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When negative emotions threaten to trigger emotional eating, you can take steps to control cravings. Try these tips:

  • Keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you’re feeling when you eat, and how hungry you are. Over time, you might see patterns that reveal the connection between food and mood.
  • Tame your stress. If stress contributes to your emotional eating, try a stress management technique, such as yoga, meditation, or deep breathing.
  • Have a hunger reality check. Is your hunger physical or emotional?
  • Get support. You’re more likely to give in to emotional eating if you lack a good support network. Lean on family and friends or consider joining a support group.
  • Fight boredom. Instead of snacking when you’re not hungry, distract yourself and substitute a healthier behavior. 
  • Take away temptation. Don’t keep hard-to-resist foods in your home. And if you feel angry or blue, postpone your trip to the grocery store until you have your emotions in check.
  • Don’t deprive yourself. When trying to lose weight, you might limit calories too much, eat the same foods repeatedly and banish treats. This may just serve to increase your food cravings, especially in response to emotions. Eat satisfying amounts of healthier foods and enjoy occasional treats.
  • Snack healthy. Choose a healthy snack such as fresh fruit, vegetables, or nuts.
  • Learn from setbacks. If you have an episode of emotional eating, forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Try to learn from the experience and make a plan for how you can prevent it in the future.

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