Weight loss is accomplished by eating fewer calories than you use up with activity. While that is easily said, we all know that it is difficult to do. One reason it can be difficult is because eating can be emotional.
A study that looked at the causes of overeating, overweight and obesity found that one of the top causes of overeating is, eating to manage feelings (1). Starting from the time we are born, we are taught to associate food with love, comfort and reward. While food should continue to be an important part of our lives, we need to ensure that food does not control our lives. In the book Intuitive Eating, authors Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch state that "studies have shown that although you might have immediate emotional comfort from eating, the negative rush of guilt that burst forth is powerful enough to completely wipe out that relief. " (2)
To maintain emotional control and avoid taking in excess calories, we need to learn to recognize why we are eating and how to cope with our feelings. Our goal is to find ways to comfort, nurture, distract and resolve our issues without using food.
The following steps can help control emotional eating
- Ask yourself if you are hungry; if you are, honor that hunger and eat. Know that it is okay to enjoy food. When you sit down for a meal, take the time to taste and savor each food.
- When you find yourself reaching for food when you are not hungry, ask "what am I feeling." Boredom, frustration, stress, anxiety, loneliness and depression are all common emotions that people try to solve with food.
- If you find it difficult to identify your emotion, try writing out your feelings or talk with a friend.
- Come up with ways to cope with your emotion other than with food. Start with making sure your basic needs are being met. Get plenty of rest, express your feelings, take time for yourself and ask for help. Find a different outlet. Exercise, reading a good book, spending time with friends or take a hot bath.
- Give yourself time to become in control of your emotions. This is not a process that happens overnight. Set small goals such as trying one new coping strategy each week or take 10 minutes out of your day to think about your emotions.
Intuitive Eating suggests that once you become sensitive to the personal reasons for your emotional eating, overeating can become a red flag, a warning of excess stress in your life. Becoming aware of our emotional eating not only can help us achieve a healthy weight but a healthy mind.
References:
- Scherwitz, Larry, Kesten, Deborah.“Seven Eating Styles Linked to Overeating, Overweight, and Obesity.” EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing, Volume 1, Issue 5 (2005), Pages 342-359 L.
- Tribole, Evelyn, and Resch, Elyse. Intuitive eating. New York: St Martin’s Press, 1995.
