3 Tips to Help You Stop Emotional Eating

Are you an emotional eater? Emotional eating affects both men and women but is more common with women.

Anything from work stress to financial worries, health issues to relationship struggles may be the root cause of your emotional eating.

Why food?

Negative emotions may lead to a feeling of emptiness or an emotional void. Food is believed to be a way to fill that void and create a false feeling of fullness or temporary wholeness.

So, how can we stop emotional eating? These 3 tips will help you to realize what you are doing and stop the habit because that is all it is, a habit that needs to be broken.

  1. Recognize that you are eating out of emotions not out of hunger.
  2. Write down what you are eating, why you are eating it and how you feel that lead you to eating
  3. find a hobby that brings you joy instead of eating

    Here are some suggestions for finding a hobby:
    If you are sad-talk to a friend, watch a funny show, exercise
    If you are happy-reward yourself with something other then food like a manicure, call a friend to celebrate, buy yourself new shoes
    If you are angry-talk to a friend, exercise, journal your feelings
    If you are lonely-join a club to meet people, network with your co-workers, join a gym

    Recognizing that you are eating out of emotions rather then hunger can be the hardest one for most people. Even if you don’t recognize it until after you have eaten the food-that is ok. Continue with steps 2 and 3 and pretty soon you will be able to recognize the signs before you eat.
    Learning to deal with your emotions in a new way takes time so give yourself grace and try to enjoy the process.

    If you want to learn more about health and wellness find me on instagram at @ptwithlisa or at www.personaltrainingwithlisa.com and at www.bodyworksprescott.com