Eating when
you’re not actually hungry can add 500 to 1000 calories to your diet every day.
That’s an extra 1 to 2 pounds a week or 4 to 8 pounds in a month. We often
confuse being thirsty with being hungry. If you just ate less than 2 hours ago,
you’re likely not hungry. Ask yourself, “Am I really hungry or is it something
else?”
Emotional eating and cravings are brought on anxiety, stress, anger, sadness,
fatigue, boredom, and depression. It’s your bodies way of creating happiness,
distracting from the problem or filling an emptiness.
Emotional
eating can cause you to crave unhealthy foods high in carbs, sugar, flour or
salt. And it’s hard to become satisfied with just a small amount. You tend not
to care about the consequences of overeating. You can also overeat otherwise
healthy foods too such as eating a whole container of almonds.
Steps to immediately
stop the urge to emotional eat
1.
Wait 10 minutes. If the urge to eat
passes, you weren’t actually hungry.
2.
If the urge doesn’t pass, drink 16oz
water. If the urge doesn’t pass, maybe it’s time to eat. Maybe at your last
meal, you ate too little or and didn’t get enough protein and fats to create
satiety.
Steps to Control Emotional Eating?
· Find creative ways to calm and soothe yourself. Go for a walk, play with your pet, read a book (or listen to an audio book), surf the internet, watch a favorite tv show or movie, listen to music, relax in a Jacuzzi tub, etc.
· Stress management techniques. Yoga, meditation or deep
breathing are great for reducing stress. Playing a sport, running and walking
all release endorphins (the happy hormone).
· Get support. Call a good friend or family member you can trust. You're less
likely to give in to emotional eating if you have a good support network.
· Take away temptation. Don't keep hard-to-resist
comfort foods in your home and don’t go to the grocery store when you’re
feeling emotional.
· Snack healthy. If you feel the urge to
eat between meals, choose a healthy snack such as fresh fruit, vegetables with
hummus or a yogurt dip, or nuts.
· Learn from setbacks. If you have an episode of
emotional eating, forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Try to learn
from the experience and plan how you can prevent it in the future. Focus on the
positive changes you're making in your eating habits and give yourself credit
for making changes that'll lead to better health. Rewire
your brain to form healthier habits. It takes a lot of practice, but it works.
Why is Food so Comforting?
· It’s
biology: When you are stressed out, your body releases
cortisol, a stress hormone, which makes you crave carbohydrates, sugar, salty
and fatty foods. Food is soothing due to the chemical changes it creates in
your body. You may crave chocolate because it is a “feel good” food and boosts
the "feel good" chemicals in your body.
· Exorphins:
Most people reach for high-carb wheat and sugar products for comfort. These are
the worst for you! When wheat products are digested, it is converted into
Exorphins - a super drug that makes you crazy, hungry and addicted. They are
like the endorphins you get from a runner's high and bind to the opioid
receptors in the brain, making you high, and addicted just like a heroin
addict. These super drugs can cause addictive eating behavior, including
cravings and bingeing. No one binges on broccoli, but they binge on cookies or
cake.
· Food
is easily available: It is something you can get your hands
on fairly quickly. Vending machines and fast food restaurants are always close
at hand when you are upset.
· It’s a habit: In the past, you may have found that eating or drinking eased your pain and certain foods trigger positive or comforting feelings.
With practice, you can learn to take control. DON’T LET FOOD CONTROL YOU!