Posted on November 18, 2011 by Jenny Cromack

Unfortunately food has become more than a source of nourishment for most of us. People now tend to eat to compensate for issues in their life such as boredom or stress. Unfortunately emotional eating will sabotage any weight loss effort!

I don’t know about you but I’ve never had a craving for steamed asparagus! People tend to want the worst nutritional items in the world, refined sugars, saturated fats and alcohol. Before we can change these practices it’s important to learn why we do this?

It’s simple we eat because we’re looking to distract ourselves from something…..a deadline at work, looming bills, nothing good on TV, emotional distress, or little Timmy, your beloved child, who is causing havoc! So the next time you’re looking to eat a giant slice of cake after dinner, sit and think for a second and ask yourself….. am I really hungry? Do I really NEED this cake?

So, what happens when you eat that comfort food? You feel really good, on top of the world, untouchable….but only for about 10 seconds and then guess what? You’re feeling bad about hundreds of empty calories that you’re going to have to burn off in your next training session or probably the next two training sessions!

Luckily there are some simple steps you can take to overcome these habits

1. Control that stress- Next time you feel stressed I challenge you to go for a 15-20min run, I won’t explain why you will feel better, but you will.
2. Keep a food diary- Write down what you eat and more importantly how you felt before you ate, it’s simple but sometimes you just need a reality check.
3. Don’t get bored- so the next time you’re bored, I have several things for you to do to occupy your time…. a 15min core circuit, 20min run, indoor circuit, prepare food for the next week, reassess your health and aesthetic goals, do the 100 push up challenge, etc, etc…..surely all of these things are going to help you achieve your goals rather than hitting that bar of chocolate?
4. Remove temptation- At home this means don’t even buy comfort foods, and most importantly never shop while stressed or angry.
5. Sleep-If you’re one of those people that snacks late at night watching TV get yourself of to bed early! A couple of extra hours sleep really helps your state of mind and energy the next day.

Try these steps and you will have it under control in no time at all! However if you do find yourself lapsing, make sure you forgive yourself afterwards and don’t wait for the next day to start your healthy eating, make sure you get back on track straight away!