No, I’m not talking about a real roller coaster – but the emotional one that pulls us up and down throughout our everyday life!  Had a bad day? Work or social group problems got you down? Are you struggling with your health and just don’t have the emotional energy left to make yourself eat right? You’re not alone!
    I’d be willing to bet that more than just a few of us ride that emotional roller coaster and that’s exactly when we get tempted the most - when we’re at our weakest emotionally. It’s not uncommon to reach out for the comfort of food, whether we’re aware of it or not, to help cope with whatever struggles we’re facing or to keep ourselves occupied in order to keep our minds off our problems.    
    But it’s exactly at these times in the days of our lives that can undo the best of our dieting intentions! All those negative emotions due to stress, loneliness, anger, boredom, anxiety and sadness makes it all too easy to reach out for those yummy comfort foods laden with salt, fat, sugars and high-calories.
    That’s the downside – so what’s the upside to all this?  The good news is that this is one area of weight-loss management that you can take charge and exert more control over than most areas with just a little bit more awareness and self-control on your part.
    Need some suggestions to help you stay on track and not let your emotions rule your diet?  Here are a few that may help:

• Have you learned to recognize when you’re really hungry?  Did you eat just a few hours ago? Can you ascertain as to whether your hunger is physical or emotional? Drink a glass of water (remember that dehydration triggers hunger pangs too!) and wait a little while before breaking into that snack bag.

• Can you find an alternative to snacking? Don’t unwrap that candy bar just yet! Instead, take a breather and go for a walk, pick up a magazine, listen to the radio, or call a friend to distract yourself. Substitute an activity for eating!

• What trips your trigger? If you can figure out what it is that causes those emotional triggers, then you can figure out how to avoid them when you see them. Being consciously aware of them is the first step to overcoming them! Questions to ask yourself: how much do you eat when you eat? How are you feeling when you eat and how hungry you are at those times?

• Are you sabatoging yourself with unhealthy snacks? Sometimes you just have to get rid of those high-calorie comfort foods in your house!  I know it’s not nearly as tasty to snack on a carrot versus those potato chips, but maybe if you eat fruit instead or popcorn with no butter, you’ll be able to satisfy your emotional snacking without piling on the calories while you do!

• Are you eating right in the first place? If you don't eat right, then you will be more likely to give in to emotional eating. Eat at regular times on a fairly regular schedule and make sure you include all those foods that are good for you like whole grains, vegies and fruits to fill you up on the basics. Most likely you'll feel fuller, longer.

• Are you getting enough sleep and exercising, too? Even a simple walk can make you feel better, clear your head, and release hormones in your body that make you feel better overall. Stress is more manageable and you are more likely to lose weight when you get the proper amount of sleep (check out our sleep article on our website to get more information on this subject!).

    So don’t beat yourself up because you reach out for comfort food in an emotional crunch time. Just recognize when you’re doing it and try to put the above steps in place to ward off future give-ins. Stay positive, work on it as you go and pat yourself on the back when you do make those changes to give yourself better health.