How to Stop Emotional Overeating

Comfort food can be soothing when a person is faced with emotional upheaval. It can remind them of happier or calmer times. Emotional overeating becomes problematic when food becomes a person's primary way of addressing negative emotions. Gain control of your urges and stop emotional eating before it takes a toll on your health and well-being.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Identify what kinds of emotional experiences compel you to overeat and avoid them. Knowing the root of your stress or unhappiness can help you make positive changes. Limit your opportunities to indulge in emotional overeating by examining internal emotions.

2. Learn to eat only when you're hungry. Allow your body to tell you when you should eat instead of your emotions. When you get the urge to eat as a response to an emotional experience, stop for a few moments and think about whether you're really hungry before heading to the kitchen.

3. Remove unhealthy snack foods from your pantry and refrigerator. Eliminating these items from your home or desk inhibits your ability to react with eating. The time it takes to go and purchase snack food gives you the opportunity to consider alternative methods of dealing with your emotions.

4. Get plenty of rest, exercise and eat a balanced diet during your regular meals. A healthier approach to life can help you break bad habits and feel better overall.

5. Redirect the energy you would devote to eating to a more positive activity. Take a walk around the block or talk to a friend. Find a new hobby that keeps your mind active and your body out of the kitchen.

Tips & Warnings

• A good physical workout releases the chemical dopamine, that stimulates the pleasure system of the brain and causes you to feel good.