Does this sound familiar: “My boss is getting on my last nerve today…I need a juicy burger with cheese fries!” or, “My bills are stressing me out…a piece of chocolate cake has my name on it!”.
Emotional eating is driven by emotions and feelings rather than actual hunger. Oftentimes, the strongest cravings for food happen when we deal with negative emotions like emptiness, stress, boredom, loneliness and anger. You may focus on eating comfort food instead of dealing with a difficult situation.
However, whatever emotions drive you to overeat, the end result is often the same. Stress eating will suppress your thoughts and feelings but ultimately sabotage your healthy eating goals.
If you’re prone to emotional eating, there is good news! You can take steps to regain control of your healthy eating habits and get back on track before any damage is done.
Know the difference between emotional vs. physical hunger.
Mindless eating comes from using your body and not your head. Emotional hunger comes on fast; brings on feelings of guilt and certain go-to foods like potato chips and sugary treats are chosen to help fill an emotional void. Physical hunger builds gradually in your body; you’ll tend to stop eating when your full and you’re more likely to choose a variety of foods to satisfy your hunger without a guilty conscience.
Are You An Emotional Eater? was originally published on blackdoctor.org
