Excerpted from “Staying Sober” by Meredith Gould

STOP and ASK yourself the questions listed in each of the areas below before you take that next bite of food. Learn to identify and develop specific strategies to change patterns of behavior that precede, accompany, or follow emotional eating.

HUNGRY?
When was the last time you ate?
What did you eat?
How much did you eat?
Why did you eat? i.e. was it a planned meal or unplanned eating time?

ANGRY?
What or who set you off?
Can you actually do anything about the situation or is it just ‘life happening?’
When did you last get some aerobic exercise?
Have you tried any of the following to dissipate the energy of the situation?
-Taking a deep breath
-Taking a nice hot bath
-Writing a letter or note (that you won’t send) about the situation
Have you talked it over with others you respect and trust to give you good input?

LONELY?
Do you belong to a support group where you can talk about your eating struggle?
Do you have a partner, sponsor, or friend who is walking on this journey with you that you can call and say, ‘I’m feeling lonely?’
Is there someone you can call to talk to who is interested in you who will commit to be available to you when you hit these moments on your journey?
Connection is absolutely critical to being able to move forward in your recovery process. Decide today to take the steps necessary to move towards connection.

TIRED?
What kind of schedule are you keeping? Be honest.
Are you working extra hours?
Are you up and around until the wee hours when you need to be in bed asleep?
Do you struggle with insomnia?
You may need a nice hot bath, soothing music, a short snooze during the afternoon or afternoon break. At the very least, plan to go to sleep and wake up on a regular schedule.