Emotional eating is one of the main cause of obesity and overweight. In U.S., every one in three persons is obese. According to experts, emotional eating is not connected to how hungry we are? Rather it is triggered by our emotions like boredom, sadness, tension, stress and loneliness. Sometimes we eat because we don’t have anything to do.
Often when we’re alone and wanted to feel good, we choose to eat our favorite food to enjoy and have fun. So emotional eating is more related to our mind than our body. If you want to control emotional eating, follow these simple tips from experts that will give you control over your emotions and help you in your weight loss efforts and also for improving your health.
1. Analyze Your Emotions
The first and simple thing you’ve to do to control emotional eating is to analyze your cravings. Try to figure out why you’re hungry? If you’re feeling bored, stressed or lonely, try to address these reasons. Once you’re able to satisfy your mind, your body will stop cravings for food. You should fulfill your mind’s needs to stop your cravings.
So every time when you feel like eating even though you’ve already eaten an hour before, don’t start eating to comfort yourself. Instead analyze your emotions and try to know if your hunger is emotional or physical. The best way to deal with emotional hunger is indulge yourself in some interesting activity that’ll satisfy your mind. This will speed up your weight loss efforts and you’ll feel yourself more satisfied and happy.
2. Dieting Can be Harmful
According to experts, there’s not a single diet that is perfect for everyone. If one diet is good for one person, it doesn’t mean it will be also effective for another person. In a study, it was found that the percentage of people who were able reduce significant amount of weight by dieting is even less than two percent. Secondly, dieting involves struggling and fighting yourself regularly.
Sometimes this constant fighting with your cravings led to even more severe and uncontrollable emotional eating. This best strategy in your weight loss fight is eating wisely. Use healthy and balanced food that contains all essential nutrients and ditch processed and junk food. It is not very harmful to treat yourself with your favorite food, but don’t succumb to your desires very often and don’t eat too much.
3. Know Your Triggers
There can be many things that can trigger emotional eating. Usually negative emotions are one of the main causes of uncontrollable cravings for food. Experts suggest that you should be able to recognize the things that stimulate your abnormal eating behavior. Once we’re able to determine the main reasons behind your uncontrollable eating, you’ll be able to control your cravings. Every time you’re eating, stop and take deep breaths.
Now try to pinpoint the reason you’re feeling extra hungry. It may be because of boredom, stress, loneliness. So if this is the case and you’re not really hungry, stop and try to keep yourself busy in some other activity of your interest. After successfully practicing this simple exercise, you’ll be able to control your cravings and it will also speed up your weight loss efforts.
4. Eat Multiple Food Items
According to experts, instead of eating one or two food items, try to add different flavors and colors to your meal. You can include seafood, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and any other low calorie food of your choice in every meal. Eating multiple and colorful food items satisfy your brain and decrease your food cravings.
Eating multiple foods not only provides you all important nutrients but it also gives you different tastes that help you feeling satisfied for a long time. Prefer fresh, low-calorie natural foods that will help you overcome your emotional eating problems and also in your weight loss efforts.
5. Be Aware of Stress
Stress can be another important reason behind emotional eating and obesity. Sometimes, it becomes very difficult for you to figure out what is really triggering your sudden food cravings. This often happens when you’re suffering from stress and anxiety. Sometimes after a few months of your episode, you’ll feel sudden increase in your cravings. The best way to counter stress and stress related cravings is using some good stress relieving techniques.
Deep breathing, yoga, meditation and relaxation exercises can be very effective in this matter. Try to spend some times with god friends that will make you laugh. Take a walk especially early in the morning and go to some park. Breathe in the early morning air and try to get rid of all your problems by deep breathing technique. You’ll feel instant relief from stress and improvement in your weight loss efforts.
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