Tag Archive for: feelings

Do You Feed Your Emotions?

copy-of-webinar-replay-3One of the things that come up often in my work with my clients is how they deal with their emotions.  We all experience different emotions throughout a given day.  Those emotions can be sadness, happiness, stress, anxiety, boredom or many others.  It is totally normal to experience these emotions from time to time, but how you cope with them is key.

 

So let me ask you a question: How do you handle your emotions?

 

Do you look for support from someone close to you?

 

Do you journal how you are feeling and use one of your coping mechanisms to help you get through it?

 

Or, do you reach for food?

 

Do you find yourself reaching into the food cabinets when these emotions arise?  How do you feel after you eat your “go-to” mood fixer food?

 

As an emotional eater you use food as a way to solve your problems, so you think.  But in reality, food will not make these problems go away.  They will certainly distract you for a time but once you stop eating, the problem and your feelings will still be there. You sadness, anxiety, boredom or stress, will still need to be addressed.  But now, there is likely some added guilt and physical discomfort from overeating.

 

Does this sound like you?

 

If it does, know you are not alone.

 

Here are 4 steps you can take today to move away from emotional eating:

 

  1. Acknowledge when you turn to food to comfort your emotions. Are you choosing foods to help numb your emotion?  What emotions are you feeling in that moment?  Take a moment to breathe and think about what you are doing.  Journal what comes up for you.

 

  1. Stop and listen to your body before turning to food. What are you truly feeling?   If you can honestly say you are hungry, then by all means you should eat….a well-balanced power snack or meal. But if you are being true to yourself and really want to help yourself, you won’t automatically say “I’m hungry”. Instead, you will think about what you are feeling and how you can comfort yourself without turning to food.

 

  1. Seek support from a loved one or counselor. Talking through your emotions instead of eating through them is an amazing feeling.

 

  1. Journal things that you enjoy doing that can distract your during your emotional times. Take a walk, do a puzzle, read a book, etc.  Figure out what works best for you.

 

Let’s dig even deeper into how to end emotional eating.

 

Join me on Thursday, October 13th for a free live training called A Simple (and Delicious) Way to End Emotional Eating.

 

Click here to learn more and to register.

 

 

Are You Feeding Your Stomach or Emotions?

Emotional eating quoteIf you are having one of those days where nothing seems to go right and all you want is something to make you feel better, what do you reach for?  Are you reaching for food?  If so, is that bag of chips really making you feel better?

 

“I had a long day and the only thing that will make me feel better is my favorite junk food!”

 

Does this sound like something you would say?  I have many clients that come to me seeking help in dealing with their emotional eating.  They find themselves eating when they are stressed, upset or bored, and they don’t feel satisfied afterwards. In fact, they feel guilty, ashamed and desperate.

 

I help my clients to realize they will not feel satisfied when they are feeding their emotions.

 

I want to help you understand this too.

 

Emotional eating is eating in response to feelings, not because you are physically hungry.

 

Eating away your emotions may make you feel better for an instant, but when the bag is empty you’re left with the same feelings of guilt, the discomfort of overeating, plus those original emotions you had in the first place.

Whether you are eating as a way to reward yourself for a job well done or trying to make yourself feel better after a rough day, this form of emotional eating can affect your mood and health long after the bag is empty.

 

To identify if you are emotionally eating, you should figure out what is driving your desire to eat.  Are you experiencing physical hunger or psychological hunger?

 

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • “How am I feeling? Am I upset, angry, tired or even happy? Could this be causing me to crave a certain food?”
  • “Do I usually use food for comfort?”
  • “Do I associate rewards with food?” Maybe you just received a promotion, is your first thought “I’ll celebrate with dessert tonight?”
  • “When was the last time I ate?” Natural hunger cues start to occur a couple of hours after you last ate.  If you just ate, you might not be experiencing physical hunger.

 

These habits can be hard to break and you will need to dig deep inside of you to figure out what you are truly feeling.  This isn’t always easy as sometimes it’s uncomfortable to feel your emotions.  I get it.

 

One way to deal with your emotions without food is to distract yourself.

 

Here are some tips you can try today to help you regain control over your emotions:

  • Go for a walk to get endorphins going and help you clear your mind.
  • Do yoga or meditation to clear your mind and help you relax.
  • Call or text a friend to talk about your day or vent, if needed.
  • Watch your favorite show for a good laugh.
  • Read a book to get someone else’s point of view.
  • Take a nap to regain energy.
  • Write how you are feeling in a journal.

 

Distractions may work for a short time.  Ultimately you must dig deeper to understand why you turn to food in hard times.

 

I am here to help you.  I can help you work out your emotions and teach you ways to deal with them that do not involve food.  I can teach you to listen to your body’s hunger cues and eat only when you are experiencing physical hunger.  Take care of yourself by being in tune with your emotions. Dealing with them now instead of letting them build up will benefit you and your overall health.

 

Contact me here if you’d like to chat.