4 Ways to Overcome Emotional Eating
Emotional eating is when we use eating as a coping mechanism for when we are sad, angry, depressed, etc. Eating as a coping mechanism is not always a negative thing, it is normal to use eating as a coping mechanism here and there. The issue lies in the regularity of your emotional eating and how much you eat when you use it as a coping mechanism. There is a difference between having an ice cream on the way home from a hard day at work versus being depressed and eating an entire gallon of ice cream plus a box of cereal until you feel sick. If the ladder is the case, it is time to dig deeper into the root causes of this behavior and ways to overcome emotional eating. The goal is to not have emotional eating as your only coping mechanism when you are feeling a negative emotion. Follow the proceeding steps in order for the best results.
Source: 30221002
Here are 4 ways to overcome emotional eating:
1. Be present
Being present is the first step for how to overcome emotional eating. Usually, emotional eating is a mindless process for people, we feel sad and go straight to food because it’s usually convenient, quick, and doesn’t require much thought or mental power. To break the habit of emotional eating, the key is to slow down and be present when you have a negative emotion and want to gravitate toward food. Being present means that you are hitting pause on what you are doing and you evaluate by asking yourself what you feel and what you want. Slowing down the reaction of your emotions will help you realize if what you really want is food or if you really just need to be alone or to clear your head etc. Again the goal is not to eliminate eating as a coping mechanism, the goal is to get you to slow down and decide for yourself if eating is the best coping strategy after exploring all your options.
Source: 21977314
2. Figure out your triggers
Figuring out your triggers is the next step when you want to overcome emotional eating. Triggers are the things that lead to or cause emotional eating episodes. First, think about what scenarios occurred prior to your emotional eating. Is there a common theme? Are there certain people who trigger you? Is there a phrase someone says that triggers you? Is there a common stressor in your life that leads to emotional eating? Did you ever deal with trauma in your past? Evaluating these scenarios will allow you to recognize when you may have the urge to emotionally eat in the future. Additionally, recognize what emotions cause you to emotionally eat. Is it loneliness? Depression? Anger? Jealousy? Insecurity? These questions may be difficult and hard to unfold on your own, so reaching out to a loved one or a licensed counselor may be necessary for you depending on the severity of your situation. Identifying these triggers will be the foundation for how you will overcome emotional eating.
FREE HAPPY HORMONE GUIDE:
3. Ask yourself if you are hungry
Once you have identified your triggers, and you are thinking about using eating as a coping mechanism you first should ask yourself if you are hungry. Though it is okay to eat when you aren’t technically hungry, it is important to gauge hunger so that you can decide how much you are willing to eat. It doesn’t feel good to eat to the point of feeling sick, so if you understand how hungry you are you will be less likely to eat too much. Many times when we eat out of emotions we continue to eat way past satisfaction because we are trying to fill a void, and usually, food isn’t the best at doing that. You can decide your hunger level by using the hunger scale outlined below. It is optimal to always stay between 7 and 4 because these levels do not cause us any discomfort that may motivate restriction or overconsumption. If you decide you are hungry then, by all means, eat! If you are not hungry and still want to eat, then go for a smaller snack or treat that won’t make you feel uncomfortable. If you are not hungry and don’t think food will help you, then move on to the next step to find other coping mechanisms that will help you overcome emotional eating.
10 - extremely stuffed, nauseous, feeling sick
9 - stuffed, very uncomfortable
8 - overfull, somewhat uncomfortable
7 - full
6 - satisfied, could eat more
5 - neutral
4 - hungry stomach growling
3 - uncomfortably hungry, distracted
2 - very hungry, low energy, weak, dizzy
1 - starving, no energy, very weak
Source: Berkley
4. Other coping strategies
You noticed what triggered the emotion, you know how you feel, you identified your hunger level, and now you want other coping strategies besides eating. Food can usually make us happier while we eat, but after the fact, typically it doesn’t do much, this is why many people can find themselves continuously eating past being full to make the happiness last longer. Other more practical and useful methods for coping with negative emotions include journaling, talking with a loved one, walking, and meditation. These coping mechanisms can take your mind off the stressor, but also can help you work through your emotions. Learning which of these strategies you like best will be super beneficial to help you overcome emotional eating. Journaling is one of the most beneficial methods because you can get all your emotions and thoughts out on paper while being as honest as possible. It can also allow you to be more present and dig into any root triggers you haven’t identified. Talking with a loved one works the same way where you can just let go of any lingering thoughts in your head, but this time you can have the support from someone you love. Walking outside will allow you to breathe in fresh area and maybe get more clarity in your thoughts. Meditation is great for overall stress relief and becoming more in tune with your body.
