EMOTIONAL EATING IS HARD
Emotional eating is hard. It’s not easy and it might not get solved in a day because it didn’t get started in a day. But, it is something that you can overcome and you can definitely get better with. I have a lot of really great tools and strategies to help you.
EMOTIONAL EATING TOOLBOX
Negative emotions are like poison. Food is the most common drug of choice to overcome that poison. Here are some healthier ways to cope with negative emotions.
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GO FOR A WALK.
Getting some Vitamin D on a walk and moving your body always helps you instantly improve your mood! Grab your headphones and listen to some great music or an inspiring podcast while you walk to get your mind off the negative emotions too!
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MEDITATE.
It may sound strange but, even just a 10 minute meditation can relieve stress and calm you down! Learn about the UNSTRESS meditation series that is free on Beachbody On Demand!
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CALL A FRIEND.
When you are feeling a lot of negative emotions, calling a friend to talk it out always helps me! It is so great to get someone else’s perspective about what you are upset about! If a friend is busy and not around at the moment, journal out what you are upset about in the moment and then talk to them about what you wrote down later!
TIPS ON HOW TO OVERCOME EMOTIONAL EATING
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IDENTIFY THE TRIGGER.
Sometimes it’s a quick impulsive reaction to hearing bad news for yourself, family, friends or in the news. We quickly reach to food for a way to instantly find coping and sometimes it is a deep, darker underlying issue that you haven’t yet addressed. That issue could be loneliness, sadness, or things that are heavy and deep-rooted. We need emotional healing, not emotional eating. I’ve learned that through my own dark times to finally understand that. Healing can take a long time. Sometimes we think we are over something when we are really not. Emotions don’t have timetables. Sometimes it takes longer to go through those emotions so we want to make sure we are dealing with it appropriately.
Identify what it really is that you are trying to fill because food is not going to be the thing to fill it. You are going to realize that emotional eating is never ok because when you learn the food groups, plate it, and start to eat with purpose, you will realize that there is no purpose to eating for emotional reasons. You will realize that you are not even tasting and enjoying these things when you emotionally eat. If you are not enjoying your food, then just drop the fork. Treats and sweets are meant to enhance positive times. They are not the thing to rely on to lift us up in negative, darker times.
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CONTINUE TO TRACK YOUR MEALS EVERY DAY.
Write down what foods you eat each day and go on the scale. Seriously, go on the scale. I am only saying it because I know for me it has been critical stopping emotional eating before it gets the best of me. Sometimes when we are going through a really hard time, we want to treat ourselves, relax a little bit, and eat for comfort. However, when you go o the scale everyday and you keep seeing it increase, you are able to stop it sooner. You realize that if you don’t stop you feel guilty and stressed because you are losing sight of your goals and what you really want to be on top of going through your hard time.
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KEEP EVERYTHING OOSOOM, OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.
If you are going through a hard time or you are stressed at work, don’t start bringing in all of your trigger foods and sweets in the office or your house to make everyone “feel better.” You will still have that deadline or hard things are still happening and the treats are not helping. Out of sight, out of mind is a great way to make sure you don’t emotionally eat. There are so many ways you can get healing and get positive vibes when everything else feels out of your control and negative.
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ASK FOR SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
Lean on a coach like me, or your friends and family. We are all going through this together. Take walks, snuggle your pet, hug a family member, journaling, listening to upbeat music. All of these things can make us feel better.
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USE EXERCISE TO RELIEVE STRESS.
Exercise is the golden standard way to relieve stress. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through some of my hardest times without my workouts. It’s been the best for me in feeling longer, leaner, and stronger in my mind and my body so I can better tackle everything else out there. When you sweat and you exercise, you actually release serotonin and endorphins. It’s really important when you are going through hard times to do whatever it takes to feel good in a positive way.
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JOIN MY NEXT VIRTUAL BOOTCAMP!
My Virtual Bootcamps combine at-home workouts, nutrition programs, and support from our accountability groups to help you look and feel your best! In our groups, we share our wins and struggles and we tackle topics like emotional eating together!
