Emotional Eating

It is common for many of us to be triggered by our emotions and then eat something we may regret later.  With that in mind, we wanted to talk to you about learning some new habits to break the patterns of emotional eating. To get started let's explain the dynamic.

The dynamic of emotional eating goes like this - trigger, craving, and action.  This is a powerful cycle because it "taps the brain's powerful ability to form deeply ingrained habits based on repeated experience."  Unfortunately, when you use food to quell emotional states weight gain and unhealthy eating patterns can occur. However, there is some good news!  Your brain is quite adept at learning new strategies.

Here's what you do, identify the trigger and create a new habit to paste over the bad one.  Keep in mind though that you many need to try a few new habits out until you find one that works for you.  To get started take some time to make observations about your behavior. There are different triggers for emotional eating.  Some are anxiety, anger, loneliness, depression, fear, procrastination, or boredom. Even positive emotions like excitement or desire can be a trigger. Just the simple thought of your own trigger can pull you out of your emotional state, and that's when you can start to develop a healthier response.

Here are some strategies you can use:
Substitute - Have substitutes on hand for your "go to" snack like carrots or apple slices portioned out in containers in the fridge. Additionally, keep fresh fruit out for something quick to grab.
Chew Gum - Keep some sugarless gum around which helps mimic eating.
Relax - Some people find a hot shower or bath soothing. You could even play your favorite music to help you relax.
Be Mindful - You could look into mindfulness training to help you become more aware of your eating experience.  
Exercise - Take a walk or run, or do some form of activity you like.
Shift Attention - Distract yourself by playing a computer game, checking social media or the news, or with a hobby.

We hope these tips help the next time you get a craving!

Reference: Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, December 2017, VOL.35, NO 10, Learn New Habits to Break Emotional Eating Patterns (pp. 1 & 5).