Are you guilty of emotional eating?

Stress is one of the factors linked to emotional eating.It doesnt matter how many diets you follow and how many self help books you read to try and lose weight,if your eating is linked to stress.Basically emotional eating is eating even when we are not hungry.

Emotional eating has many causes.

Cortisol Cravings:
Stress can bring on increased levels of cortisol known as "the stress hormone." Cortisol has a beneficial function in the body, but excessive levels of cortisol brought on by chronic stress can among other things, create cravings for salty and sweet foods.

Social Eating:
People who are under stress will seek out social support, which is a great way to relieve stress. Unfortunately for dieters, when people get together they tend to go out for a nice meal. Crying on your friend’s shoulder over a couple of hot fudge sundaes, going out for a night on the town and a plate full of fried appetizers, sharing a bowl of chips with the guys as you watch a game, or discussing the gory details of a nightmare date over cheesecake with your roommates are all social forms of emotional eating.

Nervous Energy:
When stressed or anxious, many people, out of nervousness or boredom, just munch on chips or drink soda to give their mouths something to do.

Childhood Habits:
Many of us have comforting childhood memories that revolve around food. Whether your parents used to reward you with sweets, fix your boo-boos with an ice cream cone, or make your favorite meal (or take you out to one) to celebrate your successes, you’d probably be in the vast minority if you didn’t develop some emotionally-based attachments to food while growing up. When in times of stress, few things can be as rewarding as your favorite food. This type of emotional eating is very common: people eat to celebrate, eat to feel better, eat to deal with the stress of being overweight.

Stuffing Emotions:
People who are uncomfortable with confrontation may deal with frustrations in their marriage with a piece of cake, for example, rather than with open communication. Food can take the focus off of anger, resentment, fear, anxiety, and a host of other emotions we’d sometimes rather not feel, and is often used for this purpose.

If you’re an emotional eater, it’s important for you to be aware of this, keep an eye on your triggers, and develop some effective stress management techniques and coping skills so that your body stays healthy, rather than feeling out of control.

Take the Stress and Weight Gain Test to see what role stress plays with your weight, and to find targeted help.