Stop using Ice Cream as a Bandaid – 5 Practical Steps to Curb Emotional Eating

 

A new diet plan does not fix emotional eating. Dealing with the emotions does.

 

We don’t always eat to satisfy physical hunger. We may have fallen into the rut of turning to food for comfort, stress relief, to reward ourselves or simply to make ourselves feel better.

 

When we do that, it’s not broccoli we reach for!

 

We tend to reach for junk food or sweets. You might reach for a pint of ice cream when you’re feeling down, order a pizza if you’re bored or lonely, or swing by the drive-through after a stressful day at work.

 

If that sounds familiar, this is for you.

 

What we first need to connect with is the fact that emotional eating doesn’t fix emotional problems. In fact, it usually makes things worse.

 

Afterward, not only does the original emotional issue remain, but you also feel guilty for overeating.

 

How can we help you break the cycle?

 

Lets cover ways to curb emotional eating: (remove this, redundant)

 

IDENTIFY THE TRIGGERS & CREATE SIMPLE WAYS TO DEAL WITH THEM

 

Stress- Ever notice how stress makes you hungry? It’s not just in your head. When stress is high your body produces higher levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.

 

Cortisol triggers cravings for salty, sweet, and fried foods—foods that give you a burst of energy and pleasure. The more uncontrolled stress in your life, the more likely you are to turn to food for emotional relief. Identify the stressor and find a healthy way to work through it or let it go.

 

Stuffing emotions – Eating can be a way to temporarily silence or “stuff down” uncomfortable emotions, including anger, fear, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, resentment, and shame. While you’re numbing yourself with food, you can avoid the difficult emotions you’d rather not feel. Allowing yourself to feel uncomfortable emotions can be scary. You may fear that, like Pandora’s box, once you open the door you won’t be able to shut it. The truth is that when we don’t obsess over or suppress our emotions, even the most painful and difficult feelings subside relatively quickly and lose their power to control our attention.

 

Boredom or feelings of emptiness- Do you ever eat simply to give yourself something to do, to relieve boredom, or as a way to fill a void in your life? You feel unfulfilled and empty, and food is a way to occupy your mouth and your time. In the moment, it fills you up and distracts you from underlying feelings of purposelessness and dissatisfaction with your life.If you’re depressed or lonely, call someone who always makes you feel better, play with your dog or cat, or scroll through the pictures on your phone. If you’re bored, read a good book, watch a comedy show, explore the outdoors, or turn to an activity you enjoy (woodworking, playing the guitar, shooting hoops, scrapbooking, etc.) 

 

Childhood habits-Think back to your childhood memories of food. Did your parents reward good behavior with ice cream, take you out for pizza when you got a good report card, or serve you sweets when you were feeling sad? These habits can often carry over into adulthood. Or your eating may be driven by nostalgia—for cherished memories of grilling burgers in the backyard with your dad or baking and eating cookies with your mom.  This one can be tricky.  The trick may be just learning to identify what is happening and being mindful in those moments you can still enjoy those things but find a healthier restaurant, celebrate at the apple orchard instead of an ice cream shop, make healthy pizzas at home.  Bake cookies and share them with neighbors and friends.  Also finding new healthy ways to connect with your past and creating better habits for your family moving forward is key!

 

Social influences- Getting together with other people for a meal is a great way to relieve stress, but it can also lead to overeating. It’s easy to overindulge simply because the food is there or because everyone else is eating. You may also overeat in social situations out of nervousness. Or perhaps your family or circle of friends encourages you to overeat, and it’s easier to go along with the group. Slow down and savor every bite. You’ll not only enjoy your food more but you’ll also be less likely to overeat. It takes time for the body’s fullness signal to reach your brain, so taking a few moments to consider how you feel after each bite—hungry or satiated—can help you avoid overeating.