The second step in controlling emotional eating and kick-starting your natural weightloss is to learn to control your response to, rather than deny, your negative emotions.
While many women experience emotional distresses, not every one of them is an emotional eater. The difference between those who are and those who are not has to do with how they deal with their feelings. Studies show that when a woman responds to negative emotions by suppressing them, her negative energy merely goes underground, significantly increasing her risk of becoming an emotional eater. If, instead, she uses whats known as emotion regulation strategies, she has a chance to gain control over her emotional eating.
One emotional regulation strategy in particular is called emotional reappraisal. This technique intervenes early, before the behavioral response (eating) to the negative emotion has kicked in.
Tfirst step is awareness of the emotional trigger: Step back and witness your emotions as an impartial third party. For example, rather than saying, I am lonely, say, She is lonely. Then, look from several angles at what triggered that feeling of loneliness, and find a perspective that acknowledges the aloneness but has a more constructive take on it, such as: The loneliness is a chance for solitude, peace, inner growth, to read a good book, exercise, meditate, and/or start a creative project. Instead of building pressure, the energy from the negative emotion gets recognized, redirected, and depressurized in a positive way.
For one-on-one expert help in adopting emotional reappraisal for emotional eating, ask your health care provider for a referral to a licensed psychologist or counselor who has experience in the technique.
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