“UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONAL EATING: A GUIDE TO BREAKING THE CYCLE”
The “tendency to overeat in response to negative emotions such as anxiety or irritability” is classified as emotional eating. This behavior is intriguing because emotional eating has regularly been linked to weight issues such as overweight and obesity. Furthermore, those who are overweight have been reported to have less efficient coping mechanisms in the face of negative emotions, prompting them to overeat excessively. Weight loss difficulties connected with emotional eating include increased binge eating, decreased self-monitoring, and worse quality social support.
TIPS TO COPE UP WITH EMOTIONAL EATING
- Go for a walk with your pet or love ones if you have a need to eat despite having eaten just a few hours before.
- Practice mindful eating and become familiar with your body’s hunger and fullness cues.
- Keep a food book and record all meals and amounts so you can track your bad eating habits and find solutions to change them.
- Remove the temptation to eat unhealthy foods by not storing them in the house or within easy reach.
- Keep a check on your stress levels.
- Make and stick to a grocery list when shopping to avoid buying unhealthy and needless food products.
- When you have a craving for junk food, try to make an alternative meal. For example, instead of buying a burger from outside, make one at home, which is significantly less harmful and calorie packed.
- Drink some water to see if you’re genuinely hungry.
- Practice meditation to relax your nervous system and thoughts.
- Read some book or articles that you like.
- Enjoy the nature
- Seek professional help if you are still unable to control your emotional eating.
“Understanding your relationship with food provides many insights and improves your quality of life”. It is unhealthy to bottle up your emotions and manage them with food. It is important to have additional support and assistance in order to change your relationship with food. Consult to a specialist who can help you cope with tough emotions associated with your love-hate relationship with food.
