Learn how to control your eating:
The three steps to weight loss are simple: cardio, strength training and a healthy diet. But, just because the concept is simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. Exercise can be difficult, but it’s even harder sometimes to control our eating. What makes it worse is when we eat according to our emotions rather than hunger. If you tend to use food to cope with your feelings, find out how to stop emotional eating and jump start your weight loss.
Food for Thought:
Emotional eating means eating a large quantity of food when you’re not hungry. You might be guilty of this if you turn to food in response to:
• Stress
• Depression
• Anger
• Boredom
• Loneliness
• Frustration
• Anxiety
Experts say that about 75% of overeating is caused by emotional eating which means that a lot of us are guilty of using food to cope with our feelings.
If you eat when you’re not hungry, that can stall your attempts to lose weight, even if you’re exercising.
Why are you eating?
Your first step is figuring out the situations or feelings that trigger emotional eating. Do you eat more at work because of stress or boredom? Do you eat more at parties or other social situations because you’re nervous or anxious? Do you eat when you feel bad about yourself because you missed a workout?
Figure out what triggers your eating by keeping a journal. Keep track of what and when you eat and write down how you were feeling at the time. Were you eating in response to hunger or to a stressful situation?
Keeping a food diary is a good idea, but you might also want to keep a personal diary. Writing down your thoughts is the first step to changing them. Once you see them in black and white, you’ll be able to figure out what’s driving you to eat when you’re not hungry.
Alternatives to eating:
While you’re working on what triggers emotional eating, make a list of other things you can do besides eat. If you get busy with something else, the urge to eat will usually pass.
There are many things you can do to get your mind off eating when you’re not hungry. Make your own list. Write down everything you could do instead of eat and keep it handy so you always have ideas of what to do. Getting to the heart of the problem can be painful, but once you face your feelings you’ll be able to look at food in a whole new way!
How to stop a binge:
Cravings for foods like chocolate or crisps aren’t always in your head.
High-fat, high-calorie foods cause the body to release natural chemicals that make us feel better in times of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Although scientists don’t know why, women usually crave chocolate and other sweets while men prefer salty or meaty snacks like chips, burgers, and pizza.
No matter what your preference, too much of these guilty pleasures can put on the pounds and may also increase unhealthy cholesterol.
Tips for taming cravings:
*Wait 20 minutes when a craving hits. They’ll often go away.
*Don’t keep chocolate or other foods you crave at home or in your desk.
*When you do treat yourself, eat slowly and savour every bite.
*Find low-calorie ways to satisfy cravings. Low calorie hot chocolate drinks, or frozen juice bars may be enough to satisfy a sweet tooth.
*If you do give into a craving for sweets, brushing your teeth may help you stop a binge.
Simple ways to eat less sugar:
*Add your own fresh fruit to plain yogurt.
*Carry water with you so you won’t be tempted by soft drinks.
*Nibble on dates or figs instead of biscuits or sweets when you’re craving something sweet.
After the binge
Okay.. you didn’t manage to stop the binge. You ate – and ate and ate. Now what?
It felt like you were doing so well. For days you had been in control of your food and you had even started adding some physical movement into your routine. Now you’ve gone and done this. Maybe you were all alone and ate the entire packet of biscuits or tub of ice cream. Or you found yourself in the kitchen consuming last nights leftovers and something you bought for the kids lunch tomorrow.
Whatever the circumstances, you indulged in a binge. Now you’re likely feeling a range of emotions: guilt for having eaten so much food, anger for having lost control of your eating, and depressed over feeling so uncomfortably full.
You may feel hopeless and despairing because of falling once again into an old, familiar pattern. Before you sink into self-defeat, here’s an encouraging scientific nutrition fact: Even the biggest binge won’t add fat to your body. Adding body fat requires that you continue overeating over a period of time. An isolated binge will not have an effect on your body fat stores.
With this thought in mind, here are some guidelines to putting a binge behind you and getting back on track.
1. DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP ABOUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED.
Abusing yourself will NOT help pull you out of this. Instead take the time to learn something from your experience.
Explore the issues that triggered your binge. If binges are a common experience, you might consider keeping a binge diary. In this diary, gather information surrounding your binge. Ask questions such as, ‘What am I feeling and thinking right now? Is this hunger? What do I need to soothe myself? How can I help myself through this?’ Begin using your information to construct strategies on how to stop a binge before it starts.
2. DEVELOP SOOTHING STRATEGIES
If your binges are a coping strategy for emotional stress, develop several potential alternative soothing techniques. Have these possible methods readily accessible. Consider the following suggestions:
* You might find that a particular quote, passage from a book, painting, or piece of music may soothe you.
* Diary. Give voice to the thoughts and feelings inside of you. Read it out loud. Allow yourself to listen to your true hunger
* Encourage yourself. When you’re feeling good, get yourself a pack of index cards. On these cards begin writing self-truths. Before a binge, read them over and over. Some examples might include: I can stand this moment. Food will not help me feel better. This feeling will pass. I’ll live through this. I always do the best I can.
* Listen to an educational, inspirational, or relaxation tape.
* Call a friend, or learn to meditate.
3. VANQUISH THE BLOAT.
Since you are most likely retaining water and feeling bloated, it’s time to shed some of that water. Carrying the excess water will only make it easier to fall into the ‘I’m fat’ trap. For today, pass up on high-salt foods like frozen dinners, fast food, canned soups and other canned foods, and many cereals. Drink lots of fresh water throughout the day.
4. EAT PROTEIN – fish, poultry, tofu, lean meat, beans and low-fat cheese contain a lot of protein. Protein makes you feel full and it stops your cravings.
You can receive a number of further supports through the aid of services such as Employee Assistance Programmes.
