Emotional Eating-Breaking the Cycle

Most of us adults have a relationship or have had experiences with emotional eating.  Although no single definition of emotional eating exists.  Emotion eating is real and is explained as eating in a response to feelings rather than hunger.  Emotional eating typically is linked to stress, depression, anxiety, or frustration.  Many people also eat in respnose to happy feelings, but eating in response to happy feelings and events usually is not catorized with emotional eating.  The major issue whith emotional eating is that we tend to overeat, consume too many calories, and choose foods that are nutrient poor.  Donuts, cookies, chips, cake and oh ice cream, just to name a few.  Part of emotional eating usually incoporates salty, fatty and sweet foods, which leads us to become overweight.  
It's not reaching for a piece of candy or a slice of cake once.  It's how many times do you reach for it.  On day one I see no change.  On day 20 of eating this way everyday, I start to see that my clothes are fitting pretty tight.  After 6 months you notice you're overweight, after a year you are out of control and unhealthy.  It's the gradual onset that pleasure eating brings.  This relationship with our food becomes a hard habit, and cycle to break.  
Let's face it food tastes good and it seems to be a great distraction from boredom, worry, stress and many other feelings.  This distraction is temporary, and often we wind up in the same state that brought you to use food coping, along with guilt over overeating and worries about weight management along with health concerns.
In this time of COVID-19 quarentine, many of us have posted several funny pictures of Day 1 at the refergerator to Day 30 belly up to it.  
Try this instead of eating:

• Take a walk
• Talk to a friend
• Write down what you eat and when you eat, see if it is due to an emotion or feeling
• Drink a glass of water or tea
• Play a game
• Listen to music
• Find a pleasurable activity to do until the urge to eat passes
• If you are really struggling seek counseling advice
• Determine an 8 hour period of the day to eat.  If you eat at 9:00am then the last thing you eat should be at 5:00pm.  Work this to your schedule.  It takes some adjusting but try it for 2-3 weeks and see if it makes a difference.  You have to change your mindset to what you can eat and when.

Relaxation exercises, recognizing your triggers and learning new coping skills can help you divert a health crisis. 
You are not alone!