Stress and food are an interesting combination. Some people eat without thinking. And some people never stop thinking about eating. Everyone has his own eating patterns and idiosyncrasies, and it’s important to identify and understand your particular eating behavior, so that you can do something positive about correcting any problems. I could relate to every category at one time or another in my life, and sometimes, all of them on the same night! Do you recognize yourself in any of these eaters?

The Robot. This person mindlessly eats in an automatic way. They come in, they still have their coat on, they go to the refrigerator. They don’t even know what they want. They just start eating. They may eat big family-size bags of chips or popcorn, or whatever… in front of the television set, while they’re driving, or even while they’re on the phone.

The Hedonist. This person loves food… the smells, the tastes, the textures. They say things like, “Oh, I’m stuffed… I shouldn’t eat any more,” but they keep going because they love it so much. They are very susceptible to emotional cues and even a commercial sends them running to the refrigerator.

The Bargainer. This person negotiates their eating strategy. They don’t eat all week so they can eat on the weekends. They fast the week before a vacation, so they can pig-out. This person has no natural relationship with eating because everything is done in the extremes.

The Zealot. This person obsessively measures, weighs, counts points, grams, carbs, whatever. They’re into the latest diet book all the time, and everything is according to the rules, including the time, as in, “Ooh, it’s lunchtime, I’d better eat.” They don’t know how to listen to their body’s signals because they’re too busy listening to everything else.

The Martyr. This is the self-sacrificing eater who says, “Oh, no, you take the good one. I’ll have the burnt one" or, “Don’t mind me. I ate yesterday.” They hate to throw food away and they’re really guilty of "the Mommy Syndrome" (eating off their kids’ plates). They never want to make their own plate of food.

The Crybaby. This is the emotional eater who doesn’t want to feel a feeling. They put all their feelings into their eating, and usually they choose to eat their favorite comfort foods.

The Champion. This is how you really want to eat. You recognize that eating is not about measuring, counting, weighing... fats, grams, calories, of the same old bad food. You eat real food because you’re a real person. Because you’re eating real food, your body is getting enough nutrients to know when to stop. You feel satisfied with a small amount because your choices are nutrient dense. You know what kind of food you want before you order because you’ve already tuned into your body’s signals without being derailed by temptation. As a Champion, you’re very aware of the triggers and potential games your mind can play with your willpower. You are never influenced by what you see on someone else’s plate or a menu. You eat a good balance of foods, never too much of one thing, and your food choices are healthy because you know you’re not going to feel good if you eat junk.