The Smart Girl’s Guide to Emotional Eating

Another guest post for y’ll! This one is from the lovely Jane Michell at nkd Diets She’s in the process of moving and updating her website so I’ll point you in the right direction once that’s up and running. If you want to drop her line to get her incredible personal support and coaching for yourself on your weightloss journey (and seriously, you really might want to after reading this post) you can email her at Jane@thejmpeogramme.com

Have you ever wondered what’s happened when you find yourself in a newsagent buying, say, a bar of Galaxy, even though you’ve sworn you’re off chocolate? Or reaching across the table to finish off someone else’s chips? Or getting through an entire packet of biscuits? You may think you have no will power, but actually it’s much more complicated.

Many people believe that they just need will power or a good telling off to manage their weight successfully, but will power isn’t something you have or don’t have – it’s a skill (aside from Tamarisk…psychologists have also recently discovered that will power is also a finite resource, you literally can run out of it!). Saying no to the chocolate brownies, and turning down a much needed glass of wine is not only a sign of will power; it’s a sign that you’ve made a conscious choice to do something, because you believe the benefits outweigh the downsides. So while eating the chocolate brownie might make you feel better in the short term, it might also mean you won’t be able to fit into your skinny jeans! In reality everything we do is preceded by a thought. This includes everything we eat. It just may not seem like it because our actions often feel automatic.

Often overeating, grazing or cravings are unconscious, habitual responses to a variety of ‘triggers’. These triggers can be external, such as the sight or smell of food, or internal and emotional, such as a response to stress, anger, boredom or emptiness. In short, what, when and how we eat is strongly influenced by a wide range of social, cultural and biological factors.

These factors operate at an unconscious level; we are almost entirely unaware of them. In reality it is very difficult to distinguish between true hunger – when our tummy is rumbling and we are feeling the need for fuel – and emotional hunger. Emotional hunger encompasses a whole range of unconscious motivations. Some people eat when they feel upset, others when they are anxious or depressed. Some turn to food to alleviate boredom and others see it as a reward. The problem with emotional eating is that it usually results in us consuming a lot of calories we don’t really need, even if we think we want them.

In order to prevent emotional eating we first of all need to be able to recognize it. It is only when we have learnt to recognize it that we are able to make a conscious choice not to do it! Unless you have learnt to identify their distinguishing characteristics emotional hunger and true hunger can actually feel very similar. The next time you feel really hungry look for the following signals that your appetite may be based on emotions rather than true physical hunger. This awareness will help prevent an emotional eating episode.

Emotional Hunger is:

• Sudden. One minute you’re not hungry, the next you’re starving
• For a specific food. The only thing you need is a very specific food – chocolate, cake, biscuits…
• Is paired with emotion. Your work is going badly, you’re kids aren’t listening, your partner came home in a bad mood. Emotional hunger occurs in conjunction with an upsetting emotion.
• Often involves automatic or absent minded eating. This means you’re not aware of what you’re putting in your mouth. Classic examples are a Starbucks coffee and muffin eaten on the run.
• Does not recognise when you’re full and results in guilty feelings. Emotional eating often stems from a desire to meet the need of painful feelings that are difficult to stay with, we eat to numb the pain. The paradox is that we started eating to feel better, but we end up feeling a whole lot worse.

True, Physical Hunger is:

• Is gradual. Your tummy rumbles. An hour later it growls, you gradually feel the need for fuel.
• Is more flexible. With true physical hunger you are more open to a range of different choices and you’re listening out for what your body really needs.
• Occurs out of physical need. Perhaps it’s been some time since you last ate. You may be tired, low on energy or light headed.
• Involves choices and an awareness of what you are eating. When you are physically hungry you make a conscious choice about what and how much you eat.
• Stops when full. True, physical hunger comes from a desire to nourish the body. As soon as that intention is met you stop eating. There is NO guilt or shame associated with eating from a place of true, physical hunger.

So, how do we break the cycle of emotional eating?
The first step is to understand why. Are there any obvious triggers you can identify? Look at your current eating habits. What preceded your purchase of the Galaxy Bar, what happened before you reached across and ate the chips, why did you finish the biscuits? And crucially, how did you feel? Angry, bored, depressed, hopeless, out of control. It’s only by recognizing and
identifying these feelings that you can start to take action against emotional eating.

Try following these practical steps:

• Pause and ask yourself – do I want this or do I need this? Is this physical hunger or emotional hunger? Try and think of the consequences of eating whatever it might be.
• Get moving in the morning – sounds weird I know. But by taking a shower, putting in your contact lenses or even better getting some exercise before breakfast you will feel more in control.

• Think about your reason ‘why’ every day. People often have a very specific reason why they want to lose weight. Remind yourself daily of this reason.
• Adopt an Image – Is there an image or photograph that inspires you? If you have one, pop it onto your fridge, or keep it in your handbag.
• Find an alternative comfort to food – after a bad day comfort yourself with a luxury bubble bath, or even better a massage. Consider the benefits of a manicure, let’s face you can’t dip wet nails into the biscuit tin! By finding ways of coping with stress other than food you are empowering yourself to deal with life in a far more positive way.

Share on Facebook