If you’re a woman who is anything like me, you might have struggled with emotional eating at some point in your life. It’s nothing to be ashamed of – many of us turn to food when we’re feeling stressed, anxious, or down. However, emotional eating can lead to weight gain and other health problems and get in the way of living your best life. That’s why I’m going to share some of the strategies that have helped me overcome emotional eating. You’re not in this alone, and there are ways to break the cycle!
What is Emotional Eating?
Let’s start by defining emotional eating. Emotional eating is eating any time you’re not physically hungry. It’s simply using food to cope with emotions you typically want to distract yourself from feeling. We’ve all done it at one point or another – turn to comfort foods when we’re feeling sad, stressed, anxious, etc. For some women, emotional eating can become a dangerous cycle. We might use food to cope with emotions, but then feel guilty and ashamed after overeating. This leads to more emotional eating in an attempt to numb these feelings.
What Are the Causes of Emotional Eating?
There are all kinds of factors that can contribute to emotional eating. One of the most common is stress. When we’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed out, it’s natural to want to soothe ourselves with food. Other common causes include depression, anxiety, boredom, and loneliness. If you find yourself turning to comfort food more often than you’d like, it’s critical to figure out what’s triggering these emotions. Once you identify the root cause of your emotional eating, you can begin working on healthy coping mechanisms.
Emotional Eating vs. Eating
It’s also vital to distinguish between emotional eating and simply eating. We need to eat to survive, but emotional eating is using food as a coping mechanism rather than nourishment. A key difference is an intention behind the act. When you’re emotionally eating, you’re not thinking about how the food will nourish your body – you’re only thinking about how it will make you feel in the moment. This can lead to overeating and guilt later on.
Emotional hunger vs. physical hunger
This brings us to distinguish between emotional hunger and physical hunger. Emotional hunger is triggered by our emotions, whereas physical hunger is simply the body’s way of telling us it needs nourishment. When you learn to distinguish between the two, you can make more mindful choices about what and how much you eat.
Here are some key differences between emotional and physical hunger:
- Emotional hunger is often triggered by specific emotions, such as boredom, sadness, or stress. Physical hunger is not usually associated with a particular emotion.
- When you’re feeling emotional hunger, you’re likely to crave a specific food. With physical hunger, you’re less likely to have a craving for specific food and more likely to be open to eating anything.
- Emotional hunger often comes on suddenly, whereas physical hunger builds gradually over time.
- Emotional hunger is usually not relieved by eating, but physical hunger is.
If you’re unsure whether you’re feeling emotional or physical hunger, try waiting a few minutes to see if the sensation goes away. If you’re truly hungry, the feeling will likely persist.
Signs You Might Be Emotionally Eating
There are a few key signs that you might be emotional eating, and they can be useful for determining whether you’re actually hungry or not.
- You’re eating even when you’re not physically hungry. This is a key sign that you might be emotionally eating. If you find yourself reaching for food when you’re not actually hungry, it’s a good idea to take a step back and see what’s going on emotionally.
- You’re using food to cope with the emotions that are difficult and challenging to feel. Chances are you’re looking for a way to distract or numb yourself from experiencing those emotions and food provides a temporary cure. If you find yourself turning to food whenever you’re feeling down, it’s a sign that you might be emotional eating.
- You’re eating in response to a trigger. Triggers can be anything from seeing a commercial for your favorite food to being around a particular person. When you find that you’re more likely to eat when you’re around a trigger, this could be emotional eating.
- You feel guilty after eating. If you feel guilty during and after eating, this could indicate you’re eating based on emotional cues rather than hunger cues.
Developing Healthy Habits to Overcome Emotional Eating
So, how do you overcome emotional eating? One of the best ways to overcome emotional eating is to develop healthy habits that help reduce stress and promote self-care. Here are some of those habits and strategies that have been the most beneficial in my own journey of keeping the weight off for over 10 years.
Removing the guilt and remorse from eating
First, it’s time to remove the guilt and shame that often come with emotional eating. Remember, you’re not alone in this struggle, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Many of us turn to food when we’re feeling down or stressed out. The key is to find healthy coping mechanisms that work for you.
Meditation
One of those healthy coping mechanisms and strategies to reduce stress is meditation. Meditation helps clear your mind and allows you to focus on the present moment. There are many ways to meditate, so find one that works for you. For example, you can try guided meditation, mantra meditation, breathing exercises, or simply sitting in silence for a few minutes each day.
Exercise
Another effective way to reduce stress is through exercise. Exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. It can also help you sleep better and improve your overall sense of well-being. Even a moderate amount of exercise can make a big difference. And there’s no need to spend hours on the treadmill or overdo it. A 20-minute walk after dinner is a wonderful place to start. Find something that you enjoy and make it a part of your regular routine.
Schedule your meals and ensure you’re eating enough
If you don’t adequately fuel your body at mealtimes, you’re more likely to experience cravings and turn to unhealthy snacks later on. That’s why you must make sure you’re eating enough at each meal. In addition, it can be helpful to plan ahead and pack your meals with healthy, nutrient-dense foods. This will help you avoid getting too hungry and make it easier to stick to healthy eating habits.
Eat without distractions
Do you often plop down in front of the TV to eat? Most of us do. But eating while you’re distracted can lead to overeating and make it difficult to pay attention to your hunger cues. So, try to eat without distractions and see if this makes a difference for you. Sit down at the table for meals and take the time to savor your food. This helps you be more mindful of what you’re eating and prevent you from mindlessly
Journal
Keeping a journal can also help overcome emotional eating. Writing down your thoughts and feelings offers you insight into your emotions and helps you figure out what triggers your emotional eating. It can also be a powerful way to release stress and vent your frustrations.
Support
It’s helpful to seek out support from family and friends on this journey. They can provide emotional support and encourage you to stay accountable on your journey to overcoming emotional eating. You can also join an emotional eating support group or see a therapist to talk about your struggles with emotional eating.
Books to help with emotional eating
There are also many great books out there that can help you overcome emotional eating, including my own, which you can find here. Add a few of these to your bookshelf and start working on developing healthy habits that help you overcome emotional eating once and for all.
Increase positive self-talk and decrease self-sabotage
Another beneficial shift you can make is to increase positive self-talk and decrease self-sabotage. Pay close attention to the thoughts you have about yourself. Are they kind and compassionate? Or are they critical and judgmental? If you engage in negative self-talk, try reframing your thoughts in a more positive light. For example, instead of telling yourself that you’re a failure and worthless, try saying something like, “I’m worthy of love and respect, no matter my size.”
Then, focus on limiting self-sabotage that often comes with reaching weight loss goals. This includes things like making excuses, procrastinating, or indulging in unhealthy behaviors–these, in fact, are all normal! But instead of letting self-sabotage win each time, focus on staying committed to your healthy eating goals. Remember why you’re doing this, and remind yourself of your progress each time you’re tempted to stray from your path.
You’ll find some helpful questions to ask about self-sabotage in this post next: Self-Sabotage Is Normal With Weight Loss. Here’s How You Handle It.
Reach Out to Jen to Reach Your Weight Loss Goals
Deciding to overcome emotional eating is a brave and admirable choice. Developing new coping mechanisms and breaking old habits takes time, effort, and patience. But it’s so worth it! You deserve to live a happy and healthy life. And with these tips, you’ll be well on your way to overcoming emotional eating for good.
If you’re struggling with emotional eating, I’m here to help. I help incredible women over 40 just like you overcome whatever is in their way and live their happiest, healthiest lives. Contact me today to learn more about my Weight Loss Academy and how I can help you reach your weight loss goals. Together, we can break the cycle of emotional eating and put you back in the captain’s seat of your life.
Remember: weight loss isn’t magical; it’s methodical. It takes time and strategy, but overcoming emotional eating is one of the best things you can do for your health—mental and physical.
