Sometimes you turn to food, even when you are not hungry. You eat right after a meal, when you are bored or when you want to silence your feelings. You get a fast approaching deadline and fast you go to the fridge… 𝒀𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔…𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕?
» This can lead to consumption of extra calories which you know can slow you down when it comes to fitting into that dress for a wedding or your favorite skinny jeans! But that’s not all, after you eat the guilt, share, frustration hits you…and you enter the unhealthy cycle of EMOTIONAL EATING.
How Do You Know If You Are an Emotional Eater?
» Do you distract yourself with food to avoid an important task?
» Do you reward yourself with food?
» Do you lose your will to control how much you eat?
» Do you think about your next meal right after eating?
» Do you find yourself turning to food when you don’t feel physically hungry?
» Do you eat to calm anger, cure boredom or address any emotional need?
» Do you tend to consume more food when you are stressed out?
» Do you feel empty after eating?
» Do you eat standing up before you even put the food on your plate?
» Do you feel guilty after eating?
» Do you eat alone and in secret?
Perhaps, you have found yourself diving into a tub of ice cream right after you eat a meal. You know that you can’t possibly be hungry, but for some reason you can’t help but want to indulge.
If Yes is your answer to any of the questions above, then you are an emotional eater
Next time you want to eat a bag of Doritos, ask yourself if there is something else going on in your life.
Are you stressed about a project at work?
Are you lacking human connection?
Are you dealing with a rough patch in your relationship?
These types of situations can cause emotional eating. Being aware of your body and feelings can help you take a step back and evaluate if you are hungry or if you need to address your emotional health.
Emotional Eating and Weight Loss
When you eat mindless, under stress, or high level of raging emotions, you rarely get satisfied until you begin to bloat or start feeling disgusted with yourself. Why? Because emotional problems can’t be addressed entirely with physical solutions. After eating, the problem still persists.
The root cause stays, and again you feel the urge to just visit your refrigerator
This pattern of eating leads to weight gain BUT NOT ONLY THAT the emotions, and problems never get resolved.
Identifying Your Emotional Stimulants
One of the ways to stop emotional eating is to really be aware of your body and ask yourself if you are physically hungry or if you are trying to deal with something else.
Your emotional stimulants are things that inspire you to take up food and stuff your face when you are not really hungry.
Cravings for junk and anything pleasant and edible isn’t just a factor of an appetite gone haywire but also by some emotional impulsions.
Celebrating a goal achieved: If you are fond of rewarding yourself with food whenever a goal is achieved or you did something great and accolades are pouring on you from every angle you tilt towards, then you are an emotional eater and that’s your stimulator.
Failures: Having failed at a thing may cause you to resort to food. Finding comfort in eating whenever failure comes knocking makes failure your stimulator.
Boredom or Void Feelings: If you eat just to get busy because you are bored sitting at home, that’s your trigger. If you also eat to fill in the void you are experiencing in anyway, then that’s your trigger.
Boredom or Void Stress: When you are stressed, most times it just seem so natural and like the most needful thing to do. When your stress level is heightened, your body produces more of the stress hormone – cortisol. This hormone incites cravings for sweet, salty and generally, foods considered as junk. More stress translate to more junk and then that becomes your trigger.
Failing Emotions: Whenever you feel like your emotions are failing you which could be occasioned by feelings of acrimony (anger and bitterness), nervousness, fear, sadness and then you see a solution in food, then that ultimately becomes your trigger or stimulator.
How Do I Tell The Difference Between Emotional Hunger And Physical Hunger?
This is a great question.
Emotional hunger is often with junk foods
Emotional hunger for the better part of its existence is specific to the kind of food it needs to be sated with. It’s always with the junk and sugary snacks that offer instant pleasure as they run down your throat. When you are physically hungry, almost anything tangible and edible would do but the same cannot be said of emotional hunger.
Emotional Hungers Hits You Out of the Blues
Unlike physical hunger that creeps in gradually and with time, you hardly see emotional hunger coming. It hits you suddenly and the cravings begin immediately.
Emotional Hunger Makes you eat absent-mindedly
You are deeply lost in thoughts and before you say jack! An entire pack of pizza is gone. That’s emotional hunger. Physical hunger leaves you with a certain level of alertness and concentration while at it.
You are never satisfied with emotional eating
You could binge and still continue to stuff your mouth with food when you are emotionally hungry but when you are physically hungry, you are aware of your limits and you stop once you are full.
The feeling of Guilt washes over you
After an emotional eating session, you feel so guilty but that’s hardly the case with physical hunger.
The Solution to Emotional Hunger and Eating
You may feel devastated! But don’t worry, no matter how powerless you may feel in this trap it is possible to overcome the struggle, regain control and find a healthy way to manage your emotions.
If you find yourself at the brink of emotional eating, you can try the following alternatives:
● See a Movie
● Do a relaxation exercise
● Go out there, find a friend, do some chit-chats
● Read an interesting book
● Watch a comedy series
● Take a walk
● Play a game
● Attend an event
● Call a loved one
● Play with a pet
● Exercise
● Avoid the temptations by not storing junk at home
CTA:
My name is Dina, I am wellness activator, holistic expert, empowerment life coach and today I invite you to step forward and shift from feeling helpless, hopeless, overwhelmed and step away from devouring seven ice cream bars, box of cookies or bag of Doritos.
Are you feeling so frustrated by your weight loss efforts that you want to make a huge bonfire in your backyard and burn all your diet books? If this sounds like you, then you are in the right place… WELCOME! I am here to let you know that there is another WAY of eating where you can lose the weight without the suffering. Take a deep breath and I’ll say it again… you don’t have to suffer anymore to lose weight! Click on the link below to book a complimentary discovery session and let’s have a heart-to-heart chat now.
