It's not so much what you're eating, but what's eating you. Here are some ways to stop eating emotionally.
You probably already know that you can lose weight by eliminating those foods that add pounds as well as to cut back on portion sizes. But if you’re an emotional eater, you’ll still turn to food if you don’t deal with your feelings.
What is Emotional Eating?
Basically, emotional eating is eating for reasons other than hunger. In other words, rather than reaching for food because your body tells you it needs food, you indulge because your emotions need to be satisfied. Instead of the gradual urge you get when you’re physically hungry, emotional eating strikes you suddenly. While you can usually wait to eat because you’re physically hungry, you feel an immediacy to fill an emotional void. Instead of filling the empty space with healthy choices, emotional eaters use food for comfort. For women, it’s usually ice cream or chocolate, while men reach for steak and French fries.
Emotional Eating Leaves You Feeling Guilty
Besides bloating your stomach, emotional eating plays havoc with your mind. When you eat for physical reasons you don’t feel guilty. But when you grab for food when you’re not even hungry, just because you’re feeding your emotions, you feel guilty afterward.
Recognizing the “Red Lights” with “HALT”
A good rule of thumb when you’re lured into emotional eating is to remember to HALT. Besides being reminded to halt before you do any damage, remember what HALT represents.
“H” is for hungry–Sometimes you can feel physical hunger when you’re on the verge of an emotional eating binge. But rather than reaching for those comfort foods loaded with carbs, fats, and sugar, that trigger continuous eating (such as ice cream, chips, etc), make better choices such as proteins, fruits, and veggies.
“A” is for anxious—It’s easy to fall into emotional eating when you’re worried and uptight. Rather than turning to food, do whatever works to calm your nerves. Call a friend, pray, or journal your feelings. Just don’t reach into the refrigerator.
“L” is for lonely—Too often emotional eaters use food for companionship. Instead of comforting yourself with food, plug into a group of caring people who understand your problem. Twelve-step groups such as Overeaters Anonymous are excellent for connecting with others who struggle with your same food addictions as you do. Not only will you receive tools for recovery, but you’ll also realize you’re not alone.
“T” is for tired—When exhausted, either physically or emotionally, emotional eaters turn to food. Instead, get some rest or eat something good for you that won’t trigger a binge.
Breaking the Addiction
It takes about 21 days to substitute a bad habit for a good one. Whenever you feel the temptation to eat out of your emotions, replace it with constructive activities such as…
- Journaling your feelings
- Housework/yardwork, etc.
- Calling a friend
- Walking your dog
- Gardening
- Crafting such as knitting, crocheting and/or stitching
- Exercising
Most importantly, unravel the reason (or reasons) why you overeat. It’s not so much what you eat, but what’s eating you. Unless you get to the root of why you overeat you won’t conquer your food addiction.
Often emotional eaters aren’t even aware that they’re overeating because something is troubling them. What’s more, when they realize they’re eating because their emotions are running wild, sometimes they don’t even know why they’re upset. If you’re clueless as to why you’re addicted to emotional eating, find out why. This could be anything from getting alone to examine your feelings to talking with a trusted friend or getting professional help.
