Comfort is something we all crave. We crave the comfort of warmth and fulfillment, and food can do both of those. And while food can be a great support system, it can also be your biggest setback. Foods that are high in carbohydrates, sugar, or fat simply taste delicious, but those same foods aren’t your health’s best friend. And when you’re using them to cope, it’s time to start asking: “How do I stop emotional eating?”
It may not always be very clear if you’re emotionally eating, but when you figure it out, you’re left wondering how you can overcome it. Thankfully, we have you covered with some simple-to-follow rules, tips, and tricks to better understand what’s causing you to reach for the cookies even when you’re not hungry, and how to make healthier choices once and for all.
Are you an emotional eater?
First thing’s first: you have to try and understand if you’re actually emotionally eating. There are some telltale signs, so ask yourself these questions.
Do you find yourself reaching for food when you’re feeling emotional but not hungry?
If you’ve had a bad day, just exited a stressful job interview, or are feeling generally irritated, and have a sudden craving or overwhelming hunger, then you’re trying to seek comfort to balance out the emotional discomfort.
When a problem occurs, do you avoid it by eating?
Maybe you have a deadline. You say, “I’ll just grab a snack first.” Maybe you’re in an argument. Rather than sitting down and hashing things out, you bolt to the refrigerator. In such cases, you’re simply putting off the inevitable, and choosing to numb yourself with food.
Are you struck with intense guilt after having a treat, but then binge?
This is a big one. If you feel like that bite of cake was a bad idea, you may become incredibly stressed by how it’s ruining your physical appearance. To cope, you seek comfort in knowing that there is more cake, and that if you eat more of it, you can hit the reset button and not ever eat it again.
Binging is a very serious thing; a downward spiral that leads to more emotional instability, when the point was to find a sense of comfort. But remember, that comfort is momentary, and backfires.
Pinpoint the problem
The next answers you need if you’re wondering, “how do I stop emotional eating?” are what’s causing you to emotionally eat in the first place.
Are you depressed?
If your serotonin levels are low, you might find yourself reaching for carbs that offer a sweet or starchy comfort since they increase serotonin naturally. Perhaps that’s good in the short term, but it’s an unhealthy coping mechanism that will only add inches to your waistline.
Are you stressed?
While short-term stress can actually suppress appetite, chronic stress causes the adrenal gland to release cortisol, which boosts appetite, causing you to overeat.
Do you have social anxiety?
A big trigger of emotional eating is coping with the pressure of fitting in, and dealing with big groups of people. It’s much easier to bolt for the food at a party when you don’t know anyone than it is to run up to someone and stick out your hand to introduce yourself.
Are you bored?
When you’re waiting for a friend to call back, can’t make up your mind about what to do tonight, or are feeling lazy, you may notice you’ve gone through a bag of chips without even tasting the snack. This is the result of eating when you’re bored. A little boredom can be a good thing, but it can also cause impatience, and this discomfort makes you reach for food to cope.
Take advantage of the tricks
When you’re trying to understand, “How do I stop emotional eating?” you have to consider the tricks.
Keep a food journal
If you keep tabs on what you’re eating, it might help you to understand what you’re putting in your mouth and when. It’s also important to pinpoint what emotion you’re feeling at the time. Did you eat a bag of chips after a fight? Did you grab that piece of cake out when your friend ditched your dinner plans? Were you super stressed from a work meeting and find yourself at the drive-thru?
Learn all the Benefits of Keeping a Food Journal.
Allow yourself a bite, then back off
You can’t quit emotional eating cold turkey, so indulge your sudden snack attack but only with a bite. Then sit back for 15 minutes and see where you’re at. You may find your desire for food has likely subsided.
Learn the healthy alternatives to eating
So what do you do if you’re bored? Stressed? Depressed? You may still find your need to comfort yourself, but thankfully there are other options besides food. Other great comforting tactics include taking a bath. Try this DIY Sea Salt Bath Detox.
If you’re stressed at work, try taking a break with these 11 Stretches Every Desk Worker Must Know.
If you feel hungry but know you shouldn’t be, try drinking water.
When you’re feeling bored, go for a run or read a book. Distract yourself! It will help take your mind off of emotional eating.
Avoid processed foods
It goes without saying that you should avoid processed foods that are loaded with sodium, sugar, and artificial ingredients that do nothing but tell the body to eat more. Try this 7-Day Whole30 Meal Plan to kickstart healthier eating, and when you’re craving a snack, try these 50 Clean Eating Snacks and 9 Weight Watchers Snacks with 3 Points or Less.
Get enough exercise
If you’re feeling emotionally drained, try going for a run. It’s a great way to raise your levels of endorphins, which are the body’s natural mood booster. If running isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other endorphin-boosting workouts that we have for you. Just visit our SkinnyMs. Fitness page.
Get enough sleep
When you get enough sleep (between 7 and 9 hours), you allow your hunger hormones to be properly regulated, which keeps emotionally eating at bay while reducing feelings of stress throughout the day. Try this 6-Minute Workout for Better Sleep.
Understanding emotional eating requires being in touch with your emotions. Asking yourself “how do I stop emotional eating?” requires breaking it down. This is a great step-by-step guide that can help you easily overcome it.
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