Emotional eating

Food can be your best cure as well as biggest trap

This is not the easy topic, however crucial if we are talking about healthy lifestyle.

In my opinion most problems with weight (if not caused by some disease) are caused by emotional/compulsory eating and its consequences.

Let's be honest. There are some people who just do not care what they eat and in what condition their body is. Ok, no problem, their choice. 

But there is a huge part of other people who would really like to change their bodies and health condition but, for some reasons, they are not effective in their doings.

Reasons are unlimited: lack of knowledge, bad portion measuring, beeing to strict or too indulgent, stress and so one. But the very best on the list is compulsive, emotional eating.

If emotional eating is a problem, even with best knowledge and university degree in nutrition/training, you might have problems with your own weight management.

What exactly is emotional eating? 

It occurs when your body isn't necessary hungry, but the need of eating specific kind of product is so strong that you can;t control yourself and your hard will flies away.

In what situations emotional eating might occur? 

There are plenty of reasons, but most of them are:
* stress (it is relation to almoust any other reasons)
* business
* depression/bad mood
* loneliness
* boredom
* hormonal therapy (p-pills for instance)

Why do we eat? 

Reasons of emotional eating are depending on a person, it is more complex aspect of each of us. 
However, eating is a response for some stressful situation. Eating suppose to loose the tension and relax us. 

If we are repeating continuously sequence of situation like: 
angry boss ---> tension ---> compulsive eating
our brain is programming itself that this is the easiest way of stress relief. 

Stress-relief programming

We have to remember that our brains (like all our bodies) are programmed for surviving. Out body would not be possible to be in a stressful situation all the time, that is why it is automaticly programmed to look after easy to set stress-relieving solution.

Unfortunately, after temporary relief, the stress become back to us in with double force. Firstly because we didn't resolve the real issue of our problem itself, secondly because we now have pangs of consiquence that we have eaten a whole pack of chips/box of chocolates/bowl of ice creams.  

Why so hard to stop? 

I'm not a psychologist and if your problem is serious, you might consider looking for professional help. I just want to share my ideas and solutions which worked/working for me.

Of course writing about consequences of emotional eating should stop us from doing that, but - we all know - that it is not that easy. What can we do about it then?

* first of all, see the difference between real hunger and emotional need of eating
* call your feelings if this is an emotional need of consuming 
* try to find a different way for difficult situation relieving:

are you tired? ---> take a nap
are you lonley? ---> play with your pet, call a friend
are you bored? ---> do some squats, go for a walk
are you sad? ---> train, go out with friends, be surround by people where you can't show your sadness

It won't be easy to control that urge. But you have to build a new habit which will replace the old bad habit of eating.

If you are still have an urgent need to eat something, at least find the longest way to a shop, maybe on the way to it, you will see that it is not so urgent anymore

Think about the reason of sudden emotional hunger. Try to name them.
Maybe you are to strict on your diet? You're stressing out all over about loosing weight that in the end stress is to big and you relieving it by eating. You should have a one day when you can splurge yourself, it will help you beeing back on track

 

 

 

What if it already happened?

If you already eat tones of crap, stop beat yourself and go on. No one ever died from one bad meal, but if you will continue that, it might be harder going back on track. Say 'stop' right now, admit that you have one little dlip and THAT'S ALL. Don't say that you will start again tomorrow, start again right after you fall from your track. 

Serious consequences

The worst consequence of emotional eating, beside weight problems, might be eating disorders. So it is better to work on that issue now, when it is only emotional eating than to recover from some kind of eating disorders.