Are you an Emotional Eater?
Written by Kimberly Young
Author, Speaker, and Consultant
Founder & Executive Director of LoveMyBody
kim@lovemybody.org ● www.lovemybody.org
Emotions are an unpredictable joy and sometimes burden of living. They allow us to feel the sensual experiences of life. They make us laugh, cry, scream and dance. Emotions can also help us fall in love, start a business, quit a job or get a divorce. The way we deal with our emotions can be positive or destructful. If someone doesn’t respond well to their emotions, they may act violent, drink too much or engage in activities that cause harm to them self or others. However, a person who has learned to control or respond to their emotions in a positive way may express it through poetry, working out or reading a book (to name a few).
Eating is one of the most common ways our society responds to both, positive and negative emotions. After receiving a promotion, during a wedding or graduation reception or when we’re on a date, we respond by eating. We also find ourselves overindulging after a broken relationship, separation from kids, abuse and other negative situations. Although eating too much in these situations can be damaging, from my experience, it’s the three most frequently felt emotions; stress, anxiety and loneliness many of us feel every day that that sabotages our healthy eating.
These emotions creep up on us in our daily lives without warning. For example, if you are used to being around a lot of people during the day and find yourself at home alone, you might start craving your favorite comfort food. Most of the time during that situation, food is eaten to fill the anxiety and loneliness you feel, and not your stomach. However, having a craving isn’t a bad thing, it’s our bodies way of telling us that we are missing a certain nutrient. For example, if you crave cheesecake, your body may be telling you it needs calcium. But, if you struggle with healthy eating, your cravings may be linked to your emotions in place of (or in addition) to what your body may actually need.
If you are an emotional eater, but have trouble identifying when you eat in response to an emotional need versus a physical need, each time you eat; but before you put the food in your mouth; ask yourself if you are hungry. If your answer is yes, then enjoy your food. If your answer is no, then think about what you would give yourself if food was not an option. Would it be sleep, water, a friend to talk to, help with the kids, etc. Start writing your answers down in a journal. Read your answers every two days. You’ll start discovering what is missing in your life and work towards filling that need with something other than food.
