3 Steps to Stop Emotional Eating

If we only ate when we were actually hungry, we would all probably be at our ideal weight.

Unfortunately, there are many factors that cause us to eat. We don’t only eat when we get hungry, there is emotional eating as well. And even then we don’t eat what we should actually eat – but that’s a story for another day.

Why do we eat even though we are not hungry?

The biggest reason for this is something called emotional eating. You might be sad or nervous, then decide to comfort yourself with a double cheese burger and a strawberry milkshake. Or you might just feel like devouring an entire bag of chips because you are bored. Emotional eating might be your diet’s worst enemy.

How can you tell when you are eating for other reasons than being hungry? And more importantly, how can you stop doing this?

1. Identify Your Triggers

The first step to solving this problem is to identify what causes it. There are usually certain things that trigger you to start eating for the wrong reasons. Here are a few of the most common emotional eating triggers…

• • • Social: 

Being encouraged by others to eat, or eating to fit in. This might be when you eat at home, meet up for drinks with a couple of friends, then end up having a second dinner because everybody else there is having a meal.

• • • Emotional: 

This is usually in response to negative emotions. Things like fatigue, anxiety, loneliness, sadness, or stress are seen as emotional eating triggers.

• • • Thoughts: 

Eating because of a negative self-image. This might often be caused by being overweight, which in-turn then causes a vicious cycle.

• • • Situational: 

This is when a certain situation is almost automatically associated with eating. It includes things like seeing food advertised somewhere, passing a bakery or restaurant where you see or smell the food, or going to the movies and immediately heading straight to the snack counter.

• • • Physiological: 

Eating due to a physical trigger might include trying to eat away a headache or having an increased appetite because you skipped your last meal.

Make sure to track your triggers by keeping a “trigger diet”. Write down every time that you realize you have emotionally eaten, and write what emotions you were feeling beforehand or what situation may have caused this to happen.

2. How to Stop Emotional Eating

By the time you have identified what is causing you to emotionally eat, it has probably set itself as a habit. The key now is to break that habit. To do so, try doing something else to keep yourself from eating and then eventually breaking the habit.

When you find yourself reaching for food when you shouldn’t be, try one of these…

• • • Read a good book or magazine.
    • Listen to music.
    • Go for a run or a walk.
    • Take a relaxing bubble bath.
    • Play a board game, cards, or do a crossword.
    • Talk to a friend – but don’t go out for coffee and cake!
    • Be productive and do some housework, laundry, or yard work.
    • Do any other activities that you enjoy until the urge to eat passes.

3. Get Help

Sometimes a simple distraction might not be enough. Then it might be time to seek professional help. Get counselling from somebody that can give you the needed advice in order to implement change within your own life, according to your individual needs.

It is also great to get a friend, house mate, co-worker, or your partner to help keep you on track. Allow them to point out when you are eating something that you should not be eating. And remember that you are not allowed to get mad at them, you asked them for help and it is all in your best interest.

What we recommend…

Even though emotional eating is a mind thing, controlling blood sugar levels can help make you think less about food. Take the Manna Blood Sugar Support supplement with each meal to curb any food cravings and suppress appetite. Follow a healthy diet and exercise program like the Manna Diet.

You can also replace one of your meals with a healthy alternative like the Manna Low Gi Shake which is formulated to allow you to skip a meal without losing the needed nutrients and energy, helping you lose weight in an easy and effective way. It also helps manage your blood sugar levels.

Manna Low GI Shake

The Manna Low GI Shake is ranked as one of the best products to curb food and sugar cravings and to help the body to require less insulin. The Shake is available in 3 delicious flavours and you can replace 1 to 2 meals per day for effective and healthy weight loss.

The NEW Manna Low GI Shake comprises of 6 ingredients which are high in fibre, protein, and minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium. Our shake has been proven to help curb food cravings, suppress appetite, and satisfy you for longer.

It couldn’t be easier to lose weight.

All you do is choose your favourite flavour of Manna Low GI Shake, add it to milk, water or juice, mix it and there you have a healthy meal in a glass. As simple as that!

We don’t use any artificial sweeteners or preservatives. The new Shake is gluten-free, lactose-free, Non-GMO, soy-free. Also, the shake is suitable for Vegan’s, Vegetarians and Diabetics.

Benefits of the Manna Low GI Shake

• High in fiber
• Low GI
• Stops Cravings
• High Enough Nutritional Value to be regarded as a Meal Replacement
• The only shake which contains Essential Sugars (“Glyco-Nutrients”)
• Cholesterol Free
• Gluten Free
• Provides Energy, without Fattening
• Helps to Control Blood Sugar Levels
• Organic & Natural