BEATING the

EATING TEMPTATION

How to control and manage those signals to eat.

Wherever we go, we encounter continual signal to eat. Food is readily available from a large range of sources, from fast food outlets to those fast food snacks available in supermarkets, petrol stations and the like. We are constantly bombarded with slick advertising for food related products and these are often for foods which are high in fat and are generally a poor substitute for correct nutrition. How can we avoid such temptations when they are blatantly facing us at every turn?

What makes it worse is those foods are often high in sugar – good for a fast energy boost but NOT good in significant quantities. You have no doubt heard that everything in moderation is the way to go – but how easy is it to do that when all you see day in and day out are temptations such as this.

It's all about ATTITUDE – your attitude to these products needs to undergo a shift – not to say NO YOU CAN NEVER HAVE THESE THINGS but rather that these are ok in small quantities OCCASIONALLY !

What can you do to make this easier to achieve?
Try doing the following:

• Make sure that the foods available at home are from the healthy range – fresh is best. Clean out the cupboards and remove all of those fast food snacks and other items that are going to tempt you to snack on the wrong foods. You don't need to throw them away – there will always be someone who would benefit from your generosity in passing them on.

• Make sure you have a good drink and a healthy snack before going shopping so you are not feeling hungry – it will be easier to avoid temptation in this way.

• When you go shopping, make sure you have your list written out – check it to ensure that what is on that list is from the fresh and healthy list. Don't allow yourself to be tempted by those aisle end displays – you don't need it and if you don't eat it, you won't need to work that much harder to get rid of it!

• Having a party – people over for dinner? Ask those attending to make sure any food choices they might be bringing are healthy – plan well so you can eat without feelings of guilt! ENJOY!

• Going out to dinner? Again, make sure you have had a good drink of water (1-2 glasses) before you go. Choose wisely and eat slowly- think about and enjoy not having to cook and do the dishes rather than thinking about what you are not allowed to eat – choose salad or vegies rather than chips as a side order. Drink water during the meal – it will help you eat less and slow down your eating – which is great for digestion! Avoid crumbed foods or those that are fried – if you put it in – you have to work that much harder to get rid of it! Can you have dessert? If you still feel the need, choose a fruit or relatively low kilojoule option. Perhaps a cheese, fresh fruit and nut platter will help you to round off the meal to your satisfaction.

• Drinking water is an important part of the weight control/loss process. Alcohol is not a great choice but you need not say no entirely – just one glass over the course of the meal will not cause major concerns but try to limit alcoholic intake as it is also high in kilojoules. Diet soft drinks can be a reasonable alternative if you prefer not to drink water when out socializing. Be warned though, they do often cause bloating which can be uncomfortable.

• OH NO! They have brought you a plate of After Dinner Mints – don't despair. One or two will not hurt too much. They are often made with dark chocolate which is the best type of chocolate to eat. Remember the rule – everything in moderation.

Above all, remember, how you approach weight loss mentally is a major part of the success that you will achieve. You need to have DRIVE, MOTIVATION and above all BELIEF that YOU CAN DO IT and you will.

But, I hear you say, what about when I fall of the healthy eating wagon? DON'T beat yourself up about it – take time to think about what caused it to happen and try to eliminate that from your lifestyle as much as possible. Next, CONGRATULATE yourself – you noticed a pitfall and took it in hand and planned to CHANGE it so that it wouldn't be such a problem. Great! Now hop back ON that wagon, indicate and then merge into traffic again along that ROAD TO SUCCESS !

YOU CAN DO IT!

EMOTIONAL EATING

A significant influence on your diet and wellness.

One of the biggest factors for many people which has an influence on weight loss is emotional eating.

Emotional eating can interfere with even your most well-intentioned efforts. This in turn may lead to feelings of failure and low self-esteem.

Emotional eating is often brought about by stress and anxiety. It often leads to overeating or making poor food choices. This in turn leads to further negative responses and increasing stress as weight loss goals are disrupted. How you respond to episodes of emotional eating are probably the greatest influence on how well you will succeed in making life improving changes to your dietary intake. If you can accept that we all make poor food choices on occasions and that you can return to sensible and healthy eating and still achieve your desired.

How Do You Respond to Stress?

Experts say that people whose healthy-eating goals are often disrupted by emotions can benefit from finding new strategies to help them respond more effectively to stressful situations. Studies suggest that people who respond to stress by implementing positive and constructive strategies and thoughts are more likely to avoid the emotional eating trap. What is positive thinking? When situations are causing stress, try to maintain positive thoughts by imagining that the problem is not really as bad as it may seem at the time, that you are able to handle the situation and that you will be able to find a solution. You may seek professional help, assistance from family and friends or just encourage yourself to relax and be calm. Strategies could include going for a walk to give you time to think, rather than making emotional decisions influenced by stress; You may listen to music, meditate or engage in deep breathing. Take the time to implement one or two of these strategies and you should be better able to deal with whatever trigger is causing problems. In this way you may avoid falling into the emotional eating trap.

What is Hunger?

Hunger is sometimes considered to be triggered by stressful situations rather than the need to provide sustenance to the body. It is important to try to discern what is triggering your need to eat – when stress is the factor, take steps to reduce or eliminate that situation. Naturally we need to eat to maintain health and well-being but if driven to eat – REASSESS what is causing the NEED! Take steps to minimize the stressors and help yourself avoid the emotional eating trap. Other distracters that may assist avoidance may be having a glass or two of water – it is often a need for fluid that makes us “think” we are hungry – drink a glass or two and the feeling may well disappear! Play with a pet, visit a friend – take steps to channel your thoughts and energies in a different direction.

Emotional eating can be a significant source of excess calories. Excess calories can result in overweight or obesity, which can increase the risk for several forms of cancer as well as diabetes and other serious health problems. But remember, emotional eating can be controlled, not only with healthier foods or smaller portions, but by getting whatever help and support you need to learn how to handle non-hunger urges to eat without actually turning to food for temporary solace.

YOU CAN DO IT!