Mindset is more important than anything when it comes to emotional eating, because it comes BEFORE action. For example, we don’t expect our clients to follow through on the action of meal prep or exercising if there is a mental barrier that will likely prevent that from happening. Your mind 🧠 is the most powerful tool you have to help you on your health journey. But if it’s not addressed, it will hold you back. The process of rewiring your brain to think differently and see things with a new perspective is entirely possible. Take it from the girl who used to justify her choices to eat processed foods before bed and drink a bottle of wine almost every day of the week. 👋🙋🏼‍♀️ While this process is time consuming and challenging at times, here are 3️⃣ steps to get you started.

1️⃣. Acknowledgment. Sometimes just understanding what is happening can take the power out of it. What I mean by that is emotional eating is NORMAL. It was ingrained in all of us at birth when nursing or a bottle was used for comfort. There is nothing wrong with you for doing it. It’s also important to acknowledge that emotional eating is not the problem. It is the solution we use to cope with a problem. To get to the root of the issue, you need to address WHY you are eating to cope.

2️⃣. Take Inventory. Once that step happens, make a list. An inventory of all the things that make you feel GOOD that does not involve food, alcohol, or drugs. Put that list on the fridge or somewhere you will see regularly. Some of my list favorites are blaring a favorite tune 🎶, going for a walk, having a sauna, or booking a self-care appointment like massage.

3️⃣. Mindfulness. As human beings, sometimes it’s second nature to not think before acting. So the power of mindfulness (playing that tape until the end) and asking yourself some questions like “why am I doing this?” or “how will this make me feel?” can help redirect you.