Are you making more trips to the fridge lately? On the pantry diet? Eating when not hungry is one of the effects of boredom, anxiety and loneliness on appetite. Everyone reacts differently to these sensations, yet many women turn to food.
Emotional eating is triggered by feelings and it has little to do with actual hunger. Eating to feel temporarily better is something that leeds to feeling out of control with and around food.
What is emotional eating?
Emotional eating is using food to make yourself feel better, not to still physical hunger. It usually brings only a short relief because the original issue is still there after finishing the bag of chips. Afterwards you mostly feel worse than before, feeling guilty about the amount of calories you ingested, feeling powerless and often also physically not well.
Common causes of emotional eating
Stress and anxiety can trigger cravings for salty, sweet and fried foods. Consuming these foods releases dopamine in your system, they give you a burst of energy and make you feel good, even if it’s for a short time.
Caffeine, alcohol and processed sugar can enhance the feelings of anxiety.
Stuffing down food can symbolize stuffing down unwanted emotions like anxiety, fear, loneliness, sadness, resentment and anger. All these emotions we can encounter during uncertain times.
Being bored and feeling lonely are feelings most of us are familiar with. Eating can momentarily fill you up and it can distract you from the moment. Time passes and your mind is occupied while creating your meal and eating it.
There are more reasons that can trigger emotional eating like childhood habits and social influences but today I want to keep it focused on emotional eating due to anxiety, boredom and loneliness.
Eating out of boredom, anxiety and/or loneliness
Feelings of boredom, loneliness and anxiety can have major effects on our eating patterns.
Food sounds like a good plan if you want to kill some time or want to feel less lonely. In the end, we don’t feel better, we feel worse. Overeating out of loneliness or stress is something familiar to many of us.
Have you been eating led by emotions?
- Have you noticed that you have been eating more because of stress and uncertainty?
- Eating when not hungry or already full?
- Are you bored or feeling lonely and grabbing food to distract yourself?
- Does food give you a sense of calm and security?
- Does food control you, your thoughts and behavior?
- Do you feel a stronghold of food on your mind?
The difference between emotional and physical hunger
To complete this list, physical hunger starts in the stomach and you feel it in the back of the throat. Emotional hunger has to do with feelings and your mind, not with hunger.
How to resolve feelings without food?
Emotions and cravings don’t listen to sound advice. Managing the emotions without using food as an option is needed to get control over uncontrolled eating habits. We need alternatives for emotional fulfillment.
You have more control over cravings than you think. ( If you are a believer read Galatians 5:22-23, Proverbs 25:28 )
Creative self expression is something that is used more and more as a treatment for conditions like anxiety and loneliness. This of course would also be a good solution when bored. Creative self expression can be anything from dancing, cooking, painting, knitting, making music, writing and gardening.
Reach out to someone, this can be a human or an animal friend. I love to text with positive, like minded people or watch something funny or interesting to cheer me up if needed.
Moving your body releases nervous energy stored in tissue and creates some happy hormones in return. Think of dancing, jumping on a trampoline, talking a walk outside or doing an at home yoga practice or HITT workout while listening to your favorite happy tunes.
Regular physical activity can increase your endorphins, dopamine and serotonin levels, making it a great option to boost your happy hormones.
When feeling empty and tired a cup of tea, a bath, journaling or going to bed early can do miracles.
Distract yourself with jobs you have been wanting to do for and never took the time. Make a to-do list of jobs around the house, de-cluttering, gardening, organizing, painting etc.
Something fun or different is the best distraction from boredom, to get yourself out of the funk.
Foods to reduce anxiety and to boost your mood
Try to add at least a few of these foods to your daily diet.
- Brazil nuts are high in selenium and may improve mood and anxiety. Two brazil nuts per day are more than enough, too much selenium is not a good thing.
- Nuts are rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that has been beneficial for treating anxiety.
- Omega 3 fatty acids from flax seeds, walnuts and chia seeds
- Vitamin D deficiency is linked to anxiety and depression
- Tryptophan rich foods like nuts and seeds, minimally processed soy foods, uncooked oats, beans and lentils help in creating serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is needed for good mood, sleep, memory and to relieve anxiety
- Potassium rich foods like pumpkin seeds and bananas can reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress
- Dark chocolate ( 80% and more ) is a great source of flavonoids, tryptophan and magnesium and can reduce stress and anxiety
- Turmeric, or the active ingredient curcumin found in turmeric may lower anxiety by reducing inflammation
- Chamomile tea is a herbal remedy and can reduce anxiety symptoms
- Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh and miso is beneficial for a healthy gut and can reduce anxiety.
- Green tea and matcha contain theanine which reduces anxiety and can increase the production of the happy hormones serotonin and dopamine.
Give yourself 5 minutes, breath and seize the opportunity to choose different.
Emotional eating is almost automatic. If you can insert 5 minutes, even just 1 minute of deep breathing or prayer between the craving and the action, you give yourself time to make another choice.
And if after the 5 minutes you still crave and want that thing you wanted, if possible go outside. You can try to take a portion of it, like on bowl instead of the whole bag, but that is more risky and only you know if you can handle that.
The chances are also high that after the break you have changed your mind.
This HERE is the technique I teach to Interrupt Your Overeating!
If you can figure out which emotion or situation caused this craving you are on the path of solving this problem.
Sometimes we need to feel the feelings, recognize them and consciously choose another option. Uncomfortable emotions can be hard to deal with. Often they seem more challenging if we try to suppress them instead of feeling them and let their power weaken.
Slow down and savor every bite, you might as well.
If you are eating consciously you will stop sooner and you actually taste what you eat.
Focus on the food and don’t do something else at the same time.
Having healthy options readily available in the fridge is a great way to prevent overeating on the less beneficial choices.
Download my FREE List of 30 Foods I like to have in my fridge for under 10 minute meals and snacks when big cravings and hunger hit!
Deprivation can lead to overeating. It is better to allow yourself to eat a portion of what you crave now instead of going overboard later.
Try not to have too much or even better, any comfort foods in the house. Out of sight is out of mind.
Keep in mind to be gentle with yourself. Sometimes that can mean giving into temptation. Don’t beat yourself up if this happens.
When you find yourself doing this too often maybe it is time to break free of the stronghold food has on you.
Feel the trigger, stop and choose again.
This sounds easier than it is but with practice it will get easier and come naturally.
ps. If you want to learn to master your eating habits and stop eating more than you need … more food than you need, more junk than your body needs, more often than it’s good for you,
my new guide/workbook “Interrupt Your Overeating” might be just what you need!
Read HERE what it can do for you.
Tina x
