Step # 2: A.W.A.R.E. Formula-WATCH OUT for your emotinal eating triggers

Emotional eating doesn't not happen without a cause. There's always a reason. We all have numerous triggers or cues, and the more of them that you can identify, the better.

So, what pushes your emotional eating buttons? Is it when you feel stress, loneliness, anger, boredom, sadness, or frustrated? Is it at parties, holidays, restaurants, or when you are alone? Is it the smell or sight of food? Is it watching television or going to a movie? Is it when people are eating around you or when certain weather occurs?

Once you have identified your triggers, your goal is to remove the ones you control and prepare your defenses for those you don't or cannot control.

One of the most common triggers for emotional eating is stress. One of the simplest ways to handle stress is to change the way you perceive it. Stress is not inherently problematic. What matters most is how you interpret and RESPOND to stress.

We need to see and have the experience that food is not the way to deal with stress. Food is good for energy and nutrition, but is a terrible way to de-stress because stress eating only makes us feel guilty afterward, and guilt simply leads to more stress.