Emotional Eating

I don't know about you, but I struggle with emotional eating. There are certain triggers that make me want to eat something that I shouldn't. I'm sure we all have triggers that make us want to eat those not so healthy things.

What are your emotional triggers? What do you crave?

Emotional triggers for me include: stress and sadness. What I usually crave is chocolate or carbs (chips, potatoes, sugary snacks).

What do you need to do to overcome those emotional triggers? Come up with a plan. When one of your triggers strikes, you'll be ready to deal with it. Yesterday, I experienced an emotional trigger, I just wanted to find something to eat, but I took the dog for a walk instead. I didn't intentionally plan it that way, that wasn't my plan. But looking back, I realize it was a good plan. Better than running to the store and picking up some Twizzlers. So, I decided I need to come up with a plan, so that when one of my emotional triggers fires, I can be prepared.

Do you  have a plan? Would love to hear what you do! As soon as I have one, I'll let you know what it is. But it's always good to have a plan.

I guess I already have two, actually, walking the dog and reading the Bible (that's what I did after I walked the dog). Both of those things gave me the opportunity to escape from the thing that was causing the emotional trigger. I had time to think and reflect about the situation and was able to overcome the "need" to eat something.

This ties in with something I read in "Made to Crave" yesterday. On page 159 it talks about 1 Corinthians 10:12-14, which says, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. / Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry."

Lysa TerKeurst than comments as follows, "Expecting anything outside the will of God to satisfy us is idolatry. Nutrition, which is food's intended purpose, means consuming proper portions of healthy choices that enable our bodies to function properly. Idolatry, in the case of food, means the consumption of ill-sized portions and unhealthy choices because we feel like we deserve it or need it to feel better.

We aren't to flee food. We need food. But we are to flee the control food can have on our lives. If we flee from the pattern of idolizing food and stop depending on food to make us feel emotionally better, we will be able to more clearly see the way out God promises to provide when we are tempted."

So, last night, when that emotional trigger occurred for me, I remembered reading this, so I fled (by taking the dog for a walk, and then reflecting on Scripture).