5 Strategies for Taming Emotional Eating

There are so many ways that emotional eating is ingrained in our lives, often having its roots early in childhood as a way to soothe us. No doubt we’ve all sought comfort from Ben & Jerry or some other snack du jour in the midst of challenging emotions. It’s pretty common and can range anywhere from an occasional occurrence to being our default pattern.

Sometimes there is a cultural component too. Think about your well-intentioned grandma heaping your plate full of food and telling you to eat it all because, to her, food is love. And once that association has been made it’s easy for us to think that we are loving ourselves every time we overfill our plates and our bellies.

Our tendencies to associate emotions with food are widely recognized and often exploited by industry. Have you ever walked into a realtor’s open house and smelled the aroma of freshly baked cookies or vanilla extract simmering on the stove? It’s done deliberately to evoke an emotional response and it’s extremely effective, giving the house that homey, inviting feeling that says “buy me.”

The food manufacturers understand this too and do what they can to exploit our emotional connection with food, spending a great deal of resources to engineer their products to appeal to consumers’ feelings. Sadly, the majority of their products are devoid of nutritional value but because they have been designed to be addictive, they leave us craving more.

The Cinnabon stores found in many shopping malls around the U.S. are a perfect example of crafty marketing. Have you ever noticed how these shops are often located away from the main food court areas? This is done deliberately so that the aroma of these baked goods will arouse your senses as you walk around the mall without mingling with the scent of other foods. The net result is an increase in your desire for and a higher likelihood of purchasing their products.

It’s easy to see how habit-forming some of our behaviors are. Could it be that what calls you to visit to the fridge at 10 pm every night is actually that it’s habit, not hunger? In his book, The Power of Habit, author Charles Duhigg describes in great detail how habits are created. There is usually a cue, followed by a routine and then a reward.

My husband and I clearly fell into this pattern several years ago before giving up dairy products and caffeine. Every morning we would walk about a mile and a half downhill into town, enjoy a caffeinated beverage at our local Starbucks and then hike back up our steep hill to return home. For us the cue was the desire to exercise, the routine was our morning walk and the reward (for me) was a chai tea latte. And so the habit was formed. It certainly kept us motivated to go on our walks knowing that there was a “reward” awaiting us.

What looks like a habit can also be a pre-conditioned response to uncomfortable emotions bubbling up from within. This is where awareness is essential. If we truly desire to be free from the things that keep us separate from our innate joy and brilliance then these behaviors are valuable clues that can hold the key to our freedom.

So, if you’re ready to step up and take charge of your emotional eating, here are some strategies to help you get started.

 #1 – Awareness is key – Since emotional eating is largely unconscious, begin by stopping to notice how you are feeling as you head to the fridge. What is going on for you right in that moment? Shining a light on the behavior interrupts the habited pattern that we often don’t even realize exists. As with anything, awareness is the first step and it is crucial. Just be sure to observe without judgment, guilt or shame because those will only make you feel worse. This takes practice, so remember to be kind and compassionate with yourself as you are learning this new way of being.

Ask yourself some questions like “am I really hungry right now?”  Drink a glass of purified water since dehydration can be experienced as hunger and a glass of water may satisfy you. Pay attention to what types of snacks you are reaching for. For example, generally speaking, a desire for sugary foods can relate to a need to add more sweetness to your life. Crunchy foods can be related to unprocessed anger and salty foods can point to the need for more minerals in the diet.

#2 – Be willing to feel your feelings – It can be uncomfortable to experience the buried emotions that most of us spend a lifetime trying to suppress. Those feelings can seem all-consuming, and as though we may not come out the other side. But unattended emotions have a life of their own and will nag at you like a child trying to get your attention when you’re on the telephone until eventually they have their say. Like us, emotions are made up of energy and have a need to be expressed.

# 3 – Breathe – Our buried emotions always have a physical location in our bodies. With a little bit of willingness and some very focused deep breaths, we can often shift the energy before it overcomes us emotionally, or even worse, turns into a physical illness.

# 4 – Be prepared – It’s really important for emotional eaters to be prepared by having healthy food on hand that is enjoyable – food that is satisfying and nourishing on every level. There are many options to choose from, with the main focus being fresh fruits, veggies and leafy greens. Nuts, seeds, hummus, nut and seed pâté, raw crackers made in the dehydrator with flax and other seeds, kale chips, quinoa, steamed potatoes, raw chocolate bars, green smoothies, fresh vegetable juice, kombucha, sparkling water, nut and seed milks, etc. The possibilities are endless.

# 5 – Ask for help –If you’re serious about reclaiming your health and vitality, contact me to set up a no-obligation “strategy session” where together we can explore whether we might work together to help you reach your goals.