Emotional Eating: Implenting New Habits

I've worked with many clients over the years and while tackling their weight loss is a challenge, the biggest challenge comes from their relationship with food. Specifically emotional eating.

However, it's important to note that emotional eating is viewed as perfectly acceptable and normal. In fact, it's something we have been doing for centuries. We celebrate with food at weddings, parties, and big events, even at funerals there is food. Emotionally driven food is everywhere.

The problem occurs when it turns into a dangerous habit. Those who struggle the most turn to it repeatedly and excessively whenever they're experiencing any emotion and view food as their reward. They've created a habit to reach for food whenever they have the slightest shift in their emotion.

While this habit can take months and even years to fix, it can be done. It starts with implementing new habits. I would love for that new habit to be exercise but most people already struggle with exercising regularly. What it really comes down to is keeping your mind and hands occupied with something else besides food. So here are 29 things, divided into categories, you can do instead of eat your emotions:​

3 THINGS YOU SHOULD ALWAYS DO:​​​​

1. Recognize how you feel. What's your trigger and are you sad? Stressed? Angry? Bored?
2. Distance yourself from the kitchen. Whichever one you decide to try from these lists, do it in another room if you can 
3. Always have healthy food in the kitchen just in case you succumb to your emotions. It's better to snack on your favourite veggie than a bag of chips

QUICK & EASY SOLUTIONS:

1. Chew gum
2. Make a to-do list
3. Listen to music
4. Read a page out of a book or magazine
5. Surf the internet. Check out support forums on binge eating
6. Brush your teeth
7. Light candles
8. Pray or meditate
9. Make a grocery or shopping list (Christmas is just around the corner!)
10. Drink water
11. Give yourself a manicure or pedicure
12. Wash your face
13. ​Take a bath or shower (exfoliate, shave etc.)
14. Try a new hairstyle
15. Look at old pictures
16. Pick out an outfit for the next day or something to wear at your next social event
17. Get ready for tomorrow

GRADUAL & DRAWN OUT SOLUTIONS:

1. Talk to a friend or family member. ​Talk it over, say what's REALLY on your mind
2. Write in a journal 
3. Make a rubber band ball
4. Walk your pet or play with them
5. Check your email and sort it (especially if you have 100+ in your inbox)
6. Play a video game, board game or card game
7. Play with kids
8. Plan a date or future vacation
9. Give a massage or get a massage
10. Build or make something (a puzzle, *paint by numbers, adult colouring book etc.)
11. Clean and/or declutter an area in your house
12. Find out what you can donate or sell on kijiji

What to do with the list:

• Always start with the 3 things you should always do:

1. Recognize how you feel
2. Distance yourself from the kitchen
3. Always have healthy food on hand just in case                       

• Next, pick one thing from this list you can do next time you get an emotional urge to eat
• Try it out. How effective was it? Were you able to take your mind off food? 
• If it works, continue with it and try to implement it as your new habit whenever you feel emotional hunger come on
• If it doesn't work don't be discouraged, move on and try a different one 

I hope this was helpful! Be sure to give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Lastly, I want to give a special thanks to my client Barbara and her husband Terry who introduced me to Paint by Numbers. It's my new favourtie thing!