Lauren Grant: Hi! My name is Lauren Grant with the Hungry Heart, and today I'd like to talk to you about emotional overeating. Many people struggle with compulsive overeating, binge eating, and yo-yo dieting. Most of us know what we'd like to do but we just can't see to get ourselves to do it, and this because we're using food as a tool to deal with our emotional issues. And as long as we're in this habit, it doesn't matter what diet or what program we go on. Eventually, something goes us off in life and we're back to the food again. So how can you break out of this cycle?

First eat frequently throughout the day, start with eating breakfast and midmorning snack, lunch and a mid-afternoon bite. Have protein, carbs, fruits and vegetables at each meal and snack. It doesn't have to be a large quantity, just enough to meet your needs. So by doing this it levels out our blood sugar, and we don't end up overeating later in the day because we're too hungry.

To develop tools and resources for working through life challenges, we tend to overeat if we're bored or lonely, stressed or angry, happy, or because it's a habit, or we're using food to avoid ourselves. So learn how to create balance for yourself by scheduling time for fun, relaxation, exercise, family and friends. Work shouldn't overtake your life, so by meeting your emotional needs, you're less likely to turn to food to block out uncomfortable thoughts and emotions. It's essential to develop a support system, so when you are hit with life challenges, you have someone you can talk to and share with. It's important that we have people in our life that we can count on and connect with. So if you're having trouble and like further assistance, there're plenty of resources online that can help you overcome your challenges with emotional overeating. You can work with counselor in person via Skype, with phone counseling, or you might find success with the programs specializing in emotional overeating. The key is finding a person or organization that understands your need and can help you get to the other side of this challenge.