Emotional Eating
Why Youre Really Eating
By Karen Asp
Eating when you're not hungry is a common nutritional mistake -- and a big reason people gain weight or break their diets. Here, we help you understand why youre really reaching for food and teach you how to turn your attention elsewhere.
More Diet Dish
You're Tuned Out
Why You Eat: Sometimes the TV or movie youre watching isn't entertaining enough so you seek satisfaction elsewhere, like in a bowl of chips, says Linda Spangle, Denver-based weight loss coach and author of 100 Days of Weight Loss. A habit of munching whenever you watch TV might also be to blame.
What to Do: Engage yourself during TV time. Exercise, groom your dog or clip coupons. Also, create ways to curb your eating by keeping food out of sight, brushing your teeth, or making the kitchen off-limits after meal time.
Its There
Why You Eat: Forget willpower. Its difficult to resist food when it's in front of you. Reaching for a treat just because its there, however, signals mindless eating, says Tara Gidus, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
What to Do: Push the food away, put it out of sight or walk away from it. If thats not possible, keep your hands busy by holding a low-calorie drink in your dominant hand.
Youre Bored
Why You Eat: Maybe youre craving more excitement or yearning for greater meaning in your life. Without these things, you feel restless so you eat, which temporarily fulfills you
What to Do: Have a plan to deal with these times when by creating non food-oriented ways to fill voids in life. Call a friend, enroll in a new fitness or language class or read a book.
Craving Comfort
Why You Eat: Whether you've just ended a relationship or had a bad day in the office, eating your favorite (often high-fat) foods, like macaroni and cheese or ice cream, can make you feel nurtured and comforted.
What to Do: Find comfort from something inedible. Play with your dog, take a relaxing bath, listen to soothing music or talk with a nurturing friend.
Seeing Red
Why You Eat: Noshing crunchy, chewy foods like crackers and nuts has been shown to release tension -- and avoid chewing someone's head off.
What to Do: Recognize your anger and find other ways to release it. Punch a pillow, take a walk, breathe deeply or chew gum, suggests Spangle.
When In Rome
Why You Eat: When your friend decides to eat something unhealthy, youll likely join. Why? "We often mimic what people around us are doing," Gidus says. Plus, the power of suggestion is strong, and even if you're not hungry, you may begin to crave what she's having.
What to Do: Strike temptation by sipping a low-calorie drink like hot tea or diet soda or eating your own diet-friendly meal so you're keeping yourself occupied and not just watching your pal eat.
Insomnia Strikes
Why You Eat: Sick of tossing and turning in bed, you head to the fridge hoping a snack will make you sleepy and because eating might ease the frustration.
What to Do Enjoy a cup of warm milk or decaffeinated tea. "Getting something warm in your stomach can make you drowsy," Gidus says.
Tension Tamer
Why You Eat: Stress makes you tense, and when you can no longer stand that sensation, you reach for food as relief.
What to Do Whether youre at work at home, have an arsenal of stress relievers handy, like spongy ball to squeeze, yoga DVD for relaxing poses, or a journal to record your feelings.
Tick Tock
Why You Eat: When it comes to meals and snacks some people are tied to the clock. Even if you've just eaten an enormous lunch and aren't hungry when your daily afternoon snack time rolls around, the habit is hard to break.
What to Do: Check your hunger levels before eating. Ask yourself whether youre hungry or if you're just eating because the clock tells you to. If you are hungry, eat. If not, wait 30 minutes and re-evaluate your hunger, Gidus says.
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