How to Overcome Emotional Eating
Apr 25, 2023
Emotional eating is a common problem that many people struggle with. It involves turning to food as a way to cope with negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, boredom, or sadness. While it may provide temporary relief, emotional eating can lead to weight gain, poor nutrition, and feelings of guilt and shame. If you're struggling with emotional eating, here are some tips to help you overcome it.
- Identify your triggers
The first step in overcoming emotional eating is to identify what triggers it. Take some time to reflect on when and why you tend to reach for food when you're not hungry. Is it when you're stressed at work? Bored at home? Feeling lonely or sad? Once you have a clear understanding of your triggers, you can work on finding healthier ways to cope with these emotions.
- Find alternative coping strategies
Instead of turning to food when you're feeling emotional, find alternative coping strategies that work for you. Some examples include going for a walk, practicing deep breathing or meditation, talking to a friend, taking a hot bath, or doing something creative like drawing or writing. Experiment with different strategies and find what works best for you.
- Practice mindful eating
Mindful eating involves paying attention to the sensations of eating, such as the taste, texture, and smell of food. It also involves being aware of your hunger and fullness cues. By practicing mindful eating, you can learn to distinguish between physical hunger and emotional hunger, and make better choices about when and what to eat.
- Keep healthy snacks on hand
If you tend to turn to food when you're feeling emotional, it's important to have healthy snacks on hand so that you're not tempted to reach for junk food. Some good options include fresh fruit, vegetables with hummus, nuts and seeds, or whole grain crackers with cheese.
- Seek professional help
If you're struggling to overcome emotional eating on your own, don't be afraid to seek professional help. A therapist or counselor can help you develop coping strategies and address any underlying emotional issues that may be contributing to your eating habits.
In conclusion, emotional eating can be a difficult habit to break, but with patience, practice, and the right strategies, it's possible to overcome it. By identifying your triggers, finding alternative coping strategies, practicing mindful eating, keeping healthy snacks on hand, and seeking professional help if needed, you can learn to manage your emotions in a healthier way and improve your overall well-being.
About the author
I battled with negative self-image, cyclic dieting, overeating, and excessive exercise for years. Though I studied nutrition in college, I still couldn’t figure out how to get myself to stop eating “junk food” and just be “good.” Sound familiar? It wasn’t until one summer that I finally let go of all the diet and exercise “rules” I’d imposed on myself and saw life-changing results. Over the next few months, my confidence grew, my relationship with food stabilized, and I learned to love exercise for the way it made me feel (NOT for how it made me look). I now use a technique I call “Mental Reframing” to help you overcome the limiting beliefs, blocks, and habits keeping you stuck - to finally break FREE from damaging eating and exercise patterns and heal your relationship with food, body, and exercise. With each coaching session, we will build a toolbox of skills and resources you can access for the rest of your life. Welcome to a life UNBOUND!