Snacking, snacking, and more snacking! 5 tips to reduce emotional eating during COVID-19.

Do you find yourself walking around the kitchen, opening and closing the fridge or cupboard doors a million times a day hoping a tasty snack will magically appear on the shelves? 

You’re not alone! Millions of people just like you are doing the exact same thing at this very moment. Human beings are wired to seek food and nourishment in times of stress and panic.  We are also wired to seek pleasure in times of emotional pain. This is why you find yourself turning to highly palatable foods like chips, pizza, cookies, or ice cream and saying "fuck-it" to salads and broccoli. 

There's good news! There are things you can start doing today to feel more in control! 

Here Are 5 Tips: 

#1: Before you eat, ask yourself: Am I physically hungry right now?" 

If you answer "yes", your strategy is to eat. What do you feel like eating? A sandwich, stew, or pasta? How Hungry are you? Do you have enough...

What is Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating is a reaction so subconsciously embedded most of us don’t even know we’re doing it. Rather than satisfying true physical hunger, emotional eating is an attempt to satisfy some emotional need. Unfortunately, emotional hunger can't be filled with food and more often than not will make you feel worse. When you eat as a result of an emotional trigger, as opposed to physical hunger, you will notice you can continue eating. Your stomach becomes a bottomless pit. Food will never fill the emotional deficit you are experiencing.

Although eating may feel good and provide comfort at the moment, the feelings that triggered the eating are still there. And not only does the original emotional problem remain, but you also feel guilty and beat yourself up for not having the willpower to prevent it. You then need to eat more food to cope with the guilt and self-blame, and eventually, you get stuck in the Cycle of Emotional Eating.

Eating Triggers