emotional eater article
You had a rough day at work and the first thing you do when you get home is reach for the ice cream, and not just one scoop, but the whole carton. Or you meet your sister who you haven't seen in a long time at a restaurant and decide to indulge in a five-course meal. Are you what is referred to as an emotional eater?
To some extent, we are all emotional eaters. Food is often the centerpiece of social events with our friends and family, and is used as a way to relate to one another. But when you eat based more on what you're feeling than when you're hungry or for nourishment, emotional eating can wreak havoc on your waistline as well as on your emotional health. Emotional eating is a vicious cycle because food is used to temporarily satisfy something that can't actually be satisfied with food, and the emotional eater usually feels guilt or shame when they give in to food for these reasons, only adding to their emotional instability. Find out if you are an emotional eater and what steps you can take to start eating healthy both for the physical and emotional benefits.
Food Journal
When you're an emotional eater, recognizing what you're feeling when you're mindlessly eating or overeating is the first step in overcoming it. A food journal is an excellent tool to use to make yourself conscious of your eating habits. You can visually see what you're doing to yourself and will have something tangible to reflect on later. Start by getting a journal and recording everything you eat, or just when you eat something other than your usual meals. Write down how you were feeling at the very moment you took a bite, how you felt while you were eating and how you felt afterward. Be honest with yourself. Record the triggers and types of food you most often turn to. Soon you'll recognize a pattern, and if you're overeating, you'll be able to visualize how many calories you're consuming. Journaling can be a cathartic experience, and a food journal is no different. Hopefully by having visual, substantial proof of your eating habits, you'll develop the habit of conscious eating and a more effective way of dealing with your emotions.
Outer Dialogue
It sounds simple, but simply stopping yourself before you reach for the donuts or entire bag of potato chips and asking yourself some questions can help cease emotional eating. Am I physically hungry? Will this food make my distressing emotion go away? How will I feel afterwards? Asking yourself these questions will really put the food you're about to eat into perspective, and self control can be such an empowering feeling that you'll want to feel it again and again.
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Refocus
When overcome with emotion, just say no to the fridge and yes to something else that will distract you, something just as soothing and fulfilling. For example, work on finishing that project you've put off or go for a run. Activities like these will make you feel proud and accomplished, but you can also choose activities as simple as giving yourself a pedicure, taking a bubble bath or planting flowers in your garden. Use your food journal to list alternative activities you enjoy doing, and then do them!
Don't Diet
Dieting does nothing for emotional eaters, because when you limit yourself from certain foods and then end up giving into temptation and eating them any way, you'll feel guilty, disappointed and angry with yourself, which can lead to more emotional eating or overeating. Eating right is a life-long journey, not a quick weight fix. So don't be afraid to indulge in your favorite treats when you want to, but just be mindful of the frequency, calorie count and whether you're really hungry.
With these tools, you can start to nourish yourself both inside and out with healthy, non-emotional eating.
i recieved this article in a email thought i share it made sense to me since i am a emotional eater and i know there are a few of us out there
Hope you had a good day at work.
Elle 
Take care,
Kathy Most Active
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