Emotional Eating - Am I Really Hungry?

 

 

Ask yourself these questions to decide if you are responding to physical hunger or some

 

emotional need:

 

• Did the urge to eat happen suddenly? Physical hunger actually builds gradually through time.

 

• Will only one certain food do? Emotional hunger often “shouts” for chocolate or a bag of chips in a loud, clear voice. Veggies will not do!

 

• Did you realize you ate the whole thing? You grabbed the food, and it was gone before you even had a chance to savor it.

 

• Are you stuffed but still want more? Physical hunger senses when the stomach is full. Emotional hunger does not.

 

• Do you feel guilty, ashamed or sorry about the choice? Sometimes emotional eaters feel worse when they realize that their food choices didn’t change their feelings (or the situation that caused uncomfortable feelings in the first place). They may become more sad, stressed or angry
than they were before.

 

 

Ways to stop emotional eating

Throughout our lives, we learn that eating can give us something to do, provide a pleasant social setting, help us avoid addressing unpleasant feelings, provide a reward, recall a cherished memory or alleviate stress.

 

1. Take time to journal what you were feeling when you chose to eat when you weren’t physically hungry.

 

2. Figure out how to feed your feelings without food. Knowing what is eating you is just as important as knowing what and how much you should be eating.  Exercise to release tension and to feel both calm and energized.  Soothe yourself with a soak in the tub or a cup of tea.  Take a break to read a book, watch a favorite show or enjoy a hobby.

 

3. Stop and count to 10. Minutes, that is. Emotional eating is often a matter of habit and happens without any real thought. Give yourself the time to think about the reason you want  to eat. Delay can lead to understanding and a different choice. Try to picture yourself effectively managing this.  Pause a few minutes before you choose to eat if you suddenly have a craving. Forgive yourself if you decide to go ahead and eat. Learn all you can from the choice and move on.

 

4. Surround yourself with support. Seek out and build relationships with positive people who will enrich your efforts to live your best life. Reach out to a friend or member of your chapter. A concerned but independent listener will 

help restore your perspective and allow you to express your feelings.

 

 5. Be your own best friend. Make it a priority to build healthy habits that keep you strong, rested and relaxed. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. It actually helps reduce food cravings. Take a walk when you are feeling stressed.

 

Schedule 15 minutes of “me time” to relax and restore your balance.

 

I have printed this worksheet for me to work on :)