Emotional eating is one of the biggest struggles for those trying to commit to a diet and exercise plan. When dieters experience a slip up, guilt often leads them to further overeat. The author provides three key points: 1) Minor slip ups are not a big deal and should not be overcompensated for with excessive dieting or exercise. 2) Occasional treats will not derail progress as long as binges are avoided. 3) Identifying emotional triggers for eating is important so healthier coping mechanisms can replace eating habits. Breaking the cycle of using food to cope with emotions requires willpower at first but pays off in the long run.

1. Emotional
Eating:
Break
the
Cycle
By
Erik
Ledin
November
12,
2013
One
of
the
biggest
sources
of
struggle
for
those
trying
to
commit
to
a
diet
and
exercise
plan
is
emotional
eating.
A
common
scenario:
After
a
period
of
hard
and
fast
devotion
to
your
goals,
something
happens
that
causes
you
to
make
a
slip
up,
and
the
guilt
and
self-­‐torture
of
the
mistake
escalates
the
problem.
Does
this
sound
familiar
to
you?
There
are
a
few
things
I’d
like
to
say
on
this:
First,
it’s
not
that
big
of
a
deal.
Seriously,
get
over
it.The
last
thing
you
should
do
is
try
to
compensate
for
the
slip
up
by
cutting
meals
or
doing
extraneous
exercise.
This
type
of
bargaining
is
bad
for
your
health,
and
it
only
reinforces
the
bad
habit.
All
you
need
to
do
is
pick
yourself
up,
get
back
on
the
horse,
and
don’t
look
back,
not
even
for
a
second.
Secondly,
don’t
let
it
throw
you.
Occasionally
caving
in
and
eating
a
cookie
isn’t
the
end
of
the
world.
Yes,
it
wasn’t
on
your
plan,
but
it’s
just
one
cookie.
The
thing
to
watch
out
for
is
that
voice
in
your
brain
that
says,
“Well,
I
messed
up.
I
might
as
well
go
hog
wild
and
make
it
really
count!”
The
next
thing
you
know,
that
one
cookie
has
become
a
whole
bag
of
cookies.
Now
you’ve
got
a
problem.
Lastly,
there’s
a
pattern
here
that
needs
to
be
identified
and
eliminated.
If
you’re
stuck
in
a
pattern
of
stress
–>
anger
–>
sadness
–>
eating,
remember
this
isn’t
who
you
are,
it’s
just
how
you
are
right
now.
It’s
a
habit
you’ve
developed,
for
one
reason
or
another,
that
you
need
to
replace
with
one
that’s
healthier
and
more
constructive.
It’s
a
behavioral
response
to
an
emotional
trigger
that
you
have
the
power
to
alter.
Use
that
power.
It
might
be
tough
at
first,
but
you
know
it’ll
be
worth
it
in
the
long
run.