Danny Davis
Emotional eating can consume way more calories than you ever intended, and this excess calorie consumption can cause you to gain weight very quickly – even if you’re someone who usually doesn’t struggle with food or body image issues.
This can lead to feelings of shame, guilt, and self-loathing that make it difficult to stop the cycle of emotional eating and lose weight. However, if you want to stop eating and lose weight, consider using these ten surprising distractions that can help you overcome emotional eating by keeping your mind focused on other things besides food.
1) Focusing on Positive Affirmations
When trying to overcome emotional eating, it’s important to focus on positive affirmations. The mind is powerful, and the more you feed your mind with negative thoughts, the worse off you’ll be.
Remind yourself that this too shall pass and that everything will be okay. Then say all the things you have going for you in life, including what an amazing parent, friend, partner, or colleague you are.
Next, write down ten reasons why your loved ones love you, and read these every day before bedtime. Put them in places where you can see them at least once daily, such as on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator door. Or, if it feels better, write them down on index cards and keep them with you at all times, so they’re always nearby when the need arises.
2) Paying Attention to an Interesting Podcast
If you’re feeling stressed or emotional, it can be easy to turn to food for comfort. But before you reach for that bag of chips, try one of these ten surprising distractions that can help you overcome emotional eating.
From listening to an interesting podcast to taking a walk in the woods, there are plenty of options if you know where to look. And best of all, most of them don’t involve removing yourself from your environment.
3) Cutting down on Caffeine
According to a recent study, people who consume caffeine are more likely to emotional eating.
Caffeine can increase anxiety and stress, leading to emotional eating.
Do your best to avoid processed sugar: A diet high in processed sugar may cause the brain to release more ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates hunger. A diet high in processed sugar also reduces leptin production (a hormone that suppresses appetite).
Doing your best to avoid processed sugar is a great way to reduce hunger pangs and keep weight gain at bay while working through an emotional eating issue.
4) Get a distraction like Creating a Vlog Post or calling a friend
If you’re trying to overcome emotional eating, one tool that can be helpful is a distraction. By redirecting your attention away from your thoughts and emotions, you can give yourself a break from the mental and physical exhaustion of dieting.
Many people find this difficult, but there are ways to do it. If you know something great is coming up soon, it can help take your mind off food. Whether it’s an exciting social event or fun activity with friends, this anticipation will distract you until the day arrives,
Sometimes, we need someone to listen and give us space to process what’s happening. A five-minute phone call with a friend might be enough to prevent you from turning to unhealthy food as a coping mechanism.
5) Putting Together an Instagram Story
Instagram Stories are a great way to fun and engagingly share your life with your followers. But did you know that they can also be used to help you overcome emotional eating? Here are seven ideas for how to do just that:
- Take photos of healthy foods
- Tell yourself what you’re grateful for
- Show a funny video on YouTube
- Play a quick game on your phone
- Watch one of your favorite TV shows or movies
- Text someone an uplifting message (or five)
- Write down five things that make you happy
6) Painting Your Nails or Getting a Manicure
It can be easy to turn to food for comfort when feeling down. But emotional eating can lead to weight gain and other health problems. Doing something with your hands is a good way to get the focus off of food.
It also allows you to get creative! Paint designs on plates or mugs or use nail polish as paint by dipping cotton swabs in the polish. If painting nails doesn’t suit you, try out new hairstyles.
Get a professional manicure and pedicure at a salon or even DIY at home using a special polish that doesn’t require curing time. In between drying steps, watch TV shows that are guaranteed to make you laugh – such as comedy classics like Three’s Company or I Love Lucy.
7) Listening to Music
Music can be a great way to distract yourself from your thoughts and emotions. Listening to music can help you focus on something else and take your mind off of food. Music can also help you relax and de-stress, which can be helpful if emotional eating is triggered by anxiety or stress.
Certain types of music are particularly effective at assisting people to overcome emotional eating, such as calm and relaxing or upbeat and happy music. In addition, some people find it helpful to listen to music while cooking to avoid unhealthy cravings for fast food, sweets, or salty snacks.
8) Organizing your Closet and Purging Clothes
Organizing your closet can be a therapeutic way to get rid of the clothes that no longer bring you joy. Plus, it can make getting dressed in the morning much easier and less stressful. The key is to take your time and be ruthless when deciding what to keep and get rid of.
If it’s something you haven’t worn in over six months or if many pieces of clothing have never been worn, chances are you don’t need them. Throw away any clothes with holes or stains, and then donate the rest. As a bonus, this will also help save space in your closet!
9) Reading Fiction Books
We all know that emotional eating is a bad habit. But sometimes, when we’re feeling stressed or sad, it’s hard to resist the urge to indulge. If you find yourself in this situation, try reaching for a book instead of a bag of chips.
A study by researchers found that people who read novels scored better on intelligence tests than non-fiction books and those who didn’t read.
So it seems like fiction books offer an escape from the everyday world and can help us become more aware of our feelings, which may help us make healthier food choices!
10) Forcing Yourself To Watch Your Favorite TV Show
And what better way than to watch your favorite show? Listening to music can make you feel empowered and happy! Pick your favorite tunes, turn up the volume on your favorite song, and dance around the house.
Final Thought
Now that you know some top distractions that can help you overcome emotional eating, it’s time to put them into action. The next time you feel triggered to eat emotionally, try one of these activities instead.
There are plenty of options, from deep breathing to playing with a pet. The most important thing is to find what works for you and stick with it.
