Jennifer talked about emotional eating.

This week, Jennifer led a discussion about emotional eating and how to overcome triggers. Often, we connect memories with eating. Jennifer shared that she connects summertime memories with popcorn jelly beans. Patty added that having after school snacks while growing up sometimes led to her eating without being hungry.

We don’t have to be a slave to our emotions.

Trigger #1: Stress

Another cause of emotional eating is stress. While sometimes, we can’t avoid stressful situations, there are strategies we can use to combat eating because of stress. Here are some examples: deep breathing, music, and time management.

Trigger #2: Sadness and Loneliness

Sadness and loneliness often lead to a depression-eating cycle. To combat these emotions, we can exercise, play with a pet (yours or someone else’s), stay connected with friends, and volunteer.

Trigger #3: Boredom

Boredom is a big trigger for many.  When grazing, we often eat mindlessly and don’t pay attention to portion sizes, calories, etc. Some ideas to avoid eating because of boredom include the following: don’t eat in front of the TV, develop a new hobby, read or join a book club, and play a game.

Whatever your trigger, remember: emotional eating can be overcome. Planning a strategy is key.