My computer has been out of commission for the past week, so that’s why there is a lack of posts! I will be making that up for you readers soon! For now, here’s the fourth and final guest post from Dr. A. Enjoy and please feel free to leave comments!
How do I overcome emotional or stress induced eating?
The first thing is to remove your self by stopping the reflex. We have
triggers that make us do certain things and act in certain ways. We need to
minimize these situations that cause triggers as best as possible. Use the
stop, challenge and choose method. If you are ever not feeling quite right,
stop yourself, challenge why you are feeling that way, then choose the
outcome you want. The outcome you don’t want is to move into the kitchen or
fast food joint. Try to go for a walk, have a healthy snack instead or just
get yourself out of that environment.
Our primary choices include everything from eating healthy to maintaining an
active lifestyle to sleeping well. The secondary choices are things that
support those primary choices. For example, if you want to learn to play
the piano, you have to practice. It is just the same with this. You have
to practice dealing with stressful situations in a healthy way, like going
for a run or listening to some music.
If you do give in and eat the unhealthy snack, you may feel better
temporarily, maybe half an hour, but then you will feel worse than before
you ate it after that temporary pleasure is gone. You will feel bad that
you ate it and didn’t stick to your goals, and your urge for it will just
come back because it didn’t quite satisfy you enough. Make the choice not
to eat that treat because (in the long run) it isn’t as important to you as
reaching optimal health. Make sure you always stop and challenge your
feelings. Don’t let a trigger stop you from reaching optimal health. Feel
proud of yourself when you have made a good choice and didn’t fall into the
pressure that triggers create.
Dr. Andersen is a a board certified critical care physician, and he is currently Medical Director of Medifast, Inc., an innovative leader in the production, distribution and sale of weight management and health management products. He is also the chief architect of Take Shape for Life. His book, Habits of Health, does not advocate fad dieting or a miracle wonder cure; rather, it provides the knowledge and support to help people achieve optimal health. The book seeks to offer an easy guide to establish long-lasting, improved health. Habits of Health seeks to help people to be the healthiest they can be with what they have. Through his book and the accompanying workbook, Dr. Andersen provides a roadmap and an opportunity for people to choose a better life.
Yepyep. Carrots are a good munching food to get away from the unhealthy snacks. And going out for a walk or finding some way to distract yourself (by getting out of the house and away from the temptation of overeating etc) is one of the best ways to overcome that emotional eating!
Totally agree with going for a walk! Substituting a healthy alternative to eating is a great way to not fall victim to emotional eating.