No, we don’t mean calling your emotional eating Bill or Angela (although if you think that might be helpful—go for it!), we suggest trying to name the emotion you’re feeling while reaching for food. Emotional eating is trying to satisfy a feeling with food that may make you feel good for a moment. Maybe that’s chips for you or maybe your sweet tooth calls for chocolate bars, no matter: when you find yourself reaching for these try and check in with naming what you are feeling.

You may start off by thinking “Am I angry? Or am I feeling sad?”. But these well-known emotions aren’t just the only ones you might come up with, emotions can be linked to each other and there can be a few layers. Other ones to think about that may be less obvious:

• If you’re angry, maybe you’re also feeling irritable or frustrated or jealous.
• If you’re sad, it could be that you’re feeling lonely or grieving or not good enough.
• If you’re nervous, think about if you’re also feeling embarrassed or confused ...

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