Pushing Away From Emotional Eating

There is no getting around the fact that our bodies need food to survive. It is the way we get nutrition and energy. Food is a central part of life. There are times when it is the centerpiece at a social event. Eating has become more than just a means of survival.

It has become a way for us to connect with friends and family. We create a special menu for every event in life. It is no surprise that because of this connection to food, there has become a concerning issue with its abuse.

There are so many ways that food has become the center of health concerns. Pushing away from emotional eating means teaching ourselves how to use food as a means of nutrition rather than coping.

Emotional eating can be triggered by various situations. These triggers can be internal and external depending on the person and the situation. Stress at work or home is one of the more common causes, but relationship and financial struggles can also be external triggers. Internal causes for eating issues usually revolve around restrictive diets or dieting history.

Ways to stop emotional eating.

Learning to change a habit can be hard and even more so with a behavior such as emotional eating. One of the most important ways to help with emotional eating is to understand the emotions that cause the behavior. Pushing away from emotional eating is an intentional action aimed at making a change.

Here are a few ways to help stop emotional eating:

Create a diary of emotions.

This can help you identify the emotions that trigger this eating behavior. Make note of what happened, your feelings, and when you decided to eat. This will take some practice. It will not be a perfect tool, but it can be a helpful tool. A diary also helps you to be aware of the triggers and your reactions.

Identify hunger.

Learning to identify true hunger and emotional eating can help reduce the chance of turning to food as a coping strategy. If you are experiencing physical hunger you will notice a rumbling stomach, lightheadedness, a shaky feeling, a mood change, and difficulty focusing.

Move your body.

Chances are the feelings identified with emotional eating can also be alleviated through exercise. Anxiety and depression can often be avoided by choosing to take a walk, work out, or engage in an activity that will help your focus shift from the negative emotion.

Remove distractions.

Eating while watching TV or working causes a disruption in the brain recognizing the activity of eating. Distractions keep you from truly acknowledging your meal and may cause more dissatisfaction. Being distracted can cause you to eat faster and this can keep the stomach from identifying when it is full.

Learn to be mindful.

Being mindful means that you are taking time to be in the moment. When you practice mindfulness you are learning how to react to your emotions positively. This can be done by sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing, noticing any tense areas of the body, making note of your sensory surroundings (smell, taste, see, touch, hear), and choosing to engage in prayer.

Reach out for support.

Feelings that lead to emotional eating can lie and lead you to believe that you are better off facing it alone. It has been noted that reaching out to a friend or family member can play a big part in understanding the trigger that leads you to emotional eating. If you choose, you can also connect with others who also struggle with emotional eating.

The if/then scenario technique.

It may not seem like being prepared can help you with emotional eating. However, when you use the if/then scenario technique you can effectively manage the moment and trigger. When you list possible challenges or triggers you can list what you will do as a reaction. By creating this if/then list you will have the confidence to face the trigger, make a healthy choice, and engage in something that can benefit your health.

Some examples of the if/then scenario techniques are:

• If I become upset about a family situation and want comfort food then I will listen to a podcast.
• If become bored I will choose to call a friend.
• If I want a snack at bedtime then I will engage in a word puzzle.
• If I feel that I need ice cream after a hard situation then I will go for a walk.

Next steps

Pushing away from emotional eating is not always easy but it is doable. Through intentional choosing and some preparation, you can find ways to reduce the triggers and how you react. If you find that you are having difficulty navigating emotional eating you can connect with a local Christian counselor.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV