Are you an emotional eater? Do you find yourself snacking late at night because you’re upset or bored? Been there, done that. I’ll assure you that breaking a poor eating habit will be difficult, but it’s absolutely possible. I’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks that helped me break the emotional eating habit and contributed to my weight loss.

1. Go For A Walk Or Run

Getting up and moving around will benefit you in more ways than one. Not only will standing up and thinking about being active distract you from your thoughts about eating, the feel-good endorphins that are released during exercise will become your new best friend. Get out and move for at least a half hour and I promise you won’t have a single thought about being hungry.

2. Talk It Out

If it’s an emotional ordeal that has you thinking about reaching for that bag of chips, reach out to a friend for support. Pick up your phone and send a text or call to your mom, grandma or friend and dish it all out. Talking about what’s bothering you will take your mind away from snacking and help you focus on the problem at hand. You’ll probably solve it twice as fast also!

3. Drink Water Instead

Keeping a cold bottle of water with you at all times will solve most of your false hunger pangs. When we are dehydrated, sometimes our brains get confused and sends us a signal that says “you’re hungry!” when really, you’re just thirsty. Grab a cold glass of water before you sit down for your Netflix binge and refill it if you find yourself thinking about that midnight snack.

4. Chew Gum

This will help you out if you find yourself eating when you’re bored. Chewing mint flavored gum will make you feel like you just brushed your teeth, and I don’t know anyone that wants to eat right after they brush and floss. Smokers rely on gum to help them stop smoking because the constant chewing gives them something to focus on and that’s exactly why it will help you overcome that boredom induced binging.

5. Don’t Buy Junk

The difference between emotional eating and having a serious craving is that you’ll probably get up and leave the house for a serious craving. This means that while you’re grocery shopping, avoid buying unhealthy snacks or junk food. Carrot sticks, grapes, sunflower seeds and all natural popcorn are great snacks to purchase at the store. If you can’t help but snack, you won’t feel so guilty reaching for one of those options instead of a bag of doritos!

6. Restrict your TV Time

Spending hours in front of the TV will make you tired, irritable, and lazy. Limiting your time in front of the television will ensure you are up and moving for most of the day and you won’t be inclined to snack if you’re busy! Recording shows and watching just one show each night instead of two or three will help break your TV habit.

These tips and tricks have been my saving grace as I’ve tried to break my emotional eating habits. Sticking to healthier options and distracting yourself from the fake hunger will help you lose weight and stay healthy.