Use it or Lose it

Emotions can play havoc with anyone’s appetite. Some people respond to stress by over-eating or by a complete loss of appetite. Loneliness, boredom, sadness – all can lead to an increase in emotional eating. Heck, even happiness can cause overindulgence!

The key to dealing with emotional eating is identifying it. Once emotional eating is established as a cause, then the triggers causing overeating can be recognised. Being aware of the triggers for emotional eating allows action to be taken to avoid or deal with the triggers when they arise.

For instance, if someone recognises that boredom sends them straight to the fridge, they very fact that they know this means they can take action to distract themselves in some other way before the situation gets that far.

While this may seem like a small thing, admitting to emotional eating is a massive step and can be a turning point in a weight loss regime.