Every one of us has those days, months and sometimes even years when everything is happening out of our control. At times, things are unsettled or troublesome that make us feel anxious, stressed, and angry. Not to forget the craving we have for comfort foods during times of turmoil. While you are already aware that binge eating is destructive and would only make you feel worse, but it is quite easy to give in to those cravings.
Jillian Michaels shares a few tips to combat those temptations before they actually start.
Tips to Overcome Emotional Eating
Here are a few tips by Jillian Michaels to overcome cravings and temptations during stress and emotional turmoil
1. Avoid Your Food Triggers: Whatever food be your weakness; be it cookies, chocolates, cakes, ice creams or anything else, don’t stock them up in your fridge or pantry. This is because what you don’t have, you cannot eat that too. Whenever you go out for grocery shopping, refrain from going to the junk food section and spend time around the store’s fringes where you can find produce and fresh meats. Don’t look at those tempting candy shelves. You have nothing good to purchase from there.
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2. Maintain a Journal: Some people prefer writing their feelings rather than sharing them over social media platforms. If that is you, it is okay. You can purchase a journal or an old school notebook and can write down your feelings over there. This practice would prevent you from binging on calorie dense and nutrient lacking foods.
3. Have Your Own Support System: When you are low, instead of going for junk foods, you can call your friend or relative for some emotional support. This would probably help you in feeling much better without gulping a whooping number of calories. You can also plan to meet your friend or relative on a walk, gym session or a drive.
4. Go for a Vacation: Every one of us needs a break for a few days to let go of all worries. A much-needed break for a few days can help you in getting back to the track. You can consider visiting a faraway place or a nearby city but just a vacation can make you feel relaxed, rested, and recharged. Jillian suggests forgetting all your worries while on a vacation.
5. Find Active and Healthy Stress-Bursting Activities: A movie marathon or watching umpteen number of sitcoms, might seem an interesting idea but sitting so long can make you gulp comfort foods. This doesn’t seem to be great for physical and mental health. Again, a better idea would be to go for a gym session, cycling, running, or walking. You might like to explore that new museum in your city or like visiting a local market for shopping necessary items. You might just discover an all new passion.
Jillian Michaels believes that following these tips would really help you prevent emotional and mindless eating. She concludes that it is indeed important to find healthy and better stress relievers to help you relax and calm rather than mindless eating.