Coping With Emotional Overeating! Healthy Ways to overcome Emotional Overeating!
Understanding Emotional Overeating?
Do you find yourself gaining weight during times of stress? Do you fear boredom because you know you’ll simply eat to fill the time? These are just some of the symptoms of emotional overeating and maybe the exact reason you have chosen to begin reading this guide.
Emotional overeating is almost a joke in our society – movies, TV shows, and the resulting stereotypes cause many of us to laugh about how much ice cream it takes to get over a boyfriend, or how much chocolate we need to overcome rejection. But for those who actually suffer from emotional overeating, it’s anything but funny.
Emotional overeating means,
Turning to food for comfort and escape during times of low mood. When someone overeats emotionally it is in an attempt to feel better, to feel comforted or soothed by eating. Enjoying food as a reward or pick-me-up from time to time is a normal and natural part of life and when used as part of a range of strategies to manage emotions and cope, it can be helpful and is something most people do.
However, if this the only strategy and it happens so regularly you feel you are out of control or caught in a cycle, problems arise.
What Causes Emotional Overeating?
Emotional overeating disorders can be difficult and devastating for those who suffer from them. What makes this happen? Why is it that some people, knowingly or unknowingly, turn to food for comfort? Here are some thoughts and ideas on those questions.
At the core,
Emotional overeating disorder is a general term that refers to any of various eating habits where genuine hunger is not the motivational factor. It is more common among women than men, but men are not immune – especially young men in their teens and twenties. Those who suffer from this disorder associate food with emotional comfort, and will turn to eat to escape negative feelings.
We are still learning more about the causes of emotional overeating and eating disorders. There is no one main cause or trigger for an individual and it is likely to be a complex combination of genetic, psychological, environmental, social, and biological influences.
Spotting the signs and symptoms of emotional overeating in yourself or someone you know can be difficult, particularly as often the eating behavior is kept hidden or secret from those around them.
What could increase the risk of developing emotional overeating?
- Low self-esteem and sense of self-worth.
- Other mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
- Stressful or traumatic events in your past.
- Dissatisfaction with the way you look.
- Isolation, boredom, or feelings of stress and anger.
- Differences in your brain or the level of hormones produced by your brain to others who don’t eat emotionally.
- Following strict, low calorie or restricting diets.
- Childhood habits – Think back to your childhood memories of food.
Let’s Explain Some of Several Causes of Emotional Overeating:
1. Past Trauma:
For some with emotional overeating disorder, the problem stems from past traumatic events. Someone who suffered sexual abuse, for example or some other kind of sexual trauma may overeat in response to feelings of anxiety and confusion.
The result is a fatter body, which some sources suggest may cause the sufferer to feel “protected” from being attractive to the opposite sex. Subconsciously or consciously, the sufferer wants to be unattractive. Other examples of past trauma or unmet needs may cause a person to turn to emotional overeating.
2. Poor Self-Image:
People who suffer from low self-esteem and a negative self-image may seek escape by overeating. In a way, emotional overeating is a physical expression of what the sufferer feels inside, and the resulting weight projects the same image of self-disrespect.
3. Self-Medication:
Like alcoholics, those who struggle with emotional overeating may be unconsciously using food as a drug. Eating numbs or dulls the emotions that might be too hard to deal with otherwise.
4. Depression:
Studies indicate a strong correlation between depression and emotional overeating. Ironically, sometimes as depression grows worse a sufferer loses weight; weight loss means the sufferer is not eating as much, and therefore not engaging in his or her coping mechanism.
5. Stress:
- Again, Prolonged, unrelieved stress can have a profound effect on the body.
- Stress stimulates the body to produce, among other chemicals, the hormone cortisol.
- Cortisol apparently has a hunger-stimulating effect, and as the stressful emotions increase along with the cortisol, a cycle of emotional eating can play out.
Identify Your Triggers:
Emotional overeating is usually triggered by something – emotions, yes, but sometimes we need to be more specific than that. Identifying your personal triggers can go a long way toward helping you overcome the disorder that is not necessarily in the categories above. Some examples might be:
I. Emotional:
Eating to relieve boredom, stress, or anxiety or as a way to overcome relationship problems.
II. Psychological:
You may eat in response to negative, self-destructive thoughts.
III. Environmental – Situational:
You may eat simply because the opportunity is there. Also in this category is the habit of eating while doing another activity, such as reading or watching TV.
Now that we have covered what exactly emotional eating is and how it can be causing stress, weight gain, and miserable life. The next part will be looking at how we can overcome this disorder and start living a stress-free, healthy life. Let’s get into it.
Emotional hunger vs physical hunger:
This kind of eating is not related to physical hunger, instead, it is about satisfying an emotional hunger:
| Emotional Hunger | Physical Hunger |
|---|---|
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Emotional overeating vs binge eating disorder:
These two terms have lots in common, they both talk about a time when an individual eats an amount of food as a coping strategy for emotional hunger.
| Emotional Overeating | Binge Eating Disorder |
|---|---|
|
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How can You spot the signs and symptoms of emotional overeating?
| Behavioral | Psychological | Physical |
|---|---|---|
|
Shorter-term:
Longer-term:
|
|
How to Eat to Overcome Emotional Overeating?
When you think of stopping emotional overeating, does it seem like an impossible goal? Many people who suffer from this problem feel imprisoned and helpless. It can seem like you are unable to break free from the overwhelming emotions and habits.
Being honest with yourself is an important first step. Emotional overeaters tend to judge themselves pretty harshly, but don’t – you are not an isolated case or some kind of freak. It’s a sign of strength to seek help! It means you’ve identified the problem.
If you’re struggling with this problem, there are some things you can do to get things under control.
1. Get advice:
Get advice from a therapist or specialist if you really want to find out if you are a victim of emotional overeating.
2. Keep a Food Diary:
- In this diary, in addition to noting everything you eat, also note how you feel when you eat – sad, angry, upset, elated, joyful, etc.
- Don’t judge yourself or make any changes to your habits when you begin keeping this diary; you’re not trying to impress anyone or prove anything.
- You are trying to get an honest picture of your eating habits.
- After several weeks, a pattern will probably emerge.
3. Your Grocery List:
When an emotional moment hits and you head for the refrigerator or pantry, what kind of foods do you usually go for?
Often, emotional overeaters head for high-calorie comfort foods like ice cream, chips, or candy bars. But you can’t eat those things if they are not in your house!
Here are some examples of foods to put on your grocery list in place of the ones you may be tempted to buy. (Another tip – buy only the foods on your list. Compulsive buying of food is tempting.)
Food List:
- Brown rice (instead of white rice).
- Millet (instead of or in addition to rice).
- Fresh fruits and vegetables (rather than canned).
- Low-fat, low-calorie yogurt (rather than ice cream).
- Popcorn kernels for air popping (rather than chips and fatty snacks).
- Lean protein like fish, turkey, and chicken (instead of deli meats and processed meats like hot dogs and bologna).
- Natural, healthy cooking oils like olive and safflower oil (instead of shortening, lard, or unhealthy oils).
Carrying on from the list above, Here is a short and quick list that can help ease out the grocery shopping process.
A. Protein:
- Ham.
- Turkey.
- Veal.
- Eggs.
- Venison.
- Buffalo Shrimp.
- Lean Beef/Steak.
- Swordfish.
- Pork.
- Salmon.
- Lamb.
- Tuna.
- Chicken.
- Cottage Cheese.
B. Meat:
- Beef, lamb, chicken, and others. Grass-fed is best. These products are 100% real, unprocessed, and have a low-carb percentile.
- You can cook these in coconut oil or you can even boil them and add them to your favorite vegetable soup.
- They are a great way to add lean protein to your diet.
- Just make sure you don’t fry it or buy it with layers of fat.
- Ask for a lean cut piece when you go to the butcher.
C. Fish:
- Salmon, trout, haddock, tuna, and others. they are unprocessed and have a very low percentage of a carb.
- Fish is recommended over meat simply because it has less fat.
- It has all the right nutrients and is 100% lean meat.
- You can make a tuna salad with some lemon, salt, and pepper, or you can add it as a breakfast protein with a side salad or egg.
D. Eggs:
- Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs would be the best to eat. If you are looking for even better eggs, find a farm near you and buy from the farmer.
- It may cost a little more, but the results will be amazing.
- Again, protein is extremely important in a low-carb diet as you want to burn the fat and replace it with muscle to have a sexy lean figure.
- You can boil, fry (in coconut oil), or use it as an ingredient.
E. Carbohydrates-Vegetables-Fruits:
- Celery, Broccoli, Parsley, Cabbage.
- Cucumber, Spinach, Peppers, Asparagus.
- Olives.
Peppers: green, yellow, red. - Romaine Lettuce, Barley.Onion.
- Tomatoes, Cucumber, Oatmeal.
- Yam, Collard Greens, Sweet Potato, Carrots.
- Apple, Beans, Orange, all types Brown Rice.
- Squash, Brussel Sprouts, Quinoa, Zucchini.
- Cauliflower, Lentils, Green Beans, Blackeye Peas.
- Garlic, Legumes, Artichokes, Pineapple.
- Yogurt, Beets, Peas, Avocado.
1. Vegetables:
- Pretty much every vegetable known to man is low-carb and perfect for this lifestyle. You can make salads with spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, cauliflower, or even shredded carrots.
- Some have a higher glycemic index, therefore be careful with the portion sizes.
- They are full of vitamins though and can fill you up right away.
- Add some lean meats and proteins to your veggies for optimal results.
2. Fruits:
Fruits are tricky as they have natural sugar and therefore have a higher carb level. They are great for breakfast though; you can add them to your Greek yogurt, oatmeal, or just make a simple fruit salad. Again, careful with portion size
F. Good Fats:
- Udo’s Choice Oil Blend.
- Coconut Oil.
- Flaxseed Oil.
- Fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and trout.
- Fish Oil Capsules.
- Natural Peanut Butter.
- Olive Oil.
- Nuts and Seeds like Almonds Macadamia Oil.
G. Nuts and Seeds:
- Almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
- They are a great source of natural proteins and have a low carb percentage.
- You can add them to your fruit salads or to your vegetables and lean protein meal.
I. Fats and Oils:
Coconut oil, olive oil, and codfish liver oil. You might’ve stepped back a little with that last one, but they are all low-carb ingredients that can be added to your lean protein, salads, or cooking! They are full of nutrients that your body needs in order to function.
4. Don’t Crash Diet:
It’s good to be proactive in solving problems, and emotional eating is no exception. If you try to crash a diet, you may find yourself eating more after the crash diet is over. So, rather than stopping eating everything you love, try some of these tips.
- I. Allow yourself to have a dish of frozen yogurt each week as a treat:
This approach tends to be easier than just cutting out all frozen treats. You could use this approach with other “naughty” foods, too – it may be easier to resist if you know you are going to have that food on Saturday (or whatever day of the week you choose to have a small treat).
- II. Boost your nutrition with a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement.
- III. Increase your consumption of nutrient-dense foods.
5. Eat Regular Meals:
Experts recommend regular mealtimes as a way to combat emotional overeating. If it’s not “time” for food, then you may be better able to hold off on eating until it is time. Also, eating regular meals helps you to be deliberate about your intake of nutritious foods.
And finally, having regular meal times tends to make for a more relaxed eating experience, which is the direct opposite of anxiety-driven overeating. In the next chapter, we will take a look at the first step in overcoming emotional eating.
Here’re the top tips you can take to help break the cycle or habit of overeating:
1. Make the Connection Between Healthy Foods and Pleasure:
By focusing on the pleasurable act of eating and what you are eating, you will, over time, literally change your brain chemistry to appreciate and look forward to healthier foods. It is very important to make the connection that these wonderful, healthful, life-giving foods are creating optimum health for you now and in your future.
Also associate unhealthy foods with poor health, overweight, and a poor quality of life. Create healthy and unhealthy images as you make the positive and negative associations of each.
2. Practice Mindful Eating:
This means that you are paying attention to how delicious the food is, the texture of the food, the aroma, etc. By focusing on what you are eating, you will be less tempted to wolf food down. This action allows our brain to register that we have eaten and are getting full. This also allows you to control how much you eat.
3. Plan Your Meals:
Eat three meals a day and two snacks. This is vital as it stabilizes your blood sugar preventing the desire to overeat or make poor health choices – even in an emotional context. Have you ever gone grocery shopping hungry?
Remember poor food choices? This same situation can be applied to everyday life – do not go through life hungry! Low blood sugar – even slightly will only lead to poor food choices which result in overeating and poor health.
4. Identify Your Eating Triggers:
Is your eating trigger emotional? Boredom, stress, anger, anxiety or loneliness? Is it situational? In front of the TV, baseball game, or movies? Is your emotional trigger social? When you are at a family gathering? At a sporting event? With friends?
Once you have determined out what your eating trigger(s) are, the next step is to break that habit by creating an alternative to eating. When you reach for food in response to a trigger – Create a Diversion.
First acknowledge that yes, I do want that food because I am lonely, sad, angry, etc. Then take a walk, call a friend, read a book, play with your children, try deep breathing – anything to divert your attention from the food until the urge to eat passes.
For lasting behavioral change to occur, there must be a shift in your thinking, from turning to food for comfort and not caring about your health – to the desire to create a quality life with positive health choices.
5. Therapy – either self-help or with a professional:
If you have unresolved emotions such as guilt, anger, fear or low self-esteem consider therapy to help you resolve these problems. Many dieters find hypnosis and hypnotherapy powerful therapies for clearing emotional baggage and any secondary gain issues.
If you do not wish to see a therapist try self-hypnosis which can help you to re-program your subconscious with more helpful beliefs. CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is also a highly effective therapy for reconditioning eating behavior.
6. Support yourself with healthy lifestyle habits:
When you’re physically strong, relaxed, and well-rested, you’re better able to handle the curveballs that life inevitably throws your way. But when you’re already exhausted and overwhelmed, any little hiccup has the potential to send you off the rails and straight toward the refrigerator. Exercise, sleep, and other healthy lifestyle habits will help you get through difficult times without emotional eating.
- Make daily exercise a priority.
- Aim for 8 hours of sleep every night.
- Give yourself permission to take at least 30 minutes every day to relax, decompress, and unwind.
- Connect with others. Don’t underestimate the importance of close relationships and social activities. Spending time with positive people who enhance your life will help protect you from the negative effects of stress.
If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks.
Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment for any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”
Sources
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