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6 tips to conquer emotional eating
Do you tend to comfort, reward, or distract yourself with food? You may be struggling with emotional eating. In this blog, we share our 6 tips to overcome emotional eating.
What is emotional eating?
Emotional eating is a term for people who find comfort or safety in food. You feel bad because of stress or sadness and turn to eating to reduce or suppress that feeling. Usually, it's not about healthy food.
Emotional eating can mean reaching for food several times a week to push negative feelings aside. Afterwards, you may feel guilty or ashamed, which leads to a cycle of overeating and related problems - such as weight gain.
The difference from simply being hungry is that the feeling comes on suddenly, you crave specific foods, and you keep eating because you don't have a 'full' feeling. Afterwards, you feel shame or guilt.
Where does it come from?
Negative emotions can lead to a feeling of emptiness. The reason why food is chosen over something else is that it is believed that food is a way to fill that emptiness and give a false sense of being 'full'.
Distraction is sought from unpleasant emotions that you do not want to experience. Just like we used to get a candy or a nice bandage when we hurt ourselves. Eating your favorite snack gives you distraction to move forward for a while.
Example
After a long, exhausting day at work, for example, you collapse exhausted on the couch. You feel tired, frustrated, and empty - something you'd rather not feel. In the kitchen, you see your favorite bag of chips. After the bag is empty, you grab a piece of chocolate. And maybe a glass of wine. You stay on the couch and turn the day's stress into a quiet evening. Unfortunately, the good feeling doesn't last long.
Tips to overcome emotional eating
Do you struggle with emotional eating and want to do something about it? The following six tips are a good starting point for finding a solution.
1. Identify the trigger
The most important (but also the most difficult) step is to identify the cause. To solve the negative feelings and emotional eating, you need to know where it comes from. What situations make you want to reach for food? It can be scary to confront these feelings, but it's important to remember that a feeling is neither good nor bad in itself.
2. Keep a journal
When thinking about causes and emotions, it's helpful to keep a food diary. Write down what you eat, how you feel, and what might have caused it. By writing down these things, you can more easily discover if there's a recurring reason that triggers emotional eating. Even if you eventually seek professional help, this will help them discover the cause more quickly.
3. Get rid of unhealthy food at home
It may seem obvious, but it's a very practical tip. Emotional eating becomes much more difficult if you don't have any chips or other unhealthy foods in the house. You can replace them with a drawer full of vegetables or healthier snacks such as our vegan proteins. Think of foods without sugar or healthy carrots or tomatoes to nibble on.
4. Find a new outlet
When food has become a way to deal with negative emotions, it's time to find a different (more positive!) outlet. Options include writing, reading, running, or finding other ways to relax. Also consider mindfulness practices like yoga. Yoga, for example, can help with anxiety and depression (1).
It takes time to shift your mindset from reaching for food to finding other ways to reduce stress. Experiment with different activities to discover what works for you. Once you find a new outlet, try to make it a habit.
5. Overall healthy lifestyle
Taking care of yourself is the most important tip. It's not just about eating healthy, but living healthy. You're more likely to struggle with emotional eating if you're not feeling good about yourself. Try to exercise, relax enough, and not use (too much) alcohol and drugs. This helps reduce stress, gives you more energy, and enables you to cope better with setbacks. You can also use supplements to make sure you're getting all your daily vitamins.
6. Seek help
Emotional eating is a serious problem, but very common. You are not alone. So, don't be ashamed and seek help. The doctor is a good first step. Not ready yet? Then take a look at the website of Anonymous Overeaters. This group holds meetings to talk about eating disorders. By talking to others about the same problem, you can help yourself and each other.
Beating emotional eating
Emotional eating is a serious but common problem. Having a binge once in a while is okay, but if it takes on serious forms, it's wise to see a doctor. With the above six tips, you will hopefully get a step closer to beating emotional eating and adopting a healthier lifestyle.
- Fitblogs
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