| If you're super busy, your hectic life may lead to being | | | | and tired) and exercise helps to stabilize mood and |
| overweight. | | | | therefore reduce emotional eating. |
| How is a busy lifestyle connected with emotional | | | | So What Do We Do About All This? |
| eating and overeating? | | | | You're probably thinking that your life will not be any |
| There are lots of ways. First, we become nervous | | | | less busy any time soon. This is okay, but you'll have to |
| that eating healthy will require time (more time than we | | | | make some minor changes. First, recognize that if you |
| have). We react to this by not even trying, by going | | | | plan and shop well, it won't take longer to eat healthy |
| out to eat, and by grabbing food on the run. I know | | | | food. |
| that I end up eating more carbs (think, frozen pizza) | | | | You can always prepare food for several days and |
| when I'm crazy busy. | | | | freeze it and buy healthy organic frozen meals. Get |
| Second, when we're rushed we don't pay full attention | | | | prepackaged little bags of nuts and dried fruit (or make |
| to what we're eating. This is why people who eat on | | | | your own). Stock up on low-fat string cheese and |
| the go or while doing work or watching TV tend to eat | | | | other snacks you can grab and go. |
| more. | | | | Second, when you're eating, eat mindfully. To begin |
| Did you know that normal weight people | | | | mindful eating, take 5-10 minutes and pay attention to |
| underestimate what they eat by 30%? And people | | | | your food. Realize how much you're eating. Eat slowly |
| who are overweight underestimate their calorie intake | | | | and savor it so a little goes a long way. The other day |
| by 60%! One reason for this is that we don't pay | | | | I ate a Take 5 bar (leftover from Halloween) while I |
| attention to what we eat and then we don't realize | | | | was working on a book. After finishing it, I realized I |
| how much we eat. | | | | hadn't even enjoyed it because I was focused on |
| Finally, an extremely busy lifestyle can lead to more | | | | what I was writing. Don't make this mistake- pay |
| intense emotions which can lead to emotional eating. | | | | attention to your food. |
| When we're super busy we often sacrifice sleep--and | | | | Third, work on keeping your sleep and emotions stable |
| lack of sleep is a major cause of emotional instability. | | | | so you're less likely to engage in emotional eating. And |
| When we're exhausted, we experience emotions | | | | if you know you're having a sleepy, cranky day, stay |
| more intensely and they often spike up quickly. We | | | | away from the drive-throughs and cookie aisle! |
| also act more impulsively without thinking decisions | | | | Now enjoy the health and weight loss benefits that |
| through. | | | | these changes will bring you! |
| And we're less likely to exercise (since we're so busy | | | | |