Fiture: The Ultimate Fitness Blog

Are You an Emotional Eater?

Fix the Real Problem

Nutrition is key to losing weight and having the energy that you are looking for. The main reason people want to lose weight is to better their lives and feel better about themselves. Sometimes  we do not fix the root of the problem though. Sometimes we just put a band aid on a deeper issue at hand. What we need to do is take a look at why we are eating what we are eating and when we are eating it. So the key thing to understand when paying attention to your eating patterns that is often not talked about at all is, how do you feel emotionally before you eat that hamburger or that pizza? What is your relationship with certain foods? Take the time to analyze this first before you start to make changes in your lifestyle because if you do not, the strategy that you will use will not work and then the beginning of a very frustrating yo yo weight problem will start. 

Start a Food Journal

I challenge you to start a food journal today but not in the typical way that you have been told in the past. Do not focus so much on the calories in versus calories out on this food journal. I want you to actually eat regularly and before you eat I want you to document the food you are about to eat and then right next to it I want you to write what your emotional state is at the time. I want you to be sure to date the journal everyday and the time that you are eating it as well. The more details that you can put into this the better it will serve you. Here is why, because when you document things, you will be able to see certain tendencies on what you eat and how it correlates with your emotional state. 

Questions to ask yourself

• Do you eat because you feel lonely?
• Do you eat because you are sad or depressed?
• Do you eat because it is a form of punishment for not looking the way you are “supposed” to look?
• Do you eat because you are bored?
• Do you eat because it is a social thing?

Action Step

When you answer those questions and figure out why and when you eat, I want you to find a replacement behavior to fix the root problem. For example, if you normally eat when you are lonely, instead of eating I want you to call up a friend and do something together such as shop at the mall or something that allows you to bond with the other person. 

I want you guys to really answer these questions and post them here so others can hear what you have to say and connect. Maybe you will find a new fitness partner who can help you reach your goals. Do not do this alone! Have a support group and I promise you will get better and more fulfilling results.