If you want to lose weight and live a healthier life, then you need to stop emotional eating. The only problem is although that may sound simple, it is not very easy to do. Since the clinical obesity rates are going up, according to TFAH, it would seem that more people are struggling with bad eating habits and are in dire need of change.
Some of the contributing factors to obesity are the abundance of ultra-processed foods, we live a more sedentary lifestyle, and mental health is on the rise, which is causing more people to turn to food for comfort.
Now it would be great if the food that we turned to was broccoli or cauliflower, but unfortunately that is often not the case. Instead, it is typically those foods that tend to be more processed with little nutritional value. Even though we may be aware that we shouldn’t be eating these foods, for some reason we developed a pattern to gravitate to them in our time of need.
Luckily, I listened to a podcast where Judson Brewer, MD PhD, shared 3 simple steps to break any bad habit. Normally when I stumble on these things, I am a little cynical. But after listening, I feel that the steps he shared can help us to take more control and learn tactics to help us combat any bad habit.
Interestingly enough, these tips have nothing to do with willpower and are more focused on being aware. If you want to stop the emotional eating roller coaster, then read on to learn the three simple steps that could be life-changing for you.
Mapping out your habit loop is the first step to control emotional eating
If you want to stop emotional eating, then you need to be aware of your behavior. Every habit has a trigger, behavior, and result. However, the behavior and result are the more critical factors to identify in order to impact change.
When you are triggered, boredom or sadness, what is your response to that trigger? Do you have a tendency to open the refrigerator to look for a snack, scroll through social media, grab a cigarette, or do you have another behavior in response?
When I am bored or procrastinating on a task, I find that I gravitate to the kitchen to look for something that I can snack on. Therefore, I have the same behavior or response for multiple triggers, which is why the focus should be on the behavior.
Once you identify your specific behavior then you are ready to move to the second step.
What are you getting from this
It is important to remember that this step is more focused on how your body feels as opposed to what you are thinking. As you are eating a guilty pleasure snack, you should be listening to what your body is telling you and how the pleasure changes with every bite.
For instance, you go out to dinner with friends, and feel stuffed after eating your full meal. You still order dessert because you tend to eat when you are happy and you’re having a great time. That first bite is always the best. But after the third or fourth bite it starts losing its appeal. This is the point when your body is signaling to you to stop, because it is not getting as much pleasure from it.
Another way of solidifying how your body is feeling to memory is to talk about it with others. Instead of being focused on how delicious the dessert was, talk about how bloated it made you feel. As much as possible try and recall how your body felt as you are speaking about it. The more you recall the adverse effects, the more likely you will not want to repeat the cycle.
Have you ever eaten something and then shortly after got sick or got food poisoning? Even though it may have been something you loved the thought of eating it again makes you nauseous. It’s because your body will not let you forget the way it made you feel.
Pay attention to how your body feels when you are mindlessly eating.
The last step to help you stop emotional eating is to find a bigger and better alternative
Our brains are always looking for the bigger and better, so you need to find a healthy alternative that will make you happy. If you need some suggestions, I encourage you to read my other post about healthy lifestyle tips. Once you identify a healthy alternative, then you should observe and be aware of how it makes your body feel.
If you are somebody who typically gravitates to ice cream every time you are stressed, try to eat frozen grapes or going for a walk instead. At this moment you want to focus on how your body felt the last time you ate ice cream and compare it to how you feel with the healthier alternative.
For instance, the last time I ate ice cream I felt bloated and sluggish, but after I walked, I had more energy and could think clearer.
Often times snacking is something that is done mindlessly. It could be that you are bored or upset, so without thinking you are reaching for a snack. In order to stop emotional eating, you need to really encourage your body to be aware.
Prior to taking that first bite, think about how it made your body feel the last time you ate it to ensure that is truly the snack you want. You may still choose to grab a handful of Cheetos, but if you do, focus on how the pleasure changes with every bite. This way you will be more likely to eat a smaller portion.
The biggest takeaway I got from listening to Judson Brewer, MD PhD is to be aware and really listen to what your body is telling you. Emotional eating is tough to combat, but if you follow these simple tips, it could help you to finally win the battle.
I am very interested in hearing if you tried any of the steps above and whether or not it helped you. Please comment below and let me know what you think.