QUIT EATING FOR COMFORT
By Brooke Clark Certified Life Coach and Certified Personal Trainer
Comfort eating is common in the winter . One of the issues with comfort eating is that it affects how you look and feel . And though it may feel good while you ’ re doing it , it doesn ’ t actually do any good and will make you look and feel worse in the long run .
Most of the time , it isn ’ t hunger that makes us reach for our favourite comfort food . Moods and circumstances mess with our ability to stick to our diet plan . Food can be used as a distraction or a pastime when life becomes stressful or overwhelming .
The good news is that you can quit emotional eating , the same way you can quit any bad habit . One of the easiest ways to quit is to get your favourite comfort food out of your house . Skip the centre aisles at the grocery store and keep the unhealthy foods out of sight .
Another way to prevent reaching for comfort food is scheduling regular meals and snacks . This can prevent overeating if you stick to the schedule . Hunger usually starts to kick-in three hours after your last meal , at which point you can incorporate a healthy snack to keep you feeling full . By adjusting your eating patterns and eating more often , you ’ ll prevent cravings and maintain your body weight . If you ’ ve become used to over-eating during a long off season , make a list of activities that you like to do that doesn ’ t involve food . One of my favourite and healthiest ways to combat emotional eating is simply walking , regular walking , treadmill walking or even walking your dog . It ’ s productive , it ’ s beneficial , and it ’ ll take your mind off of food cravings and food prep while also being active . It ’ s up to you to find your strength and use that to do the mental work , the physical work and the emotional work that you need to do to stay on track and quit eating for comfort . Push yourself and seek solutions rather than giving up and giving in . Focus on your fitness goals and successes and use these tips to prepare yourself for the upcoming season . Best of luck .
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