Emotional eating

Question
Hi Ms. Ottevanger,
    I've been having an ongoing problem for the last year or so. I've realized that when I get really emotional, usually due to stress from school, but also when I'm all by myself, I eat A LOT!! (and it usually consists of really unhealthy, packaged food!) I try to control myself, but my inability to do so makes me feel even more stressed, and makes me continue this vicious cycle. I'm an 18-year-old senior girl in high school, and I worry that the stress I'll soon face in college will make me feel even MORE out of control!! I've tried some yoga classes, and ignoring my cravings, but nothing seems to work. What do you suggest I do to stop my continuous binging?? I've already gained about 10 pounds from all of this, and I really don't want to add a "freshman-15" to it!!

Answer
Hi D,

Turn your train of thought around - eating empty food, among other things, gives you emotion garbage to wade thru. Instead of emotions causing you to eat, think of the food causing emotions that are eating you. Do not ignore hunger! Answer it, and the sooner the better, as sooner raises the odds of the brain getting in the act and get you to go for intelligent eating.

Yoga is swell, but I can't thrive w/o doing something that makes me breathe hard. 30 minutes a day. 3 minutes here, 17 minutes there, it all ads up. Climb stairs, walk briskly, dance to favorite music.

No Body is too fat from eating fresh produce. Just does not happen. Raw nuts are a good compact snack to pack.

Prioritize - there is nothing on this Earth that is more important than taking care of your body. The better job you do on this assignment, the better you do on everything else.

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