If you are an emotional eater or are just looking to gain a better understanding of your eating habits, this article is for you!
The key to understanding your eating habits is to become conscious and aware of them through mindful eating.
Why is mindful eating so important?
When you eat mindfully you are living in the moment. You are present to your current thoughts and feelings, as well as your environment.
I was an emotional eater for years and it happens to the best of us. Sometimes we get stressed and reach for some ice cream, eat out of boredom or go all-out during the holidays and social occasions.
Emotional eating and any other type of problematic eating occurs mainly because we are attempting to numb ourselves from a feeling or experience.
When we eat this way, we are not conscious of our choices or thoughts around food – until we realize that we ate the entire bag.
That is why taking a few minutes at each meal to ask yourself some questions can be super helpful!
Ask yourself:
1. What do you actually eat (not what you like to think you eat)?
Take any judgement away and look at your choices objectively.
- Do you eat a lot of fast foods, sweets or junk food?
- Do you drink soda?
- Do you cook with a butter, fat, grease, or oil?
Get clear on exactly what you’re eating and identify what you could upgrade to a healthier choice.
2. How much are you eating and how do you feel while you eat?
- Are you eating large portions?
- Do you go back for seconds?
- Do you eat frequently between meals?
- Do you skip breakfast and binge at night?
This isn’t so much about calorie counting as it is about being aware of how much you are eating and how that is making you feel.
3. When do you eat?
- Do you eat when you’re watching TV or at your desk?
- Do you often eat out of chip bags or popcorn bags where it is difficult to measure how much you’ve eaten?
- Can you link an emotion such as loneliness, frustration, or boredom to your eating habits?
Action Step!
Ask these 3 questions every time you eat for the next 3-5 days and write your answers down. Then go back and look at each day and notice any patterns you see around food and unhealthy habits.
The more you begin to notice and become aware, the more you are helping release yourself from the unhealthy habits holding pattern.
Becoming healthy is a life choice and becoming aware of your habits is the first step to getting healthier. Often, health is tied to weight loss, yet health truly comes from having and following sustainable healthy choices.
Restrictive diets only deprive you and make you feel worse. By asking the questions above, knowing what choices you make around food, and beginning to create new habits, you can live a healthier life and gain control over your eating habits.
She is an avid hiker, a former emotional eater, and a self-love coach. Meaghan combines strategic fitness workouts with mindset to help women overcome emotional eating and make better food choices so they can feel sexy and confident!
Get a week of Free Workout Vides here! You can also download her free Emotional Eaters Food Journal!
Want support through the holidays? Join my 45 day Holiday Weight Loss Challenge! Winner takes home 50% of the proceeds!
