by Heather Russell

Created on: July 30, 2007   Last Updated: June 09, 2009

We've all had experiences where we've turned to food to comfort us in times of stress, fear, or sadness. Unfortunately, this is an unhealthy behavior that often results in more negative emotions like guilt or frustration, creating a destructive cycle that can seem impossible to get out of. However, avoiding emotional eating is anything but impossible. By following these tips, you will be able to not only prevent emotional eating, but also help yourself take control over the underlying emotions and impulses.

Keep track:

As soon as you realize that you have a problem with emotional eating, begin a "feelings and food" journal. Write down everything you eat that is not part of a planned meal, and the emotions or situations surrounding you at the time. This will help you determine the situations or feelings that set off your emotional eating. This knowledge will allow you to identify and avoid situations that may lead you to eat uncontrollably.

Remove the temptation:

The next step you can take to prevent out of control eating is to remove the foods that you usually turn to in times of stress. This will also make you stop and think. You can't reach for the ice cream if it's not there; the moment when you realize your usual "comfort" food is not available may help you stop and think about the behavior.

Keep in mind that removing the food will not solve your problem; even though the food is gone, the emotions may still be there. In this case, it is imperative to move to the next step.

Take control:

Once you realize you're in a situation where you may resort to emotional eating, try to name your emotion. Say it out loud or write it down. Simply hearing yourself say "I'm frustrated" or "I'm angry" will help you step out of your own head for a moment and gain some perspective on your situation.

Change your behavior:

Make a conscious decision to replace your out-of-control eating behaviors with more positive ones. Taking a walk is one of the most obvious and simplest things to do in this case. This action will prevent you from eating; in addition, by physically removing yourself from the emotional situation, you'll also be emotionally separating yourself from it.

While these steps may work differently for each person, simply making the decision to change for the better will help you feel powerful and proud of yourself, and more in control of your emotions and actions.

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