Weight-Loss Help: How to Stop Emotional Eating Part 2

The Connection Between Mood and Food

Major life events such as unemployment, health problems and divorce and daily life hassles such as a stressful work commute, bad weather and changes in your normal routine can trigger emotions that lead to overeating. But why do negative emotions lead to overeating?

Some foods have seemingly addictive qualities. For example, when you eat enticing foods, such as chocolate, your body released trace amounts of mood and satisfaction elevating hormones. That "reward" may reinforce a preference for foods that are most closely associated with specific feelings. Related to this is the simple fact that the pleasure of eating offsets negative emotions.

Food can also be a distraction. If you're worried about an upcoming event or rethinking an earlier conflict, eating comfort foods may distract you. But the distraction is only temporary. While you're eating, your thoughts focus on the pleasant taste of your comfort food,. Unfortunately, when you're done overeating, your attention returns to your worries, and you may now bear the additional burden of guilt about overeating. excerpt from MayoClinic.com

Weight-Loss Help: How to Stop Emotional Eating Part 1

Emotional Eating Can Sabotage Your Weight-loss Efforts.

Sometimes the strongest longings for food happen when you're at your weakest point emotionally. Many people turn to food for comfort--consciously or unconsciously--when they're facing a difficult problem or looking to keep themselves occupied.

But emotional eating ---eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, anxiety, boredom, sadness and loneliness--can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. Often, emotional eating leads to eating too much food, especially high-calorie sweet, salty and fatty foods.

The good news is that if you're prone to emotional eating, you can take steps to regain control of your eating habits and get back on track with your weight-loss goals. excerpt from MayoClinic.com

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Make It Work For You

Starting a healthy diet that emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains makes room in your diet for some of your favorite foods in small quantities: a piece of chocolate cake or a small scoop of ice cream, for example. When you're not feeling desperately hungry and deprived, as you might on some diets, you can enjoy a small portion of dessert without guilt.

Here are ideas to make this eating plan work for you:

• Increase the ratio of fruits and vegetables in your meals. For example, add blueberries to your cereal in the morning. Or top your pasta with sauteed vegetables and tomato sauce. Decrease the meat portion on your plate and increase the serving size of vegetables.
• Experiment with new foods and combinations. try mango or peach slices on whole-wheat toast with a little peanut better and honey. Toss some mandarin orange and peach slices into a salad. You may find some new tastes you love that fit within your eating plan.
• Start with soup or salad. Begin lunch or dinner with a broth-based vegetable-filled soup or a large salad with a small amount of low-fat or fat-free dressing. These foods take longer to eat and curb your hunger. Next, serving whole grains, an extra portion or two of vegetables and a small serving of lean protein for your main course.

By eating larger portions of foods less packed with calories, you squelch those hunger pangs, take in fewer calories and feel better about your meal, which contributes to how satisfied you feel overall.