Do you eat more when you’re feeling stressed?
Or do you reward yourself with food?
I know I used to struggle with both!
A lot of us also turn to food for comfort and it’s become a norm in our society. And when we do, we reach for the high calorie, delicious junk food and sweets, right?
I know I used to order a pizza if I was bored or lonely, or swing by the drive-through after a stressful day at work (which was honestly every day).
Here’s the thing when it comes to emotional eating. We’ve used food to make ourselves feel better—to fill emotional needs, rather than our stomach. Unfortunately, our emotional eating doesn’t fix emotional problems. Most times it usually makes us feel worse! After we inhale our comfort food, we know that the original emotional issue wasn’t magically solved, AND now we also feel guilty for overeating which doesn’t help our health goals.
Here are two things for you to do.
1. Take Action: If you are feeling stressed about a problem take action by working on the problem! It sounds simple but I know in the past I would procrastinate just thinking about the problem instead of taking one step to solve it. A helpful habit I’ve been doing the past few years is having a legal pad right next to my computer. Every morning I wake up and write down 3 things that must be done today. I’ve never been more productive and living with less anxiety because of this one habit. AND it has helped me stay busier so my focus is on my work instead of distracting myself with food.
2. Calorie Free Rewards: Whether you’ve reached a weight-loss goal of 10 pounds or 100 pounds — or somewhere in between — rewards can help motivate you to continue losing weight. Instead of reaching for a juicy burger buy something that will benefit your health journey! It could be taking a personal day, buying a new pair of shoes or gym outfit, take a spa day to relax, buy a new workout program or a fun water bottle. Studies show that the less stressed we are, the easier it is to lose weight! So go ahead and treat yourself to one or more of these rewards listed above!
Learn more about Tanya and her company The Diet Doc Sedalia here.
Have a great Tuesday!
-Coach T
