Let’s face it, most of the time we aren’t reaching for that chocolate bar because we’re ravenous. Emotional eating takes on many forms and can have negative effects on your physical and mental wellbeing.
But not only does it not actually make us feel better in the long run, it can also lead to weight gain and a feeling of being out of control.
Getting a handle on something emotional isn’t always easy though and try as we might, after a bad day at work or a Saturday evening with nothing to do, it feels like a losing battle to try and stay away from the biscuit jar.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t break the cycle though and so we’ve enlisted the help of Dr Ben Kelly, Head of Preventative Medicine at Nuffield Health to give us his top tips for recognising and avoiding emotional eating.
Recognise the signs
Ask yourself one question before reaching for that snack – ‘Am I really hungry?’. To be sure, wait for 20 minutes and drink a glass of water to see how you feel. Sometimes, our body can mistake feelings of thirst for hunger.
Emotional hunger comes on suddenly in response to a situation, it makes you crave specific comfort food (often high in calories) and isn’t satisfied once you’re full. It can also lead to feelings of regret, guilt or shame, creating a vicious circle of eating to feel better.
Be mindful of how you are feeling when you think you want to eat something; are you bored, sad, stressed, or upset? You may find it useful to keep a food diary, jotting down not only what you eat, but how you feel beforehand. If you are snacking in response to negative feelings, it’s likely that you’re eating emotionally.
Identify your emotional eating triggers
By tracking your eating patterns, you will notice when you may be eating to help control your emotions. The next step is to work out why you’re feeling this way in the first place.
For example; are you feeling hungrier during or after a bad day at work? This could be down to stress, as when it becomes chronic, your body releases high levels of cortisol which triggers cravings for unhealthy food. Sometimes, simply finding the cause of your feelings can prevent you from acting without thinking.
Once you know what circumstances are triggering your emotional eating, you can take positive steps to break the cycle.
Take back control
If you’re anxious or stressed, practice mindfulness techniques like yoga or meditation first thing in the morning to settle your nerves for the day ahead. If you’re lonely, organise a catch up with friends, take up a new hobby or consider getting a pet. If you’re bored, experiment with cooking new dishes, explore the outdoors or use the time to tackle a DIY project.
Making little changes can have a big effect, so actively seek out the activities, people and places that make you feel positive and happy.
Out of sight, out of mind
When temptation is within reach, it’s hard to resist. Give yourself the best possible chance of tackling your emotional eating by keeping unhealthy food out of reach which your emotional hunger craves – or simply don’t buy it!
Keep any snacks you do buy out of sight in a cupboard or drawer behind healthier alternatives, and put post-it notes on the packet saying, ‘Are you hungry? No? Do five star jumps or call a friend instead of eating me.’
Lean on your support network
Don’t keep your emotional eating to yourself. Be brave and confide in your closest friends, colleagues or family members who will be able to give you extra support to kick the habit.
By building or strengthening your support network, the root causes of your emotional hunger are also more likely to be addressed. In certain cases, however, you may benefit from speaking to a nutrition or emotional wellbeing professional.
