Back to the Scale (Not THAT Scale!)

Whenever I find myself mindlessly munching or hitting the sweets too often, I go back to the scale. But not the scale you step on — although my once-every-few-weeks step onto it lets me know I’m holding steady (steadily onto oh, 10 or so pregnancy pounds. Hashtag breastfeeding ain’t a magical weight-loss solution, ya’ll). But when I know I’m getting a little too friendly with unhealthy habits, I go back to the hunger scale. Jenn talked about this recently over on Eats and I wanted to mention it here because it is so key to connecting with that pesky thing called hunger — and kicking emotional eating to the curb. Or at least, giving emotional eating a little curb check.

I’ve come to know that I am a stress eater. If I’m eating for reasons other than hunger, it’s because my to-do list has gotten too long, I haven’t had any time to myself, it’s 10 p.m., and I still have an item that must be done for the next day on that list. And let me tell you, when I’m eating out of stress, I’m not grabbing things like broccoli and carrots. My vices are much colder and sweeter. Or chocolate and melty. Or winey. Or salty and crunchy. But definitely not carrot and broccoli-y.

Checking in with the hunger scale and questioning whether I’m really hungry before I grab a bite is good to do every now and then. Sure, sometimes I’m hungry and I’ll have that sweet treat. But other times, I’m just stressed out and need to vent. And sometimes I’m just exhausted and need to forget the to-do list and get to bed early instead. The hunger scale forces you to deal with issues head-on rather than cope with a temporary fix.

Are you an emotional eater? Does checking in with your hunger help you deal with your emotions rather than eat them? —Erin