Finding Your Emotional Eating Triggers
Many people that struggle to lose weight know that the root of their problem stems from more involved, emotional issues. The key to being able to successfully lose the weight and keep it off is to be able to identify these emotional eating triggers and learn how to manage them in a productive way that does not involve food. There is one simple tool that can help you with this, and truly put you on the road to diet success.
A food diary is quite possibly the best and most effective weight loss aid. Keeping a diary is easy, and helps you to clearly identify the main reasons behind your diet failures. You will be forced to take time out of your day to stop and evaluate what you have eaten, why you have eaten it, and when. You will find this to be very eye opening.
When setting up your food diary, it is important that you make notations of the actual foods you eat, as well as the feelings you had at the time you ate it. For example, if you find yourself eating a pint of chocolate ice cream after a spat with your sister, you need to clearly state this in your log. If you find you turn to the comfort of cookies when you are stressed about a work deadline, write it down. The more you do this, the more you will be able to track your behavioral patterns. Once you review your diary, you can then get a better understanding of why you do what you do, and when, which will allow you to head off the bad behavior before it ever begins.
The process of keeping a food diary also encourages you to consider everything you eat, not just the major meals. Just about anyone can state what he or she had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, however most people have no idea of what they nibbled on in between meals. Many dieters think that the couple of French fries they snagged from a friend at lunch or the candy they took off a co-worker’s desk does not make a difference or count in a daily calorie tally. The truth is, these small little nibbles really matter and can add many more calories to your day than you realize.
Keeping a food diary will help you to lose weight more effectively because it causes you to confront yourself head on. This will in turn help you yield better results that will stick with you for the long term. You will be able to track what works and what does not, what triggers you to eat and why, and it will help you see where you still need to make changes. A diary can also be a wonderful positive reinforcement tool. Reward yourself when you have avoided a sweet treat after a stressful day. This type of self-evaluation and personal support is essential to sticking with a weight loss program. In time you will find you are leading a much healthier life and achieving all of your weight loss goals.
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