• Emotions….we all have lot’s of different emotions we experience every day.

    We can be happy, sad, excited, stressed, worried...the list goes on.

    These emotions can get in the way of our goals especially when it comes to a new diet plan

    Most of us have a rather skewed relationship with food and drink. They are no longer a fuel for the body to survive they have become treats for when things go wrong. Somehow they temporarily make us feel better, only to make us feel 10 times worse once we have overindulged, letting our emotions get the better of us.

    So how do we stop this vicious cycle of emotional eating?

    Well here are a few things to practise/think about next time you reach for the biscuit tin when you’re feeling emotional

    1. Pour a glass of water then
    2. Have a word with yourself!! Ask yourself “Am I hungry”? “Why do I want this food”? “How is it going to make me feel once I’ve had it”? Get a pen and paper and write the answers down. Taking time out to think about why this repetitive cycle is happening will help you identify your triggers and break the habit
    3. Make yourself eat everything with a knife and fork! If you have to sit and eat at a table it will stop you mindlessly shovelling things into your mouth before you have even thought about it
    4. Have a look at the rest of your life. Are you happy? Is your life in balance? Do you do enough of the things you love/enjoy each week? Having a look at this will help you not to get into those emotional states to begin with
    5. Give yourself other rewards - brainstorm all the things you love to do and schedule some into your diary. Food is not a reward, it’s a fuel.

    Some emotional eating can be because of an imbalance in blood sugar levels. The Zest4life programme is all about getting that balance right. Often people emotionally eat because they are hungry or tired. The Zest4life plan ensures you are never hungry and people comment that they have more energy than they have done in years!