How To Curb Emotional Eating
It is difficult enough maintaining our weight and preventing the dreaded middle-age spread as we age, and eating when we’re not hungry will make things considerably more difficult. The vast majority of people who are overweight or obese pile on the pounds not because they have a slow metabolism or a hormonal imbalance, nor is it because they’re constantly hungry. The main reason is often because of emotional eating.
Emotional eating is the tendency to eat in times of stress, anxiety, sadness, joy, or for other emotional reasons, and is the biggest factor when it comes to overweight and obesity. Too many of us rush for something to eat when faced with emotional issues, and often the foods reached for are refined, carbohydrate and sweet. We feed our feelings, not our hunger. Eating something tasty is simple and immediately satisfying, but the fix is fleeting and it is feelings of guilt and failure that linger, which often causes even more comfort eating.
Other than hunger, some of the most common reasons why we eat include:
Because we’re stressed or nervous, sad or feeling fragile or low.
Because others are eating.
Because it’s something to do.
Because it’s time.
Because you’re watching a movie (popcorn etc).
Because it’s there and you don’t want to waste it.
Because you deserve a reward or treat.
A big part of weight management is recognising these mechanisms, feelings and situations that cause overeating, and applying strategies to address them. It is important to know and recognise the difference between the need to eat – ie when you’re hungry, and the desire to eat – ie when you’re responding to an emotional stimulus. Tracking your eating triggers is the first step to understanding why you eat when you are not hungry.
And in order to tackle the problem, it is important to know how to feel the emotional stimuli without responding to them. If it’s sadness, stress, nerves, or the blues, if you allow yourself to feel whatever you’re avoiding by comfort eating (anger? fear? jealousy?), you won’t have the need to reach for food. Confront the feelings head-on, don’t run away from them.
If the reason you’re eating without being hungry is because it’s time to eat (habit), or everyone else is eating, or it’s something to do… discipline yourself to deny your hungry flesh and only eat when you’re physically hungry. A way to do this is to distract yourself and do something else.
No amount of food will fill an emotional ‘hunger’, and only true, physical hunger – that only occurs when you have not eaten for hours or have not had enough calories at your last meal, should trigger further eating.
Here are some strategies to engage to tackle emotional eating:
Before eating, ask yourself if you’re really hungry and mark your hunger on a scale of 1 = not hungry, to 10 = very hungry. If it’s below 6, don’t eat.
If you find yourself eating something unplanned and it’s not a mealtime, ask yourself: why am I eating when I’m not hungry? This will help identify the mood or emotion that triggered you to eat.
Decide what you’re going to do instead of eating. If you’re feeling sad or anxious, call a friend or put on some uplifting music, or go for a walk or drive, or start partaking in a craft. This will help you learn positive ways of expressing and nurturing your emotional need without food.
When you think you are actually hungry, give yourself a moment to check that it’s really hunger (sometimes it may be thirst), before the impulse to eat takes over.
Avoid the temptation by not having unhealthy foods around the home and instead keep lots of healthy foods on hand in case you do succumb.
Get active! Not just because it burns calories, but exercise also causes the release of beneficial hormones that reduce stress and make you feel good.