Posted by Willow Jarosh on Mon, Sep 07, 2009
A powerful tool that can help you beat cravings and emotional eating is probably within your reach—a pen and paper. To get your cravings under control, grab a pen and paper and start making a list of non-food things you can do when you're feeling anxious, bored, sad, restless, etc. This simple piece of paper can snap you out of a snack attack because it gives you a number of fun things you can do instead of reaching for food when you're in an emotional state.
What my clients put on their lists vary. Here are a few examples to get you started:
Paint your nails
, read a magazine,
go for a walk
, do laundry,
take a bubble bath
, organize the photos on your computer
, call a friend/relative you need to catch up with
, go through your emails
, whiten your teeth
, head to a book store and browse.
Once you've made your list, keep one copy at home and another copy at work. If you tend to spend a lot of time in your car, you can also keep a copy in your glove box so if you get the urge to stop for fast food on the way home, you can pull over and look at all the things you have to do instead. Similarly, if you're traveling, toss a copy of your list into your purse or luggage. This way, you're covered no matter where you are. Then whenever you get the urge to eat because of emotions (rather than hunger), choose something off of your list to do instead.
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