Application of three different coaching strategies for people with emotional eating 85 4 Condition “Focus-on-change & experiencing cravings” Sensing and understanding emotions | Participants noted that they would like to gain more knowledge about their own emotions and feelings. Not only did they want to learn about how to sense their own emotions, but they were also in need of more knowledge about how to deal with them. Instead of emotional eating it would be useful to reflect on the situation, pause, and discontinue the flow of behaviour in order to take a moment for reflection. I think that it is good to reflect on what you’re feeling (anver-64). Regulating emotions | Most participants were well aware of their emotions. They mentioned the desire to influence their emotions and consequently gain more control over their eating behaviour. They wanted to break behavioural patterns and recurring thoughts, and were already familiar with their own personal emotional eating behaviour. Participants were totally aware of what was going on, but wanted to learn how to cope with their emotional distress and deal with it, instead of ‘giving in’ to emotional eating. Providing advice about the emotions; explaining that it isn’t necessary to eat just because others are doing it; and ways to deal with stress, other than the cookie jar (anver-67). Preventive practical advice | Most participants indicated preferring advice, with practical tips on how to prevent or stop their undesirable eating behaviour. They pointed out that what they need is a reach-out – someone who holds their hand and suggests practical steps. Participants wanted solutions on how to anticipate and recognize signals that the cravings they are experiencing may be harbingers of emotional eating. They expressed a need for practical advice in the form of action plans or roadmaps; one suggestion was making a relapse prevention plan by coming up with substitute activities. In this way temptation is resisted and the impulse to eat suppressed, developing alternative habits and at the same time avoiding difficult situations. The meaning of eating behaviour | Participants wanted to understand out what lies behind the emotional eating behaviour, and find out what food stands for. They wanted to gain better insight into the behaviour and the conditions that lead to eating. Try to figure out what is really going on, what does “food” stand for? (andial-78). Eating behaviour in relation to healthy food | The need for practical tips often focused on food and health. Participants never mentioned diets or lifestyle programs,
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