Eliminate Emotional Eating

Emotional eating is something most everyone does at some point in their life. It is very common in both men and women. If you eat when you are not hungry, eat when you are responding to your feelings, then you are an emotional eater. You are letting your emotions tell you when to eat and how much to eat; not letting your body tell you when it is time to eat, and how much to eat. Physical hunger comes on gradually, while emotional hunger happens all of the sudden.

Emotional eating can vary in different ways for different people. Some people eat when they are upset, stressed, or mad about something. The worst part about emotional eating is that we mainly go for the foods that are high calorie "junk foods". That is not good for weight loss, or for your health.

Some signs of emotional eating are craving a specific food when you are feeling down or upset. I'm sure you have heard about women always reaching for chocolate or ice cream. Do you ever eat not because you are hungry, but because you are bored? How about eating and not even realizing it? And then of course feeling like you "should not have that".

The first step to correcting your emotional eating habits is to recognize and admit to your problem. Once you do that, you can start to change your habits and we on your way to better health and weight loss.

Next, make sure it is your body telling you that you are hungry, and not your emotions. If it is not time to eat - then wait; don't let your emotions tell you to eat.

Don't keep your freezer, refrigerator and pantry stocked with foods and snacks that are not good for you. Lean meats, fish, vegetables, and fruit are the foods you should have in your diet. If you don't have the "junk food" in your house, you are way less likely to eat it. Most emotional eaters don't take the time to get ready and go out to the store or carry out for something to eat. Emotional eaters want to eat - on the spot.

Also, don't skip your regular meals. Eating 5-6 meals a day, with smaller portions is the best way to eat healthy, control your portions and help to avoid over eating and helps with emotional eating as well.

Another way to help avoid emotional eating is to let your emotions out. Keeping them inside you will cause you to dwell on your emotions longer and you will be more tempted for a longer period of time to eat from your emotions. Try talking it out, crying it out, or even yelling it out. Most of the time, once you do that, you will feel much more relaxed, think much more clearer and real emotional eating is not something you want to do.

Nikki Canyon is a staff writer for Weightloss Calorie Express(tm). Read more of Nikki's articles at: Weightloss.CX