It can be extremely gratifying to sink your teeth into a delectable morsel. But that same endorphin rush can lead to serious weight gain.

We’ve all been there at some point. Food does that. Psychologically and biologically, we know the outcomes of eating. But we eat because we’re hungry far less than we eat for an emotional reason or purpose. Research has shown that almost 75 percent of our overeating is the result of emotions.

Relationship issues, stress, self-esteem, boredom, depression, excitement, frustration and anger are all emotions that can contribute to eating, which easily can lead to numbers we hate seeing on the scale.

In the interest of full disclosure, I never will give up phenomenal buffalo wings, Baskin-Robbins’ Pralines ‘n Cream ice cream or Mrs. Fields cinnamon sugar cookies. But they are more of a guilty pleasure than a weakness or a vice. I want them from time to time. I never need them.

If we’re trying to manage our nutritional intake, we not only need to identify triggers of emotional eating but we need to control such eating.

Triggers

– Psychological – Negative self-worth or images can lead us to eat to placate ourselves. Temporary satisfaction leading to remorse over the food leads to more eating to gain satisfaction. Bad cycle.

– Physiological – Project needed to get finished so we skipped a couple of meals or simply forgot to eat. Maybe we’re sick for a couple of day or have a migraine, and food is the last thing on our minds. But the binge that follows after we recover can be costly.

– Opportunistic – Why are the candies, chips and sodas at the grocery register when we check out? Marketers and retailers know they can get us. We just spent $25 so what’s another 59 cents?

– Social settings – Are you ready for some football? How about the wings, chips and dips that go with the game day meal?

– Emotive – I’m bored so give me a candy bar. I’m stressed so give me another chocolate candy bar. I’m angry so give me more chocolate!

Control ideas

– Plan meals – Let’s have a good idea of what we’re going to eat next week. Planning meals leaves little room for those extra meals to grab hold of our love handles.

– Drink more water – Often our hunger impulses are for thirst, not hunger. Check our water intake. Are we drinking an adequate amount? Half of our bodyweight in ounces is a good start.

– Exercise – Movement elicits an emotional response similar to eating. So, move more. Moving the body correctly and moving it often help us battle the emotional issues and make wiser nutritional decisions.

– Saying “NO!” – When we get in social settings, we need to learn to say no and move on. “Thanks a lot. But, I’ll pass.” “No thanks! Not in the nutritional plan.” “I’m sure it is amazing, but I’m working toward amazing, too. And that’s not going to help me.”

– Plan the day – Let’s fill our days with productivity. We all have enough to do to avoid boredom. The better we plan our days, the more efficient we will be and the better we will control our nutritional habits.

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Bryant is an author and lecturer who holds several national training certifications. Email him at movingthefuture@gmail.com.

Milo Bryant – Moving the Future