How to stop emotional eating
Having the confidence to not reach for the biscuit tin!
Food is so closely related to almost everything that we do. We eat to celebrate, we eat to commiserate, we eat as a treat or a reward, we eat to run races, we eat to survive, but also we eat to fill a void.
Emotional eating isn’t just about scoffing the cream cakes because you feel like it. You do it because it replaces something that is missing. Then when you do eat that piece of deliciousness you get this wonderful sense of pleasure, its satisfying. But, only for a moment.
Then, if you are anything like I used to be, you end up feeling worse because you ate it all anyway. Feeling guilty, for eating the entire multi-pack of flake that you hoovered it up in one sitting, and don’t even remember what the chocolate TASTES like. The good sensation, feeling and emotion you get from that short lived period of time is long gone.
Comfort eating gets rid of the sadness, the loneliness, and gives you that hug, that love that you have been missing, but you get bigger, heavier, fatter and you feel sadder, more lonely and miserable than before. So that is why it is so important to have your head in the game, you understand and recognise what is happening.
Reverse the way you think
Shops, adverts, any marketing that you see associates food with emotion. You are led to believe that if you do eat that packet of sweeties, you are going to be all happy and smiley like the beautiful people in the advert. This is what I call a negative form of hypnosis. You are so focused on what that eating is going to do for you, you don’t think of anything else in that moment. Because hypnosis is really just focus in its simplest terms.
Now I’m not saying that cake or biscuits should never be eaten, because if anyone told me I could never have a slice of chocolate cake ever again, I would be a seriously miserable woman. That would make me very sad indeed. What I am saying, is by learning to understand what makes you eat for reasons other than physical hunger, can mean you go happily on your journey to the sexy body you are working for.
The best way to get emotional eating under control – in 7 steps
- Being aware of what you are doing is a great step. Take a minute to understand what triggers your actions. Be honest with yourself too, no one else cares if you lie to yourself!
Sit with emotions – having emotion is not a bad thing! You are absolutely allowed to feel happy, sad, angry, frustrated, tired etc. There is nothing wrong with having the emotion, but learning to deal with them is a major step to stopping emotional eating.
Have better resources – you can build other things into your life, learn new techniques and strategies to fill the void that food covers up for you. Perhaps for you it won’t be easy, but it is really simple.
Don’t go on a diet – seriously they don’t work. Diet used to mean the type of food that you ate, now it just means restriction, and deprivation. That is only going to make you more miserable and set yourself up to feel more guilt.
Do something – if you get bored, find something you like doing. Have fun exploring new things, or get stuck in to your hobby.
Be Mindful – if you do eat some flake, don’t beat yourself up over eating one. Be mindful whilst eating it. It will be the best tasting flake you ever had.
- Do hypnosis or meditate – obviously I am biased here but I swear this made the most difference. Practice your self hypnosis, rehearse how you want to behave, use visualisation and practice being kind to yourself. Instead of talking to yourself and telling you how rubbish you are, what would be different if you were telling yourself, its ok to feel this way, you did a good job today?
I honestly believe that this is the best way to lose weight because there is no Diet! You guide yourself, using an online program (or I can guide you) into making healthy choices that are right for your body, you make informed choices and you enjoy your food. Then, when you do have some cake or whatever your piece of glorious deliciousness is, it satisfies you like never before because you taste it, you appreciate it, you Enjoy it.
As far as I am concerned, life is too short not to enjoy food. You just need to be in control of food, and food should not be in control of you. This is why so many people have success with hypnotherapy for weight loss. You no longer need food to be the crutch in emotional times. You crush emotional eating, and have amazing new skills and resources available to you when you need them.
So it is time, to be proud of that person you see in the mirror. Be proud of the control you can exercise over yourself and get ready to be the super sexy envy of all your friends!
Get in touch with me now. You won’t regret it. If you prefer to talk, call me 07841 413134.
If thats not for you, and you prefer to do things off your own steam, have a look at End Emotional Eating – Feed your mind, not your behind!