Do you have feelings?  Well congratulations, you get to wear the emotional eater badge! 

Do you head straight to the pantry when life throws you a curveball?  What about the dive into the ice cream when you get to be home alone?   Did your spouse just irritate you to the point of eating all the kids’ school snacks?  

Those are some good examples of negative eating patterns.  What about some happier occasions?  Birthdays, weddings, holiday parties, date night (with that same spouse of course), celebrations, or you just had a hard workout so… REWARD TIME!

Emotions are emotions, good or bad.  We like to label ourselves as emotional eaters like it’s a disease we have no control over.  We are ALL emotional beings.  We all eat for pleasure.  We are ALL emotional eaters!  

  I find myself walking straight to the kitchen almost daily under stress.  Sometimes I don’t even realize I’m stressed.  It has become such a habit that I can have food in my mouth before I even identify the emotion I’m having!  Let’s just agree that food feels good. It gives us a little hug and doesn’t judge us.  Why do you think mom calls is comfort food?

  Emotions are fleeting and can change like the wind.  Why should we make food choices when we know healthy decision making would be at it’s most difficult?  If you are better than others at controlling your behaviors around food, despite your current emotions, good for you!  I’ll bet you have come up with some strategies for overcoming those moments of weakness.   I happen to be working on some of those myself and I want to share them with you! 

FIRST, Identify the feeling!   Say out loud “I am feeling ____” If you are  happy, sad, mad, bored, worried, or avoiding something, you need to say it.  Even if you go ahead and eat the box of Ritz crackers, at least you’ve started by knowing what is triggering it.  Consider that a win because it’s the first step in taking responsibility for your decision.  And…do not dig back into the pantry because you’re now upset at yourself.  Move on, knowing that you can recognize this trigger.

Now that we know what we feel, try a few of these tricks to get through the moment.  Remember, the emotions can leave us as quickly as they come so be patient and get through the moment.  You are stronger than the moment.

• Take a walk around the block or 10 laps around your house or up your stairs.   Movement is calming.  Your mind will clear, and the moment is gone.
• Go clean a toilet.  Not very appetizing and it’s probably what you were avoiding in the first place.  Cleaning the toilet usually leads to cleaning the counter and mirror and maybe the shower.  By then you’ve worked up a sweat anyway. 
• Call a friend and chat it up. You won’t chomp in her ear. 
• Chew gum.  Both are ways that my mouth can stay busy without food in it. 
• Take a 10-minute time out.  This works great.  Set your timer for 10 minutes. Do NOT go into the kitchen until your timer goes off.  If after the 10 minutes, you still want something, have it.  10 minutes is just enough time to get involved in something else and the moment has passed.
• Put it in the “Burn Book”.  If you’ve seen Mean Girls (who hasn’t?), you know they write in a journal when they’re mad at someone.  You don’t have to write mean things, but you should consider journaling your feelings.  It can be therapeutic, and I suggest putting pen to paper instead of your computer.  It’s much more satisfying!  Sometimes it helps just to get it out.
• The apple test.  Always have an apple with you.  If you really want to eat, the apple will look good, and it won’t blow up your healthy eating plan.  If it doesn’t look good, assess what emotion is taking over and deal with it right then, maybe with one of the other 5 strategies above.  Any fruit will do if apples aren’t your thing.

These are just a few I’ve used and continue to use.  Nothing is wrong with you.  We are emotional humans.  Stop expecting perfection and learn to deal with the challenges.  Life is full of twists and turns and we must learn to just ride it out. The moment will pass and just like taking a rollercoaster ride with your kids, you will be so proud of yourself for getting through it! 

If your nutrition isn’t what it could be, even though YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, there is almost always more to it than knowledge about food. Your mindset is what drives you forward or holds you back. The right mindset takes time to achieve. Food and exercise are only a small part of finding a healthy lifestyle. Reach out for help. Apply for coaching today!