Emotional Eating & How to Beat it!

I have struggled with my weight from my mid teens onwards and gained weight consistently year after year, now in my 30’s and 2 children later I am finally facing my demons and tackling my body beautiful. Yes I want to lose pounds, yes I want to get in shape and yes I want to look like a new woman but more importantly, I want to be healthy. I want to be healthy inside and out and that includes my mind. I had very turbulent teenage years and I used various vices to help me cope with difference stressful situations, it is only now, as I reflect back, that I realise this is where I became an emotional eater. 

  
Emotional eating is when we consume large quantities of food (usually junk or comfort foods) in response to feelings instead of hunger. Eating them becomes a habit that heals our emotional problems in the short term but doesn’t help us to effectively resolve the distress. 

A few months ago I began a health programme to help me improve my lifestyle and lose weight, I’ve had success and so far lost 2 stone but I hit a stumbling block and old habits started to creep back in. I now mentor and support other women on their journey and it’s through my own experiences that I have realised that weight loss is much more than being on a “food diet.” We have to address the psychology of weight loss so that we can understand our own habits and behaviours. If we don’t try to understand the root cause of why and how we gained all that weight in the first place, then no matter what programme we follow, we are simply delaying the inevitable of gaining that weight back. 

That is why I like to work with myself and my clients using a holistic approach because without a foundation, people’s efforts are a waste of time. To sustain long term health goals, we need to focus on our mindset. 

How to identify the triggers

There are many reasons why we might be emotionally drawn to eat. Socially, we may be encouraged by others, eating to fit in or because we are being “bullied” to eat. We may eat due to boredom, stress, tiredness, tension, depression, in essence we use food to some how fill a void in our lives. It may be situational because we are easily influenced, for example, passing a bakery and feeling we must go in and buy or eating whilst doing certain activities like watching TV. To identify what your triggers are, keep a diary for one week of what you eat, when and what stresses, thoughts or emotions you have at the time. You will soon start to identify a pattern. 

If like me, you are prone to emotional eating then try this – when you feel “hungry” and you are heading for the fridge, ask yourself, would you eat Broccoli now? 

  
So the first step to addressing emotional eating is recognising that we are doing it. Then we need to ask ourselves a series of questions (because questions are empowering.) 

1. What is really bothering me in this moment. 

2. What am I really hungry for? (Love, attention, communication) 

3. What can I do about it? 

4. Why am I choosing not to do anything about it? 

Emotional eating removes power from us, we give in to the ecstasy that the food provides. In the moment we are eating, we forget everything and just focus on the tastes, the textures, the pleasure of the food we’re eating. However this is followed (usually very quickly) by feelings of guilt and regret. The reasons we had emotionally eaten in the first place, come back into play because we only suppressed them, we didn’t attempt to deal with them. 

So the key is to get specific about what is really bothering us and actually take action.   

When I feel myself about to attack the cookie jar I try and divert my attention. We need to search for alternative responses to the trigger so here are some of my top tips. 

• Drink a large glass of water 
• Make yourself busy – housework usually helps! 
• Change the environment, go for a walk
• Put some music on or listen to something that will motivate and empower you 
• Talk to a friend or “offload” whatever is bothering you 
• Keep a journal 
• Surround yourself with visual affirmations 

Whatever it is, keep searching until you find things that work for you and know that it’s a habit and all habits can be broken with some focus, the right support and determination to better yourself. 

If you would like more information about the programme I follow or are interested in working with me to reach your weightloss goals, please contact me at naturallynewyou@outlook.com