotional eating, you want to get to the core of the issues that cause you to overeat. Keeping a daily journal often helps to identify the reasons behind the anxiety, worry, fear or boredom. Make it a habit to write down your thoughts and feelings every day. At times you might find that you have nothing to write about. However, if you stay with the process and commit to writing at least a page a day, you will often find that, over time, you can connect with the true reasons behind your emotional eating.
5. Establish a Social Support System
Creating a social support system is important for stopping emotional eating. You might be eating because you are feeling lonely or bored. In this case, having friends and family to talk to on a regular basis is important for reducing the urge to eat. Ask friends, family or co-workers to be your workout buddy or to join you in activities that do not involve food.