Emotional Eating!
We don't always eat to fulfill our physical needs. Many of us use food as a source of comfort, stress reduction, or reward. We prefer to seek for junk food, sweets, and other meals when we are in one of these conditions. When you're feeling down, grab a pint of ice cream or order a burger if you're bored or lonely.
Emotional eating is when you eat to make yourself feel better, rather than to feed your stomach. Emotional eating, however, doesn't really solve emotional distress. In most cases, it makes you feel worse. Not only does the initial emotional issue persist, but you also feel terrible for overeating as a result.
Ask yourself these questions to know if you are an emotional eater:
• Do you eat more when you’re feeling stressed?
• Do you eat when you’re not hungry or when you’re full?
• Do you eat to feel better (to calm and soothe yourself when you’re sad, mad, bored, anxious, etc.)?
• Do you reward yourself with food?
• Does food make you feel safe? Do you feel like food is a friend?
Common causes of emotional eating
• Stress. Have you ever noticed how stressful situations make you hungry? When you're under a lot of stress, which is common in our hectic, fast-paced environment, your body creates a lot of cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Cortisol makes you crave salty, sugary, and fried meals, which provide a rush of energy and pleasure. The more unmanaged stress you have in your life, the more inclined you are to seek emotional relief through food.
• Stuffing emotions. Anger, fear, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, resentment, and guilt are some of the feelings that eating can temporarily suppress or "stuff down." You can avoid the tough emotions you don't want to feel by numbing yourself with food.
• Boredom or feelings of emptiness. You eat simply to give yourself something to do and to relieve boredom.
• Childhood habits. If your parents reward your good behavior with food, These habits can often carry over into adulthood.
• Social influences. Getting together with other people for a meal is a great way to relieve stress, but it can also lead to overeating.
6 questions to ask yourself after emotional eating
1) What emotions was I feeling?
2) What cause me to feel the emotions?
3) Is there something within my control I can address?
4) Is there something outside of my control I can release?
5) What action can I take to better support myself next time I feel the emotions?
6) What professional support systems can I lean into needed?
Emotional eating alternatives
• Call someone who always helps you feel better, play with your dog or cat, or look at a favorite photo or cherished keepsake if you're feeling down or lonely.
• If you're feeling worried, try dancing to your favorite song, squeezing a stress ball, or going for a fast walk to release your nervous energy.
• If you're tired, make yourself a nice cup of tea, take a bath, light some scented candles, or cuddling up with a warm blanket.
• If you're bored, read a nice book, watch a comedy show, walk outside, or engage in a fun pastime (woodworking, playing the guitar, shooting hoops, scrapbooking, etc.)
Emotional eating tends to be automatic and virtually mindless.
Take 5 before you give in to a craving
• First: Can you put off eating for five minutes? Or just start with one minute.
• Second: Don’t tell yourself you can’t give in to the craving; Just tell yourself to wait.
• Third: While you’re waiting, check in with yourself.
How are you feeling?
What’s going on emotionally?
Even if you end up eating, you’ll have a better understanding of why you did it. This can help you set yourself up for a different response next time.
• Forth: Learn to accept your feelings—even the bad ones
To do this you need to become mindful and learn how to stay connected to your moment-to-moment emotional experience.
Indulge without overeating by savoring your food
Usually, when you eat to feed your feelings:
• you tend to do so quickly and mindlessly
• You eat so fast
• you miss out on the different tastes and textures of your food
• You miss out your body’s cues that you’re full and no longer hungry.
But by slowing down and savoring every bite
• You’ll enjoy your food more and less likely to overeat.
• You may even eat your favorite foods and still feel satisfied on far less.
Slowing down and savoring your food is an important aspect of mindful eating, the opposite of mindless, emotional eating.
• Try taking a few deep breaths before starting your food,
• Putting your utensils down between bites,
• Focus on the experience of eating.
• Pay attention to the textures, shapes, colors and smells of your food.
It takes time for the body’s fullness signal to reach your brain, so taking a few moments to consider how you feel after each bite—hungry or satiated—can help you avoid overeating.
