how to stop emotional eating
WRITTEN BY BONNIEY JUSEF, PSYCOLOGIST NLP, AND AUTHOR
THIS ARTICLE IS COPYWRITTEN FOR FITNESSBEYONDBELIEF.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
THIS ARTICLE IS COPYWRITTEN FOR FITNESSBEYONDBELIEF.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
People have different ways of coping with stress, and emotional eating is fairly popular nowadays.
Statistics show that 33% of American adults indulge in emotional eating because it helps distract them from stress. While many people view it as a stress reliever, emotional eating does more harm than good. Besides increasing the chances of being obese and contracting weight-related diseases, emotional eating can get addictive. |
Well, if you are looking for a solution, you'll have to do more than just empty the pantry. The good news is that there's a way for you to stop emotional eating, but you will have to work extra hard at it. If you are fed up with eating as a response to your emotions, then we will list five things that you can do to quit the addictive habit. But first, what is the difference between emotional and physical hunger?
Emotional Hunger vs. Physical Hunger
If you are a chronic emotional eater, you may not realize that there’s a difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger. Unless you can tell these two apart, your efforts to stop eating to deal with your emotions may not be successful.
Emotional hunger can come off sharply, and you may confuse it with real hunger.
It will hit you suddenly, and you will often crave junk foods at this time. This explains why you want to order a pizza when you are lonely, or why that cupcake always manages to lift your spirits. Thanks to the emotional eating cycle, you may have feelings of regret and shame once you are done eating.
Physical hunger, on the other hand, grows gradually. Unlike in the previous case, anything will seem like an excellent option for food when you are actually hungry. That includes those veggies you are always pushing aside from your plate. You also don't need to starve yourself, and you will often stop eating once you are full, which is not the case with emotional eating.
5 Simple Ways to Stop Emotional Eating
So, you have finally decided to stop emotional eating. But how do you go about it?
Most people will start by emptying the pantry. While this is a good move, it is not enough to break free of this habit. If you are wondering what else you can do as you embark on this journey, here are several pointers to get you started.
1. Identify your triggers
Emotional eating doesn't appear from just about anywhere; there are certain things and situations that could trigger it, and you must identify these triggers beforehand.
Although emotional eating is often linked to negative feelings, some positive emotions could trigger the behavior. Some of the most common triggers include stress, boredom, and social influences.
Identifying the triggers for your emotional eating could help you deal with the problem much better. For example, if social influence is your trigger, you may find that you tend to overeat when you are in a particular social setting. Say you are having a night out with friends. You could slow down on eating once you realize that such settings make you overeat. Or perhaps skip the hangout altogether.
One of the easiest ways of determining your triggers is by keeping a food diary. Record what you eat, at what time, and how much. Also, include how you are feeling at that moment. Be consistent with the diary, and you may notice a pattern between your eating and your moods with time.
You can take things up a notch and come up with a food schedule. This way, you minimize the chances of you eating when you don’t have to.
5 Simple Ways to Stop Emotional Eating
So, you have finally decided to stop emotional eating. But how do you go about it?
Most people will start by emptying the pantry. While this is a good move, it is not enough to break free of this habit. If you are wondering what else you can do as you embark on this journey, here are several pointers to get you started.
1. Identify your triggers
Emotional eating doesn't appear from just about anywhere; there are certain things and situations that could trigger it, and you must identify these triggers beforehand.
Although emotional eating is often linked to negative feelings, some positive emotions could trigger the behavior. Some of the most common triggers include stress, boredom, and social influences.
Identifying the triggers for your emotional eating could help you deal with the problem much better. For example, if social influence is your trigger, you may find that you tend to overeat when you are in a particular social setting. Say you are having a night out with friends. You could slow down on eating once you realize that such settings make you overeat. Or perhaps skip the hangout altogether.
One of the easiest ways of determining your triggers is by keeping a food diary. Record what you eat, at what time, and how much. Also, include how you are feeling at that moment. Be consistent with the diary, and you may notice a pattern between your eating and your moods with time.
You can take things up a notch and come up with a food schedule. This way, you minimize the chances of you eating when you don’t have to.
2. Find alternatives to stress eating
Now that you know what makes it easier for you to turn to emotional eating, you need to find options to the habit.
If your trigger is boredom, it helps to have a hobby or two. What makes you happy? Take a walk, learn how to play an instrument, or perhaps watch your favorite show.
Whatever the case, you need to find different ways to deal with the triggers. When you are in a situation that would prompt you to eat, take some time to figure out what the trigger is and what you can do instead of buying that box of a dozen doughnuts.
Rather than wait for the urge to strike, it helps to have a list beforehand. Take some time to note down a few things that would make you feel better, without causing you to worry about your eating habits. If possible, these activities should focus on your mindfulness. You could try some yoga or meditation to help you deal with your emotions.
The best exercise is using a mini trampoline. I find that rebounding keeps my mind busy with very little excertion. The writer may not understand when you are stressed, you do not feel normal and like going outside. You are lonely, you are depressed and you need a quick fix.
Now that you know what makes it easier for you to turn to emotional eating, you need to find options to the habit.
If your trigger is boredom, it helps to have a hobby or two. What makes you happy? Take a walk, learn how to play an instrument, or perhaps watch your favorite show.
Whatever the case, you need to find different ways to deal with the triggers. When you are in a situation that would prompt you to eat, take some time to figure out what the trigger is and what you can do instead of buying that box of a dozen doughnuts.
Rather than wait for the urge to strike, it helps to have a list beforehand. Take some time to note down a few things that would make you feel better, without causing you to worry about your eating habits. If possible, these activities should focus on your mindfulness. You could try some yoga or meditation to help you deal with your emotions.
The best exercise is using a mini trampoline. I find that rebounding keeps my mind busy with very little excertion. The writer may not understand when you are stressed, you do not feel normal and like going outside. You are lonely, you are depressed and you need a quick fix.
3. Adopt some healthy lifestyle habits
How often do you go to the gym? And how much time off in a day do you take to relax? Give me a break. You are fat, overweight and at the gym you may be a laughing stock. Do what makes you feel happy.
You will be surprised at how much a healthy lifestyle will help you deal with your stress eating. Exercising, relaxing, and sleeping, will do wonders to your mind, and eventually help you stay away from unnecessary consumption.
You should also make sure that you get enough hours of sleep. Sleep deprivation is one of the leading causes of stress and other chronic conditions. For an emotional eater, lack of sufficient sleep could cause you to overeat as a way of dealing with all the accumulated stress.
Besides exercise and sleeping well, take some time to relax your body and mind each day. A few yoga sessions, a massage, or meditation could help you with that.
What you do need is a healthy diet. Try a sugar detox for 4 to 7 days. After 4 days you will no longer crave sweets. After that try adapting to a vegetarian lifestyle. Getting the junk out of your system is best.
How often do you go to the gym? And how much time off in a day do you take to relax? Give me a break. You are fat, overweight and at the gym you may be a laughing stock. Do what makes you feel happy.
You will be surprised at how much a healthy lifestyle will help you deal with your stress eating. Exercising, relaxing, and sleeping, will do wonders to your mind, and eventually help you stay away from unnecessary consumption.
You should also make sure that you get enough hours of sleep. Sleep deprivation is one of the leading causes of stress and other chronic conditions. For an emotional eater, lack of sufficient sleep could cause you to overeat as a way of dealing with all the accumulated stress.
Besides exercise and sleeping well, take some time to relax your body and mind each day. A few yoga sessions, a massage, or meditation could help you with that.
What you do need is a healthy diet. Try a sugar detox for 4 to 7 days. After 4 days you will no longer crave sweets. After that try adapting to a vegetarian lifestyle. Getting the junk out of your system is best.
4. Surround Yourself with People who Care
Just like any other addiction, you are better off battling it with some support from your loved ones. Your friends and family could form a strong network that cheers you on and even takes the journey with you.
Let them know what you are trying to achieve and be clear on what your triggers are so that they can also stay away from them. Whenever you feel like stress-eating, you can quickly call any of your loved ones, and you may be surprised at how they can affect your mood positively and instantly.
You should also get some professional help if it is necessary. Your therapist could even prescribe group therapy, which is a great way to battle any addiction.
Just like any other addiction, you are better off battling it with some support from your loved ones. Your friends and family could form a strong network that cheers you on and even takes the journey with you.
Let them know what you are trying to achieve and be clear on what your triggers are so that they can also stay away from them. Whenever you feel like stress-eating, you can quickly call any of your loved ones, and you may be surprised at how they can affect your mood positively and instantly.
You should also get some professional help if it is necessary. Your therapist could even prescribe group therapy, which is a great way to battle any addiction.
5. Be fair to yourself
Find your balance in life, and don't be too hard on yourself. Sure, there will be points in life that you will be emotionally low, but don't beat yourself too much when things don't turn out as you had hoped.
Everyone makes mistakes, and you don’t have to punish yourself over it. Of course, you are allowed to feel bad about it, but don’t let it put you down too much. Instead, accept your mistakes, pick up a lesson or two, and move on.
Find a balance for your emotional, physical, and spiritual lives. To do this, you need to identify the aspects of your life that make you unhappy and work on changing them, if you can. By doing so, you will almost always be satisfied with your life, reducing your stress levels significantly.
Stress eating can take a significant toll on your physical and emotional well-being. As such, you must stop the habit before it gets any worse. With the above five tips, you should be able to get out of the never-ending cycle of emotional eating and embark on the journey of healthier stress-coping mechanisms.
UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MUST TAKE TINY STEPS AND THAT YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. THIS IS NOT DONE OVERNIGHT. BE WITH THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND.
Find your balance in life, and don't be too hard on yourself. Sure, there will be points in life that you will be emotionally low, but don't beat yourself too much when things don't turn out as you had hoped.
Everyone makes mistakes, and you don’t have to punish yourself over it. Of course, you are allowed to feel bad about it, but don’t let it put you down too much. Instead, accept your mistakes, pick up a lesson or two, and move on.
Find a balance for your emotional, physical, and spiritual lives. To do this, you need to identify the aspects of your life that make you unhappy and work on changing them, if you can. By doing so, you will almost always be satisfied with your life, reducing your stress levels significantly.
Stress eating can take a significant toll on your physical and emotional well-being. As such, you must stop the habit before it gets any worse. With the above five tips, you should be able to get out of the never-ending cycle of emotional eating and embark on the journey of healthier stress-coping mechanisms.
UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MUST TAKE TINY STEPS AND THAT YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. THIS IS NOT DONE OVERNIGHT. BE WITH THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND.
References
- Emotional Eating: 9 Ways to Stop It and Lose Weight. Available Online at https://www.psycom.net/stop-emotional-eating?slide=6#showbox
- Melinda Smith, M.A., Jeanne Segal Ph.D., and Robert Segal, M.A. Emotional Eating and How to Stop It. Available Online at https://www.helpguide.org/articles/diets/emotional-eating.htm
- Ashley Marcin. Emotional Eating: What You Should Know. Available Online at https://www.healthline.com/health/emotional-eating#7
- Weight loss: Gain control of emotional eating. Available Online at https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in- depth/weight-loss/art-20047342 Stress and Eating. Available Online at https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/eating