5 Ways to Recover from Emotional Eating
Introduction
Emotional eating refers to eating as a response to emotions instead of hunger. Emotional eaters typically use food to cope with stress, anxiety, sadness, boredom, or even happiness. They crave specific foods, like sugary or salty snacks, and often overeat, leading to guilt or shame afterward.
Emotional eating is a common phenomenon, and many people engage in it from time to time. However, it becomes problematic when it becomes a habit and interferes with one’s health and well-being. It can lead to weight gain, poor nutrition, and a negative self-image. Additionally, it may set off a vicious cycle whereby emotional stress causes overeating, which triggers feelings of guilt or shame.
Causes of Emotional Eating
People have different and multiple reasons that make them indulge in emotional eating. Here are some of the most common emotional eating causes:
• To fill a void in your life
• You don’t have time for yourself
• You use food for comfort when you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or powerless
• To overcome low self-esteem, depression, or loneliness
• Lack of healthy coping skills for emotions
• Lack of healthy ways to address boredom
Understanding the causes of emotional eating is the first step to overcoming it. Once you know why you’re turning to food, you can develop strategies to cope with those emotions in healthier ways.
5 Ways to Recover from Emotional Eating
The good news is that anyone can overcome emotional eating with the right tools and strategies. By understanding the triggers of emotional eating and developing healthier habits and coping mechanisms, one can break free from the cycle of emotional eating and achieve a more beneficial relationship with food.
Here are some tips for you to follow to have a better relationship with food, recover from emotional eating, start enjoying life, and stop using food as a crutch for problems.
Put yourself first.
Nowadays, we don’t have time to think about making healthy choices because they take longer. We put everyone else’s needs before ours, especially women, which leaves us with no time or energy. Be honest with yourself and those around you. It doesn’t mean you’re selfish. You’re just being smart.
Plan ahead.
Make a list of your ‘trigger foods’ so that when you’re stressed or lonely, you know what to avoid. Once you know them, be prepared. Have healthy snacks ready for you at all times. Put fresh fruits and vegetables on the counter, in plain sight, and stock the fridge with ready-to-go, nutritious foods.
Eat only when you’re hungry.
Make healthy food a lifestyle choice rather than a temporary diet because dieting deprives you of things you crave, making you reach for the unhealthy as compensation. But when you stick to eating during times of hunger only, you teach your brain to reduce its cravings. Plus, you’ll start to lose weight. Also, chew thoroughly and really take in every bite.
Make everything pleasurable.
We often sacrifice pleasure for practicality and use food to satisfy us instantly. But it quickly fizzes and leaves us worse than before. It’s a good idea to keep busy and fill your calendar with exciting, fun things to do. Think of other ways to relieve stress and bring pleasure into your life, like massages, bubble baths, reading, and going out—anything other than food.
Break the mold.
Be proud of your beauty and your body. We all could use more self-love. Even though we blame the media, we’re our worst enemies regarding self-sabotage, hate, and body shaming. Be smart and use food to care for your body instead of drowning it in extra calories and shame.
Conclusion
Emotional eating can be a severe issue that can impact your mental and physical health. But with the tips provided in this article, you can overcome this problem and start living a healthier, happier life. Remember to put yourself first, plan ahead, eat only when hungry, make everything pleasurable, and break the mold.
If you need additional support, don’t hesitate to seek the help of a trained professional. You don’t have to suffer alone or white-knuckle it. Getting help is one of the most effective ways to heal.
