EMOTIONAL EATING IS HARD

Emotional eating is hard. It’s not easy and it might not get solved in a day because it didn’t get started in a day. But, it is something that you can overcome and you can definitely get better with. I have a lot of really great tools and strategies to help you.

EMOTIONAL EATING TOOLBOX

Negative emotions are like poison. Food is the most common drug of choice to overcome that poison. Here are some healthier ways to cope with negative emotions.

1. GO FOR A WALK.

   Getting some Vitamin D on a walk and moving your body always helps you instantly improve your mood! Grab your headphones and listen to some great music or an inspiring podcast while you walk to get your mind off the negative emotions too!

2. MEDITATE.

   It may sound strange but, even just a 10 minute meditation can relieve stress and calm you down! Learn about the UNSTRESS meditation series that is free on Beachbody On Demand!

3. CALL A FRIEND.

   When you are feeling a lot of negative emotions, calling a friend to talk it out always helps me! It is so great to get someone else’s perspective about what you are upset about! If a friend is busy and not around at the moment, journal out what you are upset about in the moment and then talk to them about what you wrote down later!

TIPS ON HOW TO OVERCOME EMOTIONAL EATING

1. IDENTIFY THE TRIGGER.

   Sometimes it’s a quick impulsive reaction to hearing bad news for yourself, family, friends or in the news. We quickly reach to food for a way to instantly find coping and sometimes it is a deep, darker underlying issue that you haven’t yet addressed. That issue could be loneliness, sadness, or things that are heavy and deep-rooted. We need emotional healing, not emotional eating. I’ve learned that through my own dark times to finally understand that. Healing can take a long time. Sometimes we think we are over something when we are really not. Emotions don’t have timetables. Sometimes it takes longer to go through those emotions so we want to make sure we are dealing with it appropriately.

   Identify what it really is that you are trying to fill because food is not going to be the thing to fill it. You are going to realize that emotional eating is never ok because when you learn the food groups, plate it, and start to eat with purpose, you will realize that there is no purpose to eating for emotional reasons. You will realize that you are not even tasting and enjoying these things when you emotionally eat. If you are not enjoying your food, then just drop the fork. Treats and sweets are meant to enhance positive times. They are not the thing to rely on to lift us up in negative, darker times.

2. CONTINUE TO TRACK YOUR MEALS EVERY DAY.

   Write down what foods you eat each day and go on the scale. Seriously, go on the scale. I am only saying it because I know for me it has been critical stopping emotional eating before it gets the best of me. Sometimes when we are going through a really hard time, we want to treat ourselves, relax a little bit, and eat for comfort. However, when you go o the scale everyday and you keep seeing it increase, you are able to stop it sooner. You realize that if you don’t stop you feel guilty and stressed because you are losing sight of your goals and what you really want to be on top of going through your hard time.

3. KEEP EVERYTHING OOSOOM, OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.

   If you are going through a hard time or you are stressed at work, don’t start bringing in all of your trigger foods and sweets in the office or your house to make everyone “feel better.” You will still have that deadline or hard things are still happening and the treats are not helping. Out of sight, out of mind is a great way to make sure you don’t emotionally eat. There are so many ways you can get healing and get positive vibes when everything else feels out of your control and negative.

4. ASK FOR SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY.

   Lean on a coach like me, or your friends and family. We are all going through this together. Take walks, snuggle your pet, hug a family member, journaling, listening to upbeat music. All of these things can make us feel better.

5. USE EXERCISE TO RELIEVE STRESS.

   Exercise is the golden standard way to relieve stress. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through some of my hardest times without my workouts. It’s been the best for me in feeling longer, leaner, and stronger in my mind and my body so I can better tackle everything else out there. When you sweat and you exercise, you actually release serotonin and endorphins. It’s really important when you are going through hard times to do whatever it takes to feel good in a positive way.

6. JOIN MY NEXT VIRTUAL BOOTCAMP!

   My Virtual Bootcamps combine at-home workouts, nutrition programs, and support from our accountability groups to help you look and feel your best! In our groups, we share our wins and struggles and we tackle topics like emotional eating together!

GENERAL TIPS FOR EATING OUT

You can totally stay on track with your weight loss goals even if you are going to a restaurant or ordering takeout. Here are some general tips to follow when you are eating out:

1. DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR CUSTOMIZATIONS.

   I know you may feel like you are being the “difficult” one at the table when you ask for customizations, but that is your waiter or waitresses job. They are used to it due to food allergies and sensitivities so order what you need and don’t feel bad about it.

2. DON’T FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO CLEAR YOUR PLATE.

   Restaurant/ takeout portions are always much BIGGER than an actual portion is. Honor your fullness and box up whatever you don’t finish for later!

3. LOOK AT THE MENU BEFORE YOU EVEN GET TO THE RESTAURANT AND DECIDE WHAT YOU ARE ORDERING.

   Looking at the menu before you even get to the restaurant is a great way to alleviate stress of trying to decide once you get there. You will probably want to talk to the people you are going out with and if you are trying to figure out what is the healthiest option for you there, you might get stressed out and pick the wrong option. Always have a plan and be prepared so you can enjoy your meal and your company!

4. IF YOU ARE GOING TO DRINK ALCOHOL, BE SURE TO DRINK A GLASS OF WATER BETWEEN DRINKS.

   It’s totally fine if you want to drink alcohol at a restaurant or at home with your take-out. Just be sure to drink a glass of water between drinks as it will keep you hydrated and will slow you down from having more than 2 drinks.

I am going to give you options you can choose at each meal from many different cuisines so you can stay on track and achieve your goals no matter what you are eating!

EATING OUT OR GETTING TAKEOUT FROM A DINER

BREAKFAST

• Option:

  • You could order an omelette and go light on the hash browns and the bread.

  • You could also ask for fruit instead of the bread.

  • You could swap out eggs for egg whites and add veggies to your omelette.

  • When you are eating out, the portions are very big. Eat until you are full and then boxing the rest to take home.

• Your Breakfast Should Be:

  • 50% Protein

  • 50% Carbohydrates

LUNCH

• Salads: Cobb or Cesar

  • Veggies: the base of the salad.

  • Protein: grilled fish, salmon, shrimp, chicken steak, tuna.

  • Carbohydrate: corn on the cob, baked potato, bean soup.

  • Ask for any dressings or condiments on the side.

• Sandwich, Wrap or Burger

  • Remove the top slice of bread. An open face is a happy face!

  • Get a salad or a vegetable based soup on the side.

  • Ask for any dressings or condiments on the side.

DINNER

• Make sure your plate is 50% veggies!

• Meat: chicken, fish, beef. Make sure you get any of the meats grilled, baked or roasted.

EATING OUT OR GETTING TAKEOUT FROM A SALAD BAR

LUNCH

• 50% Veggies: Always start with arugula, mixed greens, romaine lettuce.

• 25% Protein: flaked tuna, chopped eggs, shrimp, chicken, whatever you like.

• 25% Carbohydrate: chopped beans, chopped fruit, chickpeas, red kidney beans, etc.

• Ask for dressing on the side.

EATING OUT OR GETTING TAKEOUT FROM AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT

LUNCH

• Option 1:

  • Veggies: Antipasto Salad: you can ask them to top it over arugula.

  • Protein: Get your protein from the meat from the antipasto.

  • Carbohydrate: Ask for minestrone soup.

  • Ask for dressing on the side.

• Option 2:

  • You could also get beet or arugula salads.

  • Ask for goat cheese on the side.

  • Add Italian marinated shrimp, salmon, chicken.

DINNER

• Option 1:

  • Ask for a cup of marinara sauce on the side when you get takeout.

  • Veggies: tuscan roasted vegetables, broccoli, spinach.

  • Protein: grilled, roasted or baked. Any protein you want.

• Option 2:

  • Chicken Paillard

  • Get double veggies for sides : tuscan roasted vegetables, broccoli, spinach.

EATING OUT OR GETTING TAKEOUT FROM A JAPANESE RESTAURANT

LUNCH

• Carbohydrates:

  • Get brown rice.

  • If you want a sushi roll, ask them to go light on the rice.

• Protein:

  • Make sure there is protein in the sushi roll so yellow tail, salmon, tuna, etc.

• Veggies:

  • Sunomono salad, field green salad with carrot miso ginger dressing, seaweed salad.

  • Broth-based soups filled with veggies.

  • Ask for spicy mayo or dressings on the side.

• Avoid rolls that called “tornado”, “tsunami” and “tempura” as they are usually deep-fried.

DINNER

• Option 1:

  • Take the same sushi roll listed above as lunch and wrap it in cucumber or seaweed it is called a “Naruto” roll at a lot of places.

• Option 2:

  • Miso-glazed eggplant with roasted asparagus

EATING OUT OR GETTING TAKEOUT FROM A CHINESE RESTAURANT

LUNCH

• Veggies + Protein : Order steamed veggies and protein and ask for sauce on the side at Chinese restaurants

  • Protein: Shrimp, chicken, meat or fish.

• Carbohydrates: Brown rice but only eat half of the rice as it is 2 servings of rice and save it for leftovers.

DINNER

• Veggies + Protein : Order steamed veggies and protein and ask for sauce on the side at Chinese restaurants

  • Protein: Shrimp, chicken, meat or fish

• Order a broth-based soup like the won ton, egg drop and sweet and sour soups.

  • Keep in mind these soups are high in salt. So if you have them you may see an increase in weight the next day.

  • That is water retention and will correct itself in a few days as long as you drink a lot of water.

EATING OUT OR GETTING TAKEOUT FROM A MEXICAN RESTAURANT

LUNCH

• There are so many places now that are “make your own Mexican meal” where you choose your base, you choose your protein and you choose your toppings.

• Veggies should always be your base of your meal.

  • Sometimes, they put things in burritos so you can ask them for a bowl of lettuce as your base.

• Protein: Tofu, chicken, shrimp, or pulled pork that is usually already seasoned.

• Carbohydrates: Pinto beans and corn are great to add to your lunch.

• Toppings like pico de gallo, cilantro and limes are freebies so have as much as you want on that!

  • For toppings like guacamole, cheese and sour cream, choose which one you want.

• Fajitas are also a great option to order! Ask for double protein or double veggies.

DINNER

• Taco Salad

  • Ask for them not to bring the taco shell and swap it for more lettuce instead.

  • This gives you plenty of veggies and proteins you need for dinner!

EATING OUT OR GETTING TAKEOUT FROM A STEAKHOUSE & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

LUNCH + DINNER

• Veggies:

  • Roasted brussels sprouts, sauted spinach, fire roasted artichoke and tomatoes, salads and soups.

  • Ask them if they can make these veggies with less oil if possible.

• Protein:

  • Seared salmon, lobster, crab, shrimp, steak, chicken, turkey etc.

  • Ask for grilled, steamed, roasted proteins.

  • If it says sauted or pan-fried, ask your waiter or on the phone what they mean by that.

  • Make sure you get sauces on the side.

MY NUTRITION BOOTCAMP

If you thought this blog post was helpful, join my Nutrition Bootcamp as I will give you the Mix & Match Restaurant Guide for meal ideas for each of these cuisines I talked about in this blog post! We also talk about meal prepping, recipes and mindset around food. I give you tips on how to overcome emotional eating and our group is a great place where we support and cheer each other on! Click the button below to join my Nutrition Bootcamp!

Tracking your food is critical for weight loss & breaking through plateaus

Plateaus happen. You are not going to lose weight every day. It’s unrealistic to think you are going to so don’t get too upset about it. Tracking your food is super important. No matter what meal plan you follow, track your food. That way, you can go back and reflect on what you ate in a particular day and see how it made you feel and how it effected the scale. I use the 2B Mindset tracker but you could use the Ultimate Portion Fix tracker or just pen and paper to track what you eat each day.

The tracker above is the 2B Mindset tracker I use. If you want to do this meal plan with me, freaking join me! I would love to teach you this, swap our recipes, lose weight and get fit together!

DIGGING DEEPER INTO MY OWN PLATEAU

I myself went through an 11 day plateau. So I decided to dig in deeper as to why this was happening. I took a look at my 2B Mindset tracker and I focused on my:

• Water Intake

• Workouts

• Stress

• Sleep

• Bathroom Habits

• Foods I Have Eaten

I’ve been doing a great job with my water intake, crushing my workouts and sleeping well so I know I am good there. However, there were a couple of trends I noticed with the foods I have eaten. When I started adding in more cauliflower and cheddar cheese, I wasn’t losing any weight on those days and that started the plateau. Cauliflower sits in my stomach like a rock and makes me feel a little gassy (sorry TMI). It was the cheddar cheese, thousand island dressing with greek yogurt that played a part in the plateau as well. Those things were leading into constipation for me. Every single time I ate cauliflower, I saw weight gain the next day. I guarantee it’s not the cauliflower, but the toppings on top of it so for a week, I stopped eating cauliflower.

I also noticed that I was using Himalayan pink salt and garlic powder so I switched that and just started using garlic salt. For some reason, that made a difference! Finally, I added more carbohydrates to my breakfast.

Often times when we think “weight loss”, we think “eat less” and sometimes that’s not the answer.

When you are losing weight, you should feel good, energized and you shouldn’t be starving all day.

If you do feel starving all day, you need to eat more!! I have been told that if you under eat, your body holds onto any fat as excess fuel instead of burning it off so that is actually working against you. I have my shake and oats in the morning for breakfast and I am finding that the extra carbohydrates in the morning are keeping me fuller for longer and I am seeing better results. When you are not starving all day, you have less cravings and you have less of a tendency to binge or overeat.

IF YOU ARE STUCK, ASK SOMEONE FOR HELP!

All that being said, if you are stuck, look at what you are doing and ask someone. That’s the benefit of being in a Virtual Bootcamp and having a coach! They know what they are doing and they can help you figure out what you can tweak and sometimes it’s little small tweaks like no cheese and then you can lose weight and break the plateau.

Remember, even if you get over a plateau, you may plateau again.

I know I am going to plateau again but I am ready because I always track my food and I can always look back and figure out what the trigger is and then make tweaks based off of that.

Plateaus are an opportunity to learn something about your body and yourself, it’s not an opportunity to quit.

If you do that, you’re going to be stuck. If you’re unhappy with where you are at, don’t unpack your stuff and sit there. Look at what you are doing and get creative. I promise you, make some changes and remember if you want it bad enough, you will make the changes.

Remember that you can do this!

You are never ever stuck unless you decide to quit.

So don’t be a quitter girl, you are better than that!