Make a list of things you can do to turn your attention away from food when you are tempted to eat for reasons other than hunger. Keep the list with you and use it! Ideas include: calling a friend, taking a bath, checking email/facebook, brushing your pet, reading a magazine, cleaning/dusting, saying a prayer, meditating, taking a nap, playing a game of solitaire, writing a letter, going outside to run/bike or smell the flowers, drinking a bottle of water, etc.
Out of sight – out of mind!
Changing health-related behaviors is hard enough! Don’t set yourself up for failure by surrounding yourself with the very foods that seduce you!
Keep Moving!
Pay attention to your body’s cues that you are no longer hungry. Remember to eat slowly…because it can take the stomach 20 minutes to tell the brain that it’s full. Take a moment during your meal for self-reflection: “How does this food taste? Am I really still enjoying it? What is my current fullness level?”
Keep your self-confidence up with positive self talk.
Think about the differences in the following statements:
“I shouldn’t have eaten that chocolate cake! I’m so stupid. I’m just a hopeless case. My family stresses me out and undermines my self-control. I’ll never get down to a size 10. I should just give up”
vs.
“I wish I hadn’t eaten that chocolate cake! It wasn’t a good choice and I’m smart enough to make good choices. Looking back, I realize I wasn’t hungry. I was stressed, and I was only wanting to calm down. How can I calm down in a healthy positive way? I’m determined to get down to a size 10 and mistakes are just part of the learning process.”
And…
“I’ll never find time to fit exercise into my daily routine”
vs.
“Plenty of others have found time to do it, so can I!”
Other positive mantras:
“Behavior change is difficult, but if I work at it, I will succeed.”
"I am a strong, capable person. I can maintain my commitment to change.”
Trust your body and be patient with yourself.
Changes take time, repetition, and positive mindset. Consider each “indulgence” an opportunity to further understand your relationship with food. Allow yourself permission to eat - even your favorite foods…and pay close attention to your body’s cues so you can trust it to let you know when you are hungry and when you are full. With a positive attitude, some self-reflection, some prioritization, and some good hard work, YOU CAN overcome emotional eating.
You will discover that CRAVINGS will come far less often and will be much more manageable once you have been successful at:
looking inside yourself to discover triggers and reasons for overeating/poor food choices
learning to understand when you are hungry and when you are full
managing the level of stress in your life
nourishing your body with healthful, wholesome foods in appropriate amounts
including exercise in your daily (or almost daily) routine
learning to use non-food items for comfort and stress-relief
But what can you do in the meantime?
You can try the following ideas as a “crutch” until you perfect the bulleted points above. Most of these aren’t necessarily “good for you”, but they are quite low in calories and (most of them, anyway) are fairly hard to overindulge in.
Sweet:
a stick of sugar free gum – lots of sticky sweet flavors available now
sugar free popsicle
sugar free jello
sugar free hard candy (but not the sugar free chocolates/cookies/pies, etc – these still have considerable calories and often contain sorbitol which can cause diarrhea if you over indulge
regular hard candy (assuming you can control the portion) – if you suck on these, they take longer to eat, allowing you time to evaluate the REAL reason you may be experiencing a craving
Diet soda or sugar free powdered drink like Crystal Lite
Fresh fruit – don’t roll your eyes – there’s gotta be ONE that you really enjoy!
Chocolate:
sugar free hot chocolate – the hotter it is, the longer it takes to drink, allowing you time to evaluate the REAL reason you are experiencing a craving
no sugar added fudgsicle – creamy and good – low in calories
dark chocolate (assuming you can control the portion) – enjoy the nutritional benefits/antioxidants dark chocolate has to offer
Salty:
“light” or air-popped popcorn – experiment with toppings (fat free butter spray + cinnamon, Tabasco sauce, etc)
low calorie, broth-based soup – Healthy Choice or Campbell’s Healthy Request
fresh veggies with light ranch – again, don’t roll your eyes! The fiber will fill you up and (let’s face it) when was the last time you overindulged on fresh veggies!