Emotional eating can derail even the most determined of individuals. It's a primary culprit in the battle to develop healthy, goal oriented, eating habits. The next time you feel that craving gnawing inside you, ask yourself this:
How can I turn this problem into an opportunity?
Instead of allowing this event or emotion to cause damage to your progress, try looking at it in a different light. Here are three strategies to make it easy:
1. STRESS: In this situation you need an immediate shift in your frame of mind. There are 2 approaches to take, or you can do both. The first is to venue change. If you're at home alone, get out and go for a walk; go to your local book store and check out a book or research a topic that's been on your mind; go to the gym, even if it's not time for your next workout. Just walk on the treadmill if you must. The main thing is to change your environment. By doing this, you will also change your frame of mind.
The second is to strike up a conversation with someone. If you go out to the store, ask a clerk about a particular item. If you're alone, call a friend. If you're at work, start a conversation with a co-worker (just don't neglect your work). By now you get the point, place your focus into a different direction.
2. REWARD: There's no law that says you have to eat cake on your birthday (except maybe Wisconsin, just kidding), and you don't have to use food as a reward. What should you do instead? Stop and think about what you would be rewarding yourself for accomplishing. Is it something you actually did, or is it a circumstance that just happened? First, ask yourself if you truly deserve a reward. You may have experienced a moment of luck. In that instance, look at that as its own reward, since you did nothing to earn it. If you, however, received an accolade for work well done, then maybe you deserve a treat. But ask yourself this: is a reward really a reward if it derails you from another accomplishment? Of course not... You have to choose something that is in accordance with your goals.
Let's say you've been losing weight, and you're clothes are starting to fit differently. Maybe it's time to go out and add to your wardrobe. Your reward doesn't even have to be material, or for you. You could do something for someone else. Tell them you just accomplished something you had been working on for some time, you felt positive and wanted to share it with them.
The main thing again is a shift in perspective. Give that a try and see how you feel. You may find that any nagging cravings have completely vanished.
3. ACCEPTANCE: If you're in a social setting and feel compelled to eat in order to seek acceptance, pause for a moment. Consciously realize that most people are completely oblivious and ambivalent to your weight loss efforts. Once you make people aware of your goals, most will be surprisingly supportive. So use the situation as an opportunity to enlist the support of others. In fact most people will be able to relate to what you're trying to accomplish. It can put you in the position to help motivate other people as well. You will grow from it in amazing ways.
At this point you should be seeking behavioral and perceptual shifts. You're checking to see if you're truly hungry before eating, and you're finding outlets to express your emotions. You're making serious progress.
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