Do you comfort yourself with eating?
Do you feel the need to eat in order to feel better?
When you’re having a tough day, a slice of cake or a bowl of ice cream can help you forget your troubles. But when the rush is over, those feelings of stress, anger and depression return. So, you reach for another slice of cake or stand in front of the fridge looking for something new to eat. This is emotional eating, and it’s a complex problem that’s surprisingly common.
Emotional Hunger vs. Physical Hunger
Hunger is hunger, right? Not necessarily. Emotional (or psychological) hunger is very different from physical hunger. It can be tricky to distinguish between the two.
Physical hunger comes on gradually and can cause physical sensations (stomach growling, hunger pangs, etc.). Emotional hunger, on the other hand, comes primarily from the mind. It manifests as a craving that you just can’t get out of your head.
Here are some common signs of emotional hunger:
- Cravings for specific comfort foods, especially sugary foods, and snacks.
- Wanting more and more, even when you feel uncomfortably stuffed.
- Feeling shame, regret, or guilt after eating.
- Mindless eating with no satisfaction.
Emotional hunger can be hard to ignore.
What Causes Emotional Eating?
Emotional eating can have many causes. For some, eating temporarily numbs uncomfortable or painful feelings. For others, food serves as a source of comfort in times of stress.
You may be more prone to emotional eating if:
- You have trouble regulating your emotions. You may use food as a way to keep your emotions in check and find some relief from uncomfortable feelings.
- You are unhappy with your body. Making permanent, healthy changes can be challenging when you aren’t happy with yourself.
- Food has become your only pleasure. When you eat foods that are high in sugar and fat, the brain releases opioids that can help you feel calmer. Using food as a reward causes emotional eating.
Practical ways to help yourself with the problem of emotional eating.
The helpful self-talk exercise which can pause your emotional eating issue:
When you experience a negative thought, take a breath, pause, step back then ask yourself the following question:
“How true are those thoughts? I know that my negative thoughts aren’t facts”
You might say to yourself: ’’I know that if I allow my negative thoughts to take over it is not healthy for me and leaves me feeling anxious, which will lead to emotional eating.
I also know that though I can’t stop my thoughts, I can decide for myself from catastrophizing and not giving them power.”
I can imagine dialing those negative thoughts down. As if when I don’t like the music on the radio I can decide to either dial it down or switch it completely off or even change the channel.
I love this video with a very simple, but powerful technique of how to start breaking the cycle.
FEELING BAD- STRETCHING FOR THE COMFORTING FOOD.
WATCH AND PRACTICE
4 Strategies to Overcome Emotional Eating
Emotional eating is a complex issue. While there’s no quick and easy solution, there are steps you can take to ensure your emotions don’t control your eating habits.
Get to the Root of your emotional eating.
Getting down to the root, or the heart, of the problem, can help you gain a better understanding of why you’re emotionally eating. Is it depression, the feeling of loneliness, chronic stress, or unresolved trauma? To truly break the cycle of emotional eating, you must understand what’s causing it.
Emotional eating is caused by unresolved trauma.
Whether you are going to divorce, or bereavement, experiencing anxiety or depression ( possibly both!) you have that void inside of you, that might feel like a black hole at times.
Psychologically it is very hard for us humans to experience painful emotions or that void inside of us. We then start looking for ways to fill that void and very often comforting food is the easiest solution at the time.
Can eating help me numb the pain?
Yes, but only temporarily!
But consequently afterward, you feel embarrassed for not being able to deal with it.
It would be much healthier to address those stresses and painful emotions in your life during therapy rather than temporarily ‘’helping’’ yourself by consuming comforting food.
Be Mindful About Eating
Before eating, stop and listen to your body. Is it physical hunger, or emotional hunger? Scan your body for signs of physical hunger, such as:
- Growling or grumbling
- Weakness
- Hunger pangs
- Light-headedness
- Irritability
If your negative thoughts are driving your desire to eat, it may be emotional hunger. If you aren’t truly hungry, drinking a cup of tea instead might help.
Change the channel. Refocus on something positive, something you enjoy thinking about. Let that stress go.
Being able to recognize when you’re feeling stressed and finding new ways to cope with it can help turn your attention away from food.
Some healthy ways to deal with stress include:
- Physical activity helps your body produce endorphins that make you feel good. Exercise can also boost your energy and help you feel calmer. Find something you love – like going for a walk in the park or a hike in the woods.
- Do something fun. Find time every day to do something you love, whether it’s playing the piano, painting, reading, or just gazing up at the stars.
- Permit yourself to relax. If you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, allow yourself to take a break and indulge in a little self-care. Rest and recharge your batteries.
- Practice gratitude. When we’re feeling stressed, it’s easy to fixate on negative thoughts and emotions. Gratitude helps break the cycle by asking you to focus on the good and positive things in your life. Research has found that practicing gratitude can help improve mental health and has long-lasting effects on the brain.
Rather than turning to food for support, turn to friends, family members, and others in your support network. Talking about your feelings and spending quality time with loved ones can help you feel better. Whether it is a trusted friend or a trained therapist, talking can ease up things for you.
Can EMDR therapy help with emotional eating?
The short answer is yes! EMDR can help you these emotional eating problems.
EMDR is a type of therapy which specializes in dealing with trauma. If your emotional eating related to unresolved traumas you have experienced then EMDR is the best type of therapy for you.
With EMDR therapy you will be able to process your experiences differently and will learn to cope with them, rather than smothering them with pink frosting.
If you’re struggling with emotional eating, I can help. Contact me today to see how I can help.