Cut It Out: Comfort Eating Has Got To Go!

Comfort eating adds unnecessary and extremely damaging caloric amounts to your diet. Not only is it harmful to your diet, but it can also be harmful to you, since most comfort foods are high in fat and artery-clogging cholesterol. Here are some simple steps to cut comfort eating out of your life:

• If the first step to getting help is admitting you have a problem, then the first step has to be identifying the times when you are likely to comfort eat. Some people turn to food when they feel stressed; others crave when they are depressed or lonely; some can eat instead of expressing their anger or frustration – the bottom line is that there are a thousand potential comfort eating triggers
• Identify some common comfort foods and situations that prompt you to eat them. For example, maybe every time you have a bad day at work, you stop for a big bag of grease from McDonald’s on the way home. Or you might seek solace in the cookie jar after you have a fight with your significant other.
• Remove the triggers from your house/workplace, if they are at home – i.e., don’t fill that cookie jar or keep that secret stash of M&M’s in your desk drawer.
• Avoid off-site temptations by keeping a food journal of what you eat, when you eat, and why you eat. (Is it because you’re hungry or you know you need the nutritional content of the food? If not, you should re-consider your choice).
• Sublimate: channel your cravings into positive outlets. For example, instead of grabbing a chocolate bar when you’re stressed at work, take a brisk walk, do some relaxing yoga, or develop another cool-down activity that will keep your mind and body occupied so you don’t eat!