Are you struggling with emotional or stress eating? Perhaps you’re coming home from work at the end of the day stressed to then raid the cabinets for anything you can find? Or are you struggling to put your fork down even after you know you feel full? ⠀⠀
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If you are using food as an outlet for stress or emotions, here are three tips to help get through the emotional and stress eating after a long day.
- Do a nighttime activity before or after dinner!
Trying out an activity at night that will help you destress can help you feel in control during your meal times. A few examples include journaling, reading, meditating, gardening, watching a show, going for a walk, or listening to a podcast. Journaling with no expectations and writing down whatever comes to mind can help to clear your head and get rid of any stressors from the day. Having a book handy is a great idea to distract yourself and relax after a long work day. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Portion Control your Meals!
If you feel like you are coming home from work and filling up a big plate with more food than you really need, try switching out your plate for smaller dishes! If you take smaller dishes to serve yourself dinner in, you are less likely to overeat. Once you fill up your plate or bowl with your meal, try putting away the extra before sitting down to eat. This will make you less likely to go back and mindlessly serve more. Once you finish your meal, be sure to check in with yourself. More on this below!
- Check in with yourself!
Stopping once or twice during a meal and checking in with yourself can make a huge difference in the amount you eat and how you feel. Take a minute to stop and ask yourself, “Am I really hungry still or do I feel full?” This is a good way to see whether or not you want more food or if perhaps you have other things on your mind and you’re using food as a distraction.
Every person is different when it comes to stress and emotional eating. Begin by trying a few different things to see what helps you destress after a long day. Once you find something that works for you, begin to follow it a few nights of the week. Slowly you will begin to build a habit that will help you work through these feelings and decrease the amount of times you’re using food as an outlet!
