Is Emotional Eating Causing You to Blow Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan?

First of all, when you go on an emotional eating binge, strong emotions are causing you to experience stress. I have found a very helpful book, 'Lose It For Life' written by Stephen Arterburn and Dr. Linda Mintle, who suggest making

You’ve done everything right this time. You’re eating lots of salad, fruit, and protein; using only low fat dressings and even staying away from white flour and refined sugar.

But then…you have an contention with your spouse. You are bored, stressed, depressed and giving up. You walk by the pantry and see nothing that will satisfy the sudden urge for sugar, salt, potato chips, candy, or whatever your particular poison of choice. So you go down to the grocery store and find what you need, go home and pig out! Maybe you don’t need to go to the store... maybe you’ve thought super you knew this moment would come and you have a secret ticket office with all kinds of fling eating goodies!

Ok, well that might be a little dramatic. But most people have found themselves following a good, healthy diet and all of a sudden, as things go of some emotional upheaval, they’ve found themselves in the middle of an overeating binge. It can really blow your whole healthy eating plan. So what’s happening when you find yourself in this situation?And how can you stop emotional eating?

First of all, when you go on an emotional eating binge, strong emotions are causing you to experience stress. This is when your body goes into “fight or flight” response. You either “fight”or you “fly”. All your energy is directed towards one of these responses. Cortisol is released and normally, this causes the energy exerted in fighting or flying to be replaced with an increase in appetite. You are supposed to eat to replace the energy burned.

However, in modern-day times, we are unable to follow through with the “fight or flight” response. Everything happens as it is designed to happen, except that instead of energy that be burned, it is “stuffed” and we are left with an urge to eat.

So what can you do to stop emotional eating? I have found a very helpful book, “Lose It For Life” written by Stephen Arterburn and Dr. Linda Mintle, who suggest making a list of personnel interest when you find yourself in such a situation, such as taking a walk, take three deep breaths or call a friend. One other very effective way to agonize these urges is to pray. As a Christian, when I find myself having a problem with unpleasant emtions, I seek release and find strength when I turn to God. A moment of prayer can really help you find the waste you need to continue with your healthy weight loss plan.

Sometimes we turn to food out of loneliness or boredom. The same technique could apply. Talking to your friend or playing with your dog could be infinitely more interesting than stuffing your face with a cookie.