If you suffer from emotional overeating, it probably feels like a revolving door that will never stop. It probably feels hopeless and that you’ll never break the vicious cycle and will always be imprisoned to the disorder. That’s not true though. This is a treatable problem.
The first step in treating emotional overeating is getting honest with yourself. This is probably the most important thing you can do. You can’t seek help if you’re not willing to admit you have a problem. Please know that seeking professional help is not a sign of weakness! It’s a sign of strength and courage to be able to admit you need help.
If you want to try controlling the problem on your own before seeking the help of a professional there are a few things you can try. Here are some tips:
Grocery List
When you’re an emotional overeater and something happens to set you off to raid the kitchen you probably seek out the potato chips, chocolate, ice cream – all those comfort foods. The easiest way to solve this is by not keeping them in the house! So, what should you put on your grocery list and stock up on?
* Brown rice
* Fresh fruits and vegetables
* Low-fat, low-calorie yogurt
* Popcorn kernels for air popping
* Lean protein like fish, turkey, and chicken
* Natural, healthy cooking oils like olive and safflower oil (instead of shortening, lard, or unhealthy oils)
Don't Crash Diet
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that fad/crash diets don’t work. In fact, they usually do more harm than good. Sure you can lose a significant amount of weight in a short period of time but as soon as you fall of the wagon, so to speak, and start eating ‘normal’ foods you’ll gain all that weight back and probably more!
So, what should you do instead of a crash diet? Check out these tips and try them instead:
*Allow yourself a weekly treat. Try something like frozen yogurt if you love ice cream. Or if you can’t give up those potato chips then allow yourself to have them on say Saturday every week (but try to do this in moderation!).
* Make sure your body has a good balance of minerals and vitamins. You can achieve this by eating whole, fresh foods but don’t stop there – take a daily multi-vitamin too.
Eat Regular Meals
Don’t skip meals. In fact, it’s recommended to eat up to 6 times a day! But plan these meals and snacks. Don’t just eat/snack whenever. Have a set time you eat breakfast and then a morning snack and do the same for lunch and an afternoon snack and dinner and a nighttime snack. Regular meal times and snack times will help alleviate some of the anxiety and stress about food that most emotional overeaters feel.
