Emotional eating

I have been an emotional eater all my life. The right type of food can drown out whatever other emotion I am trying to avoid. In most cases, it is sadness or loneliness. Tonight, I think it is both. In a very stereotyped fashion, I have an empty feeling and I want to fill it with food. The problem is, the hole is not the shape of food, the hole is not in my stomach - and so food is not the answer.

What then? How do I ignore the coping mechanism I have known for over 2 decades? There are so many things I could do to distract both my brain and my hands. Providing myself with a list of things to do rather than eat when I feel down may be a starting point. When faced with negative feelings, my first instinct is to feed them. Without a prepared list of other ideas, I will have nowhere else to turn.

Now, the one potential issue is that when I feel this way, I am also usually lacking motivation to really *do* anything. I suppose that's why sitting and eating seems so good. On this list, I will give myself options that involve being busy, but also some idle options for those days when I just can't get moving.

When I am feeling emotional and am compelled to eat, before I give in to that urge I will try at least two of the following:

1) Go for a walk
2) Put on upbeat music and dance
3) Write about it
4) Play a video game
5) Call or write to a friend
6) Watch a funny movie or TV show
7) Clean for 15 minutes
8) Take a shower
9) Take a nap/go to bed early (sometimes you just gotta)
10) Visit sparkpeople.com
11) Read my written list of motivations
12) Drink a glass of water

More as I think of them, but for now, just making this list and focusing on other alternatives has gotten me through the overwhelming urge to feed my emotions. On to tomorrow with a moment of pride...