Why does it have to be so hard to lose??????

I'm an emotional eater too. I try to exercise before I reach for food. eg walk the dog, 10 burpees, 50 quick squats. Most of the time, I don't feel like eating empty calories afterwards.

What's in your cupboard? I have cocoa powder, taco seasoning, a bag of rice I'll never cook, and tea. In the fridge? Carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, meat, laughing cow cheese, yogurt...Yes, I eat chocolate and ice cream. But I don't have big tubs of things lying around. When I feel the need to EAT I have things that won't break the bank too badly, or I have a serving of something I bought for the day and pre-logged in my diary.

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Another tip, which may seem counter-intuitive, but *may* work, is to de-fuse the emotional eating by acknowledging the feelings and the desire to eat, saying: "I am having this donut because I am feeling <emotion> *and that's okay*."

I have found, for myself, that if I say, "I am grumpy and my boss is a jerk, and so I am going to eat all the pastries (and release all the serotonin!!!)!" that I then no longer need to actually eat them. I have given myself permission to do so, I have acknowledged the feelings underlying the desire to eat, and I feel better.

I believe the most important aspect of tackling emotional eating would be to identify your triggers, perhaps on the short-term some tips will help you counter it (writing for example is a good method). Find out what your triggers are first; stress? Boredom? Filling an emptiness? Childhood habit? Socially influenced? Once you can identify some of your triggers the next step would be to create a more detailed form of a food diary that also delves into the emotional and psychological aspect of it.

Write it all down in your "food & mood" diary:
* What you ate (or wanted to eat).
* What happened to upset you.
* How you felt before you ate.
* What you felt as you were eating.
* How you felt afterward.

Once you can identify quite accurately what causes the emotional eating, you can then take measures to prevent it. (Even by recognising really early symptoms, for example, you might start thinking about a stressful task you have to do which then eventually leads to eating when you're not physically hungry).

Essentially I am describing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in less detail... This is definitely more of a "psychology" topic than a "Diet tips" topic... So this is probably not what you're after but if this sparks an interest I suggest doing some searching up on CBT and tailor-fitting it to your problem.

Good luck!

Hi!! I'm an emotional eater, too. Ever since I was younger, I'd just go to the fridge and I used to be able to eat anything...then just exercise and I'd be good. Well, not anymore!! I can't buy the "trigger" food. I just can't do it. In a pinch, I'll have a few chocolate chips, some water and tell myself - 'you don't need the crap!' and that usually dissolves my craving. I wish you luck, you can do it...believe in yourself!!

I am emotional eater too. But now I keep my kitchen stocked with fresh fruits n veggies. So when I am sad or really happy, I eat fruit salad.. unlimited or other healthy alternatives so later I feel less guilty. When I m really depressed and want to eat junk food.. I try to control my hunger for 10 minutes , after that I no longer feel like to that crap , n of then also I feel like to eat something, I try to cook it at home ( it may have oil, butter , suagr, calories bt its free from preservatives, additives etc. N less harmful)

Try to identify some other emotion helpers and start doing them more so that food as a helper isn't your numero uno. Like excercise (a good walk or run), or a nap, or getting your nails done, or taking a bath every night, or talking to friends...one you start replacing food with a new habit it won't be as hard. Also, I do eat when I'm stressed or tired but I try to grab something low cal like yogurt with cocoa powder & splenda, before real ice cream. Or carrots & a tbsp of ranch before chips. Also focus on a timer. Put a timer on in your kitchen and give yourself 20 minutes to breathe, move around, shower, before you eat.

This app is a great start! If you use the tools available on it. Like tracking your calories, so you're "aware" of what goes in. Also checking out the BLOG section on it. Soooooooo much knowledgeable information.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! So it really doesn't have to be so hard, once you understand it better. Good luck!