by Trenna Sue Hiler

Created on: July 26, 2007

Most experts agree that once you have identified emotional eating several there are several helpful hints to help you change the behavior. Emotional eating becomes a habit similar to twisting your hair or clicking a pen. You may not have been aware of it. Now that it's a possibility let's examine some ideas that may help us stop.

Many suggest you start with a period of fasting. There are a few things this fasting helps accomplish. It gives the body a quick de-tox and let's you start without quite so many toxins. It reminds you what true hunger feels like. Many emotional eaters rarely wait until they actually feel hungry to eat. Water should be taken during the fast and this also helps flush the system.

Keep a food journal. Before anything goes in your mouth you write down what it is, what time it is, and why you are eating it. This project was fun and enlightening for me. The first time I was writing down that I was going to eat a candy bar it was a struggle to write the reason. As I recall I settled on "because I deserve it". A close friend who was also trying the whole experiment with me said I should have written "because I deserve it and I want to be on the treadmill an extra thirty minutes for that five minutes of comfort". Don't you hate it when your friends are right?

As emotional eaters we usually have food readily available. Check out your food journal and see if you can find a time and place pattern. For example, I noticed after a stressful day at work I would stop and get munchies for the trip home. Now the car is a food free zone. I can have water to drink and other than that the car is food free. I believe I pay closer attention to my driving as well.

My TV room became a food free zone. I was eating out of habit instead of hunger.

For a couple weeks we tried drinking a glass of water before eating a snack. It was amazing how much water we had to drink. Sometimes it was easier to skip the snack.

So when you feel that need for quick comfort food, try a few deep breathes, a quick walk, or a big glass of water. Ask yourself if you are truly hungry or if you need to find a more healthy emotional response.

I've adopted a new motto. "Eat for health. Walk for emotion."

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