Stop Emotional Eating

Is emotional eating sabotaging your health?

Has your weight fluctuated since you were a teenager? Do you binge on junk food when you are alone? Are there times in your life where you have turned to food for comfort, only to be wracked with guilt afterwards? Have you put off making changes in your life "until you are skinny"?

If you identify with one or more of these scenarios then your mind is causing you to crave unhealthy food. Don't worry you are not alone. Studies have estimated that stress, guilt, loneliness or other emotions accounts for 85% of failed diets. There is a solution to this most common of all impediments to permanent weight loss.

We introduced this topic briefly in the "binge eating" section of the Quick Weight Loss Plan. Here we will outline a comprehensive 4 step plan to beat emotional eating and achieve permanent weight loss. This plan is foolproof, but requires commitment and focus. It is difficult to break habits, but you can absolutely do this.

Before we outline the 4 steps, a word about willpower. For years you have probably been told that losing weight just required more willpower. I emphatically disagree. Trying to eat less, exercise more, and follow a healthy lifestyle is not a matter of willpower. The only way to change your behavior for the longterm is to confront your negative emotions.

Guilt is particularly powerful and common. Guilt about your behavior or current state of your body will sabotage your efforts to change. Do not allow feelings of guilt to enter your mind. Redirect any guilty thoughts toward positive affirmations of the changes you are making. More about this later, but for now just remember you will succeed in adopting new, healthy habits, so there is nothing to feel guilty about.

Certain emotional eating patterns are brought about by situations. Some common challenges include business meals, family gatherings, and peer pressure. For tips on managing these situations, visit Manage Diet Disasters.

4 Step Plan

Setbacks

Sometimes you will run in to challenging situations that need to be managed. The best way to deal with these is to anticipate them, formulate a plan, and visualize success. Visit Manage Diet Disasters for some common examples and solutions.

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