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How to Stop Emotional Eating




Emotional eating is something that we can all get hit by and is something that we need to understand the triggers of and how to deal with. I tend to be a pretty emotional guy but I never seem to fall into the trap of emotional eating which can involve people eating large amounts of food to comfort themselves and get rid of the bad or tough feelings and situations that we can run into in everyday life.

The trouble is that often emotional eating can be caused by bad feelings about our weight and self image and we sabotage ourselves using food as a short term fix.

How Does Emotional Eating Start?

There are really five kinds of situations where we can get triggered emotionally and that may lead to emotional eating. (Thanks to medicinenet for these). Knowing the causes can really help us learn how to stop emotional eating.

Social – Eating when around other people. For example, excessive eating can result from being encouraged by others to eat; eating to fit in; arguing; or feelings of inadequacy around other people.

Emotional – Eating in response to boredom, stress, fatigue, tension, depression, anger, anxiety or loneliness as a way to “fill the void.”

Situational – Eating because the opportunity is there. For example, at a restaurant, seeing an advertisement for a particular food, passing by a bakery. Eating may also be associated with certain activities such as watching TV, going to the movies or a sporting event, etc.

Thoughts – Eating as a result of negative self-worth or making excuses for eating. For example, scolding oneself for looks or a lack of will power.

Physiological – Eating in response to physical cues. For example, increased hunger due to skipping meals or eating to cure headaches or other pain.

And what do many people do? Grab a tub of ice cream or cookies or other comfort food to try to make feeling bad feel better. If you are not in the situation this can seem crazy but in the situation and doing this emotional eating will feel really natural. Trying to fill a void with the great feelings of yummy food.

Trouble is yummy food can not fix a problem.

How to Stop Emotional Eating

How to Stop Emotional Eating

How to stop emotional eating

OK, now that we know the why it is much easier to figure out the how to stop emotional eating. So the best and really only thing that you can do is to distract yourself. I have found myself that there is no talking yourself or reasoning yourself out of an emotional problem or issue so a good distraction until your emotions go away and you can reason things is much better. Here are a few things you can do:

Watch some light TV – Get yourself out of the thought pattern that is causing your emotional distress

Talk to a friend about their problems – problem solving not your stuff but someone elses will get your mind fixing something else

Go and exercise – This can be a crutch in itself but really if you can concentrate on the issue of the exercise hopefully it switches the emotion to another issue

You can see from above that these are just a few things that you can do, there are a multitude more but the real idea is to get away from what is causing you pain right now. and then a few minutes or hours later you can revisit the problem in a detached way and find real solutions to your problems.

We all get too close to our own issues emotionally and blow them up so that they are insurmountable. By breaking away from our emotional explosions we can get some distance and avoid the emotional eating that can be so dangerous to our psyche and our eating goals.

How to stop emotional eating all comes down not to controlling your emotions but getting a distance from them until you can deal with the underlying problem.


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Weight Loss Exercise

Are You Burned Out?



Burnout is the term used for a state of exhaustion; mentally, physically, and emotionally. Who gets burnout? It can be young mothers or busy volunteers who try to be everything to everyone with no time left over for themselves. It can be employees who are doing the work of many with no end in sight or an employer who has a lot of pressure to show results. It can be you. Take a look at these possible symptoms to see if you might be suffering from burnout:

Apathy in all areas of life.
Unsociable – unwillingness to socialize with others. Withdrawn.
Chronically fatigued or exhausted.
Poor sleep patterns or insomnia.
Weight gain or weight loss.
Possible depression.
Anger.
Low tolerance for others’ comments or behavior. Irritable and on edge. Overreact.
Physical symptoms – headaches, other aches and pains, constantly sick.
Forgotten how to have fun.
High level of criticism of self.
Self medicating with food, alcohol, or drugs.
Feelings of powerlessness and low self image.
Do things out of sense of commitment, but begrudgingly.
Mood swings.
Anxiety.

If you recognize many of these symptoms of burnout, don’t brush them aside. It’s time for you to take positive steps to stop the burnout. If you don’t, you may continue on with further physical or mental problems. There is no quick fix to relieve burnout, but there are steps you can take that will slowly guide you to a healthier, happier life.

First off, you need to explore what is causing your burnout and address the source. Options then are to get away from the stress, minimize the number of occurrences or the degree of stress, or learn how to change your attitude towards the stress. Think of some positive triggers that sound pleasing to you:

* Take a vacation to distance yourself from the stress and to relax.
* If your job is a bad fit or you’re to the point of feeling physically sick when you think about your job, you need to take positive action towards finding a new one. Don’t make excuses about the downturn of the economy, company layoffs, not qualified, etc., take action anyway.
* Start saying “no” to others who demand more of your time than you are willing to give. There should be no guilt because if you don’t take care of yourself first, there will eventually be nothing left for you to give.
* Learn to routinely treat yourself to relaxation, even if you don’t want to or feel too busy. Pick what works for you – a bubble bath, a good book, an all time favorite movie.
* Rediscover a passion. Once upon a time you liked to do ______________. Start doing it again, even in small doses.
* Seek help from a counselor, medical doctor, or mental health professional.

Burnout can happen when you’re overcommitted and overworked. If you’ve taken a look at the list of possible symptoms above and feel like you have burnout, take steps now to get back on track and love life again.


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Weight Loss Exercise

Learn How to Fast Safely





Fasting isn’t something you should try without much thought and preparation. For most people, fasting is an incredible experience that helps you feel renewed and rewarded. For others, fasting is fraught with untamed cravings, headaches and feelings of failure because they couldn’t see it to the end. Learning how to fast safely is all about choosing the plan that’s right for you and your lifestyle.

There are so many available fasting plans ? and you’re sure to find one that suits you and that you reap huge rewards from. Any fasting program you choose should begin by deciding what your motivation is for fasting. It could be that you want to begin a weight loss program on a clean slate, cleanse your body for health reasons or for spiritual reasons. Find a fasting plan that fits what you’re trying to achieve to make sure you won’t be disappointed at the end.

Then, check with your doctor to make sure that your body is ready and able to handle the particular fast you chose. Ask him or her for tips you can use to ensure that you realize everything from the fast that you’ve envisioned.

There are a few items you need to invest in to get the most from any fasting plan you choose. First, you should purchase a juicer rather than choosing from juices at the supermarket. Fresh, rather than pasteurized juice is a better fit for fasting. Sometimes they’re difficult to locate, but if you can buy organically grown fruits and vegetables rather than those available at most supermarkets, do so. They may cost a little more, but the quality is worth the cost. When you purchase teas, choose only from the wide variety of organically grown, herbal teas.

While it’s okay and even recommended to exercise during your fast, it should be limited to non-stressful or low aerobic movements. Walking or stretching exercises are best during the fast ? but take it easy. If you don’t feel like exerting yourself ? don’t. Fasting is different for everyone. Some people are energized and others feel lethargic.

When the fast is over, be aware that your body has just gone through a major renewing and rejuvenating experience. The thing you don’t want to do is begin eating foods high in carbohydrates, sugars, additives or drinking alcohol, carbonated beverages and dairy products such as milk. If you do indulge in these foods and drinks immediately following the fast, you may experience bad reactions such as stomach and other digestive problems.


Fasting should be the first step you take in developing a healthier lifestyle. When you learn how to fast in a safe manner, you’ll end the fast with feelings of self-esteem (after all, you’ve just completed a process that involves depriving yourself of one of life’s main comforts and necessities to achieve a goal) and pride for what you’ve accomplished.



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