Do you have trouble with emotional eating?
If you are one like me, periods of having reasonable control over what you eat are followed by mindless food orgies when you stuff anything into your mouth. Or at least, it has been like that for me in the past.
And then you become unhappy and depressed, because you failed- again! – to follow your diet plans, the scales show –again! – the bigger number and you do not fit into your clothes- again! You know you have to start it all over again, but first- because you feel so down- you have to comfort yourself! With more food, of course!
You get caught up in a never-ending circle, unless you break free! But how do you end slavery? Not by serving the Master Food better, but becoming your Own Master, right?!
What I mean by this is that each and every time you are comforting yourself with extra food your body does not actually need, you are stuffing down uncomfortable feelings. This has nothing to do with hunger and anything with emotional problems. We turn to food for stress relief, comfort or reward. I used to open the refrigerator whenever I was upset, angry, lonely, frustrated, depressed, exhausted, or even bored. And again I was stuck in the unhealthy circle I described above, beating myself up for extra calories I ate.
This can lead to serious problems- binge eating disorder- which is compulsive overeating in which people consume huge amounts of food while feeling out of control and powerless to stop.
The solution to emotional problems is never food, emotional hunger cannot be filled with cookies, chocolate or whatever you fancy! It is true, that eating can give temporary relief, but the feelings that triggered overeating are still there. And if you do not deal with your feelings, the circle keeps repeating. The first step is to start paying attention what triggers your overeating, what do you feel a second before you open the refrigerator! Be honest with yourself, in many times we do not want to face the truth about our emotions and what they are trying to tell us! Be brave! Only this way you can start breaking the habits that are causing the food cravings!
You can learn to control your eating and develop a healthy relationship with food. I have done it and so can you! The key is inside you.
Also, pay attention to your stress levels! The other pattern I have noticed that in times of great stress in my life, I turn to food automatically. For example, during exam periods in the University- when others lost pounds due to the stress- I always put on at least 10 pounds. If your stress response is similar to mine- more high-calorie food instead of losing your appetite- then you have to learn how to handle stress!