23 Oct My top 4 tips for beating emotional eating

We have all been there; I know I have in the past. Had a crap day at work, had an argument with a partner, just feeling fat in general and you get home have that healthy dinner but then crave sugar, fat or alcohol or all 3 if you are lucky!

Just remember you are not alone! So many of us are doing the same and experiencing the same thing at the same time. It is emotional or comfort eating and the good thing is, it can be broken. How do I know? Because I did it. It didn’t happen overnight but bit by bit I broke it. And the way I did it was becoming more mindful of what I was doing and experiencing and of course eating.

So some of my tips for what you can start doing:

1. Identify your triggers first. Do you live alone and feel lonely/sad? Do you feel like you deserve this reward after a hard days work? Do you just feel like you don’t have enough willpower or aren’t motivated enough? Sometimes just recognizing them is enough for you to say ahhhh so that is why. Maybe make some changes like spending a couple of nights a week with friends, or instead of rewarding yourself with food, reward yourself with buying that brand new book you want to read, or a nice skin product to use at night. It really does help.
2. Use a routine. This was a biggie for me. My routine consisted of eating enough during the day to not be hungry at night or crave first of all then after dinner having a sweet cup of tea which would usually take away any sugar craving and finish off just before bed with some casein or some protein to keep me satisfied during the night. I would also read by book as a reward before going to bed which sounds so cliché but really works for me
3. Eat protein at every meal. I can’t stress eating enough protein to keep you full, lean and mean! Make sure you have protein at every meal and you will find by dinner you won’t be craving.
4. De-stress. it is important to distress. I have found that when I crave extra sugar or carbs it is usually due to stress. This is when I do my mindfulness practice for about 15 minutes. If you don’t have a practice just try sitting in a quiet room and doing some deep breathing, concentrating on your breath. If you mind wanders that is OK just bring it back. Or of course exercise, singing, or dancing might be thing so keep it up. Think of it at a preventative medicine for stress and anxiety.