We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Get a Handle on Emotional Eating -- By Zach Van Hart

Love_Conquers_All
Love_Conquers_All Posts: 211
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Get a Handle on Emotional Eating
The Secret Sabotage of Your Program
-- By Zach Van Hart

Ever been angry or upset one minute and then on your couch eating the next, unable to remember why you started eating or how long you had spent munching? If so, then you have entered the world of emotional eating. It’s something than can happen to anyone, and one of the most common dieting obstacles out there.

Emotional eating at its best passes after a few minutes. At its worst, it can take over your life and cause you to eat uncontrollably for extended periods of time. And according to nutritional experts, 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. So don’t worry, if you suffer from emotional eating, you are not alone.

People often eat to relieve stress or to get something off their minds. The kicker is that stress, and the insulin jump that goes with it, may actually cause you to crave high sugar, high carbohydrate foods – foods that go straight to your waistline and cause you even more stress.

Rather than munching, it's better to develop new skills for dealing with boredom, self-esteem issues and stress. Try to pinpoint the major reasons for your stress or unpleasant emotions, and see how you can turn the tide.

Here are a few suggestions to combat your emotions:

Get your trigger foods out of the house, get your crutch foods out of arms' reach

Go for a walk or jog. Physical activity relieves stress.
Do deep breathing and relaxation exercises
Keep a reminder of your goal handy
Talk to a friend
Visit and post on the support message boards
Surround yourself with positive reinforcers, like pictures and people
Keep a journal that includes your best personal accomplishments
Track your eating patterns, including when and why you pick up food.

If you still seem to come back to food when your emotions get the best of you, you can at least be prepared. Eating large amounts of snacks is not a good thing. But if you eat low calorie foods, it’s not so bad. So stock the fridge with healthy alternatives--foods that have good nutritious value and are smaller in size.

Here are a few food suggestions to keep within arms' reach:
Apple or orange slices
Carrot sticks
Banana
Broccoli
Whole wheat toast
Bran muffin
Fruit smoothie
Applesauce

Replies

  • Get a Handle on Emotional Eating
    The Secret Sabotage of Your Program
    -- By Zach Van Hart

    Ever been angry or upset one minute and then on your couch eating the next, unable to remember why you started eating or how long you had spent munching? If so, then you have entered the world of emotional eating. It’s something than can happen to anyone, and one of the most common dieting obstacles out there.

    Emotional eating at its best passes after a few minutes. At its worst, it can take over your life and cause you to eat uncontrollably for extended periods of time. And according to nutritional experts, 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. So don’t worry, if you suffer from emotional eating, you are not alone.

    People often eat to relieve stress or to get something off their minds. The kicker is that stress, and the insulin jump that goes with it, may actually cause you to crave high sugar, high carbohydrate foods – foods that go straight to your waistline and cause you even more stress.

    Rather than munching, it's better to develop new skills for dealing with boredom, self-esteem issues and stress. Try to pinpoint the major reasons for your stress or unpleasant emotions, and see how you can turn the tide.

    Here are a few suggestions to combat your emotions:

    Get your trigger foods out of the house, get your crutch foods out of arms' reach

    Go for a walk or jog. Physical activity relieves stress.
    Do deep breathing and relaxation exercises
    Keep a reminder of your goal handy
    Talk to a friend
    Visit and post on the support message boards
    Surround yourself with positive reinforcers, like pictures and people
    Keep a journal that includes your best personal accomplishments
    Track your eating patterns, including when and why you pick up food.

    If you still seem to come back to food when your emotions get the best of you, you can at least be prepared. Eating large amounts of snacks is not a good thing. But if you eat low calorie foods, it’s not so bad. So stock the fridge with healthy alternatives--foods that have good nutritious value and are smaller in size.

    Here are a few food suggestions to keep within arms' reach:
    Apple or orange slices
    Carrot sticks
    Banana
    Broccoli
    Whole wheat toast
    Bran muffin
    Fruit smoothie
    Applesauce
  • Grate tips. I need to pratice them:flowerforyou:
  • Me too Thank you for posting this.
  • Me too Thank you for posting this.
    :happy: :flowerforyou:
This discussion has been closed.