More from Dr. Kessler

From page 218

A useful tool to help you step back from the habit of reaching for food when you're under stress is to label the feelings you're experiencing. You can begin simply by saying, "I feel sad", "I feel tired," or "I feel fearful." Recognizing your emotions and describing them helps you to look more objectively at your options for coping. Indeed, many of us do feel better for a brief while after we" eat foods high in sugar and fat. But the distortion in our thinking is that the new mood will last or that there is nothing else we can do to achieve the same effect. Ask yourself, "Will eating help me truly deal with this feeling?" Most of the time it won't.