Q: How Do I Overcome Emotional Eating?

Posted by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen Jul 9, 2009

A reader asked for ways to stop her emotional eating cycle, on my article called Overcoming Emotional Eating. She said: "I can't see how to get out of this cycle...the more I try to control my eating, the more anxious I get!"

I hear you, my friend. I'm tempted to dive into my cookie jar more often than not! I feel that same happy rush when I eat my face off...but after I chow down, I feel tired, heavy, and depressed. All that fat and sugar disrupts my sleep and makes me full "hungover" the next day. Ugh.

I think the key to overcoming emotional eating is to NOT think about it in terms of "controlling" it. The more you try to control it, the more of a hold it has over you. Instead, accept it as part of who you are. You love food, you love the dopamine rush -- it's like any addiction.

Here's another way to stop the cycle of emotional eating (in addition to the suggestions in my article): The next time you do it and feel bloated, sick, tired, heavy, depressed, and ugly afterwards -- write down exaclty how you feel. Write how your tummy feels, your emotions, your head, your heart, your soul. Write down everything you ate, how much it cost at the grocery store, and whose food you ate (when I binge on my hubby's Munchie Mix, he loses out!). Be specific and clear about how much your emotional eating costs you physically, emotionally, mentally, and practically.

The next time you're tempted to binge, find this list (which you could call something like "The Reasons I Don't Want to Eat to Feed My Emotions"). Sit with it for 10 minutes. Getting back to those awful "after" feelings will help you overcome the "before" feelings.

And then, do something else: get out of the house, call a friend, scrapbook, take a bath. Do something you like, that helps you express how you feel.

I hope this helps, and I welcome your thoughts!

Laurie