In my experience as a weight loss coach, emotional eating is something that I have come across on numerous occasions

It is the tendency to eat when you are experiencing negative emotions such as stress, sadness and anxiety

Emotional eating is a massive issue when it comes to weight loss as it creates a vicious cycle of feeling down, binging, then feeling guilty followed by more binging

Without the appropriate coping mechanisms in place this can be an extremely tough cycle to break out of

First and foremost I would advise addressing the issues in your life that are causing you to feel negative emotions on a regular basis

However, at the end of the day s*** happens and all of us experience negative emotions at times, so ensuring that you do not reach for the biscuit tin in response to this is essential

If you are an emotional eater then try putting these 5 strategies in place to deal with it

1. Understand the pattern
The first step to solving the problem is to gather as much information you can about it. Keep a diet journal and write down how you are feeling when you eat. For most people there is a clear trend in their emotional eating and establishing when you are at your most vulnerable will give you an idea about when you need to utilise the following strategies

2. Practise healthy coping
It's important to recognise that your current coping mechanism for negative emotions isn't effective. The inevitable low that follows binging on sweet foods can lead to even more feelings of depression. Exercise or talking to a friend are much better coping mechanisms as they don't come with the same negative consequences.

3. Have alternative snacks available
I say this to my clients all the time - if it's not in the house you can't eat it. So ditch all of the processed crap in your cupboards and get some fruit in. That way when you absolutely can't go without satisfying that sweet tooth you can have that instead

4. It isn't going to last forever
When people get stressed out over a problem that seems too complicated to solve, often the reaction is to just say "f*** it". But nearly everything life throws at us can be sorted and in time the anxiety will pass. So keep this in mind to help you avoid throwing in the towel

5. Remember the times you said no
This one is more applicable as you start to get a hold of your emotional eating. When you are feeling down and you think about grabbing a chocolate bar to make yourself feel better, think about the last time you were able to beat that feeling and how empowering that was

If you are battling with emotional eating and you would like some help getting it under control, get in touch anytime and I would be happy to help

Until next time, have a great week

Arland