Step one to overcoming emotional eating is to start to observe your own behavior as if you are watching yourself. Journal what you are eating, when you are eating it and if you can identify what you are feeling. Start doing this for a week or two and really try to be consistent because then you will be able to see your eating patterns as they are associated with your emotional patterns.

The second step is to really give some thought to other options you can take besides eating. It sounds simple but it is often why we don’t give it a sincere effort. Remember just because it is simple doesn’t make it easy to follow through on. So the challenge here is to make a list of 5-7 things you can do when you observe your emotional triggers going off and you get the push to go for the junk food or what ever food you use to distract yourself from what stresses have just appeared in your day.

Now that you have your list it is time to start to use them in place of food whenever you can. This can be very challenging to do in the beginning so it is important to give your self some room for error. If you expect perfection right out of the gate you will be frustrated with yourself and may end up feeling defeated before you even give it a chance to work and it will work with consistent practice. So the plan is to use these activities in place of eating when your emotional eating is triggered. Each time you are able to substitute your new activity you are rewiring your brain to this healthier habit. It takes a good deal of practice to do this, but with each success you are closer and closer. Each success makes it a little bit easier the next time you are triggered.

Practice is key. Expect a certain level of failed attempts in the beginning. It is like learning to ride a bike. You fail for a while until you get the hang of it. So in the beginning try to hold off from the trigger of getting food to distract you from your feelings and instead do an alternative activity. Each minute you hold off you are moving towards your success. If you give in learn from it and then try again the next time. Journal what happened so you can tweak your response for the next time. These failed attempts are just the stepping stones to your success.

As your brain starts to stop the association of food and your trigger you are weakening that particular ‘wiring’ in the brain. This is your previously learned response. Now your brain is rewiring with the new response. Until your new response wiring is stronger than the old emotional eating wiring it will still be challenging not to eat when triggered, but each success will make it easier.

This is where it can get a little dicey. Practice is key for this step. If your not patient with yourself you may be over critical when you give into eating when you are triggered. If may quit before you see the results of the emotional eating giving way to your new healthier alternatives. So recognize that you need to practice this step over and over and over again. Practice is what will wire it into your brain, making it stronger than your old emotional food behavior association. You can make it a little more fun by keeping score. In the Body Shifts Weight Loss Success Membership Program I have my clients keep a score card. One side had “Old Brain Programming” and the other side has “I Won”. Each time you give in and eat when a trigger hits then the Old Brain Programming gets a point. When you follow a new healthier pattern then you get the point. As you get more points you will find it easier and easier because you are wiring it in your brain. Your winning!

Action Step: Choose 5-7 substitutions for eating when an emotional trigger strikes. Record each time you use your new healthier behavior and keep a score card. Be patient and consistent with yourself. Above all keep practicing.

To accelerate your weight loss listen to this free MP3 download 6 ‘Must Do’ Action Steps to Increase Your Weight Loss Use this Free Weight Loss Journal to help you get focused results fast.

• Overcome Emotional Eating: Step One
• Methods to Control Emotional Eating
• Accelerate Your Metabolism and Increase Your Fat Loss Rate
• Four Choices between Success and Failure
• Brain Workouts - Can They Boost Your Memory?