Do you know there is a link between emotional cravings and your health? We all know there’s an emotional component to weight gain and loss. Why else would we crave fattening comfort foods over celery sticks when we’re stressed? But according to a recent national survey, only 10 percent of people thought that psychological wellbeing was their biggest barrier to weight loss.
Instead, some 60 percent of respondents blamed poor food choices and lack of exercise for sabotaging their diets. Well, if we focus on being emotionally healthy first, everything else can fall into place.
Let look at three ways we can overcome emotional eating for good:
1) Keep a food journal
People roll their eyes at me when I suggest keeping a “food and feelings” journal. It doesn’t have to be super serious, but it’s helpful to detect a pattern. If you only order pizza after a heated argument with your partner, it tells you that you’re angry. It also shows you that you eat pizza to suppress anger. You might be surprised at what your journal reveals.
2) Pay attention to those cravings
If your mind is saying ‘I have to have those chips,’ that’s your clue that something else is going on in your body and it is not hunger. Are you bored? Aggravated? Need a little carb-y comfort? You’re probably not responding to your body’s pure hunger cues. It’s amazing the number of emotions we can attach to food.
3) Those little changes count
Maybe it’s substituting water for your lunchtime mineral or taking the stairs to your office once a week. The key, is to make changes realistic and incremental. “If you can do one small change a week, by the end of the year, you’ve made 52 changes, and that can transform your life.” You’ll also start to feel better about yourself — which will help you tackle both your food and fitness goals.