Top tips for helping deal with emotional eating habits.

We have all been there before, stressed out having a bad day so we grab our favorite comfort food to help. Then just when we think it’s going to make us feel better, we get hit with guilt and shame. Using food to deal with feelings or stress is emotional eating. Emotional eating is not necessarily a bad thing, but it may cause issues for some of us, here are some top tips for helping deal with emotional eating habits.

Food is not only nutritious fuel for our bodies but can also provide an immediate hit of dopamine. Dopamine plays a role in pleasure and motivation, think of it as the “reward center.” As a women’s health and fitness coach, I know how important it is to build a healthy relationship with food.

Learn the difference between physical hunger & emotional hunger here.

It’s easy for us to get into a habit of suppressing our emotions or stress and turning to food for comfort. Trying to keep all these emotions bottled up while juggling our priorities is a recipe for stress. It becomes a vicious cycle of using food to cope but then feeling guilty and more stressed out afterward. We all know the adverse effects that chronic stress can have on our health.

Emotional eating can be an issue when it starts:
1. Making you feel worse in the short or long term.
2. Cause health problems such as digestive issues.
3. Makes you feel guilty or ashamed.
4. Is used as a primary coping skill.

Ask yourself…

1. Is my emotional eating causing me to feel better or worse?
2. What are the triggers causing emotional eating?
– emotions like sadness, anxiety, boredom?
– unmanageable stress?

What can you do if you are struggling with emotional eating habits?
1. Learn techniques to help you better manage your stress and release bottled-up emotions.
2. Try journaling. It’s a great way to get your emotions out. For those who don’t feel comfortable talking them out, journaling is a private way to release them.
3. Seek out support from a therapist, counselor, friends, or family members.
4. Keep healthy snacks on hand.
5. Learn from your setbacks.

“Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.” – Auguste Escoffier.

If you are ready to take control of your health & wellness, let’s chat.

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