How to Explain Emotional Eating to Others
There may come a time on your journey where you feel like you want to explain how and why you emotionally eat to those you trust. You might feel in your gut that you would benefit from opening up and sharing your experiences. But emotional eating is complex, where should you even begin? We’ve got a number of concrete examples below to help guide you!
We want to be clear: you don’t have to explain or justify your feelings or actions to others. This post is intended to support those who feel like speaking about their experiences to someone they trust will help support them on their journey. Remember: no one gets to comment on your body (even if it is weight loss).
A good first step is to check in with your person and see if they have capacity for you to share. This can set the tone of your interaction by encouraging limiting distractions, finding a quiet space, and making sure they are in a good mental place to support you.
Start by explaining the link between emotions and food, that you often feel like your eating patterns are influenced by how you’re feeling. This can sound like:
- “I often eat until I am at the bottom of a chip bag without even realizing it. It isn’t about being physically hungry, I’m actually zoned out.”
- “When I’ve received bad feedback from my boss or my work is criticized, I stop at for fast food at the end of the day and eat it all in the car before I get home.”
- “At night, when the house is quiet, I eat to fill a this emptiness that I can only describe as loneliness.”
- “When something triggers me—like reminders of my grief—I eat a lot of food so I don’t have to focus on those intense feelings.”
These are just a few examples; don’t be afraid to use your own words and speak your truth.
End with telling your person what you need, why you chose to open up to them. This can feel scary but remember that more often than not others want to offer a helping hand (just think what you’d be feeling if the situation were reversed). This can sound like:
- “I just really needed to get this off my chest because emotional eating thrives in the dark and I don’t want to hide anymore.”
- “I need your support to help make it to my therapy sessions.” (this could be a partner making dinner or a friend picking up the kids).
- “I don’t want you to monitor what I eat, but would it be ok if I reached out when I feel like I want to emotionally eat?”
You might be surprised to find that opening up to a trusted partner, friend, or family member helps you understand yourself and your experiences better. Being honest can even make you feel like you’ve let some of the heaviness of shame and guilt around emotional eating go—this is “weight” we encourage you to lose!
💛 Your peace awaits.
