Emotional Eating.Gain control over it!

Emotional eating is found to be a common problem among some obese people.Emotional eating is eating as a way to suppress the negative emotions , such as stress, anger,fear, boredom, sadness and loneliness.
Both major life events and the hassles of daily life can worse negative emotions , then lead to emotional eating and disrupt some people's weight loss effort.

The main causes are
-Unemployment
-Financial problems
-Health problems
-Work stress
-Bad weather
-Fatigue
Infact , our emotions may become so tied to our eating habits that's why some people reach for a sweet treat whenever they are angry / stressed without stopping to think about why they are doing.whatever emotions drive you to eat , the end result is oftenthe same . the emotions return and you may also now bear the additional guilt about setting back your weightloss goal. this again lead to force you to continue the unhealthy cycle-eating whenever you stressed/ in an emotional upset.

Tips to get your weight-loss efforts back on track
■Although negative emotions can trigger emotional eating, you can take steps to control cravings and renew your effort at weight loss. To help stop emotional eating, try these tips:Take a walk, watch a movie, play with your cat, listen to music, read, surf the Internet or call a friend.

■Take away temptation. Don't keep supplies of comfort foods in your home if they're hard for you to resist. And if you feel angry or blue, postpone your trip to the grocery store until you're sure that you have your emotions in check.

■Don't deprive yourself. When you're trying to achieve a weight-loss goal, you may limit your calories too much, eat the same foods frequently and banish the treats you enjoy. This may just serve to increase your food cravings, especially in response to emotions. Let yourself enjoy an occasional treat and get plenty of variety to help curb cravings

.■Snack healthy. If you feel the urge to eat between meals, choose a low-fat, low-calorie snack, such as fresh fruit, vegetables with fat-free dip, or unbuttered popcorn. Or try low-fat, lower calorie versions of your favorite foods to see if they satisfy your craving.

■Get enough sleep. If you're constantly tired, you might snack to try to give yourself an energy boost. Take a nap or go to bed earlier instead.

■Seek therapy. If you've tried self-help options but you still can't get control of your emotional eating, consider therapy with a professional mental health provider. Therapy can help you understand the motivations behind your emotional eating and help you learn new coping skills. Therapy can also help you discover whether you may have an eating disorder, which is sometimes connected to emotional eating.

■Have a hunger reality check. Is your hunger physical or emotional? If you ate just a few hours ago and don't have a rumbling stomach, you're probably not really hungry. Give the craving a little time to pass.

■Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you're feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. Over time, you may see patterns emerge that reveal the connection between mood and food.

■Get support. You're more likely to give in to emotional eating if you lack a good support network. Lean on family and friends or consider joining a support group.

■Fight boredom. Instead of snacking when you're not truly hungry, distract yourself. 

■Tame your stress. If stress contributes to your emotional eating, try management technique, such as yoga, meditation or relaxation.  

If you have an episode of emotional eating, forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Try to learn from the experience and make a plan for how you can prevent it in the future. Focus on the positive changes you're making in your eating habits and give yourself credit for making changes that'll lead to better health.