As an emotional eater, chances are there is a part (maybe a big part) of you that dreads eating with others. From family dinners to nights out with friends, to team building events at work, there is just too much opportunity to have our weight and eating habits criticized.

Food shaming is a common minefield when at a gathering that revolves around food. It can start on the inside; our thoughts swirl and we chastise ourselves over what we eat and drink in front of others. As a way to protect ourselves, our mind starts churning out warning thoughts and plans:

“Someone is going to look at me, look at my plate, and tell me that’s why I’m fat.”

“I’m so uncomfortable in my body, everyone is looking at me.”

“I am going to be perfect and only order a salad.”

“Will I fit in the chair at the restaurant?”

Sound familiar? Its likely that whatever thoughts come up from you, they stem from the idea that you will be judged by others...

Let’s talk about the messaging about food we absorb. While the concept is simple—what we hear and how it affects us—breaking down where we get these messages from, and if we should listen to them, is a bit more complicated.

There’s what your parents taught you. This might sound like “finish your plate”, “no dessert until you eat your vegetables”, “don’t be such a couch potato.”

There’s what the diet and food industries are repeating. “Lose 50 lbs in a month”, “workout only 20 minutes to blast fat”, “you too can have a celebrity body!” They’ll have us believe that bread is terrible for us, but a lab-made protein powder is the answer to our weight loss visions.

These two examples may be ones you’ve come to be more aware of as you’ve gotten older, read more, or even worked with a therapist on. But one area you may not know you’re getting messaging about is...

It is common to suffer from low self-esteem here and there. But often when someone is in an emotional spiral, or their depression is strong, out inner critic seems to be blasting negative thoughts on repeat. And it can be extremely powerful as it uses the first person:

• “I’m so fat. No wonder no one loves me.”
• “Look at how I jiggle. I’m so disgusting.”

Sometimes the voice might instruct you to pinch, suck in, or smooth certain parts of your body. These thoughts can feel true to us if we don’t challenge them. But how do you even begin to do that? Let’s look at the same comments above and see how we might push back against them:

• “I’m so fat. No wonder no one loves me. Wait. This can’t be true, my partner/friends/family tell me they love me.”
• “Look at how I jiggle. I’m so disgusting. STOP! That thought isn’t helping me.”

In both examples, you can see there is a need to break the negative...

As an emotional eater, it may be difficult to separate the answer to this question. It is a classics chicken-egg conundrum.

When you feel strong emotions—grief, anger, anxiety—it is likely that you turn to food to sooth them away. Likely the foods you choose are ones that bring you a sense of comfort (you have happy memories associated with it) and give you a dose of the feel-good serotonin followed by a sugar crash that might made you feel dull or tired enough to sleep (and block out all feelings). These foods are likely high in fat, sugar, and taste amazing! But they are the kinds of foods that can lead to weight gain if eaten quickly and without mindfulness. In this scenario, weight gain comes from the food used to calm emotions like depression.

On the other hand, it is natural to gain weight as life circumstances change like becoming a new mom, after a breakup, or during a global pandemic. In these scenarios, you might find that you’ve gained weight and begin...

Going in to see your doctor might be something that fills you with dread. While you may be all-too familiar with this feeling, there is a name for what you might be experiencing when you step into a clinic: weight bias.

This is defined as negative views, usually based on serotypes or misconceptions, towards people who are overweight or obese.

Everyday people who are overweight face discrimination, from the size of seats on a plane to critical looks and comments from others. There are prominent beliefs that plus size or obese individuals are somehow lesser than, aren’t considered beautiful, and should be blamed (and shamed) for the size of their waistline. This bias also exists in healthcare. 

While there have been strides made in providing training to nurses and doctors that provide primary care, it can still be daunting to go to the doctor for something that *seems* simple like an annual checkup. Here are five things to keep in mind that might help you feel empowered...

You have often heard us say that emotional eating is never about the food, it is about the feeling behind how and what you eat.

You may want to eat six doughnuts because the sugar “coma” helps you feel numb to emotions.

Or one of your binge foods of choice might be birthday cake because you have positive memories of feeling good attached to that food.

Managing your wellbeing—mental, physical, emotional—and how your feelings react to triggers, can seem overwhelming since there are so many things to consider! This is why today we’re breaking down the 7 pillars of wellness and providing realistic ways to support each one in your life.

There is no need to overhaul your day-to-day life or try and focus on perfecting your approach to each one (because there is no such thing as perfect). After reading the explanations below, think about which one or two pillars you are called to and see if you can bring more awareness and action to that area of your life.

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As the weather starts to warm up and sweater and coats are put away for the season, we begin to turn our minds to our summer wardrobe. This can cause a lot of anxiety for those of us who struggle with our body image. We begin to wonder: “Will I still fit in my clothes from last summer?”, “Will I sweat through the fabrics?”, or even “I hated how I felt in those shorts, but they were the only thing that fit.”

Instead of a summer “ready” body, let’s look at getting your mind ready for summer! Here are five journal prompts to use when you’re facing thoughts about your body and how it “fits” into the changing season:

1. When I feel good in my clothes, what does that physically feel like? What does that mentally feel like? (You may find your body language is more confident or you like the feel of certain fabrics.)
2. How do I feel about my summer wardrobe? What do I currently have that I like and that I don’t like?
3. ...

As emotional eaters we often think about (and fear) weight gain being noticed by those around us. Even worse: we stress over if they will say anything about it! But emotional eating can also mean a loss of appetite too: stress, anxiety, and depression can feel so all-encompassing that our natural hunger signals are lost in the chaos.

Often, losing a pant size or two can lead to positive comments from family, friends, and even your doctor. But these comments can be just as problematic as ones on weight gain. As a society we uphold thin bodies as the ideal standard for beauty and health, but what is often missing from the discussion is the emotion or illness that can be behind the weight loss. We become torn between the positive comments and the negative feelings that have led to our body’s changes.

While we’ve got some tips for when someone says something about your weight, the added layer of social conditioning—of acceptance of thinness—can create a very...

You’ve probably heard that the how you speak to yourself can lead to more or less self-esteem depending on what you say, what words you use, and the tone (negative or positive). It might be a conversation in our own mind, but there is power in your inner dialogue!

Recent research shows that speaking to yourself can also help sooth anxiety and reduce feelings of stress. Instead of hiding from these intense emotions, addressing them in a curious and kind way allows you to go slowly and see that they aren’t as overwhelming once you look at them. We’ve all been in the situation where putting our head in the sand has made a task seem that much more impossible.

While you may wish your anxiety would go away, there is no need to fight it. Begin with first observing what you are feeling—is it a flutter in your chest? An electric feeling up your legs?—and then ask your anxiety what is the concrete cause for these reactions. Maybe it is an upcoming review of your...

Seeing old friends or getting together with extended family can be a cause for celebration—especially after two years of social distancing and lockdown measures. But these situations can also bring feelings of anxiety and failure, you may start thinking “What if they notice I’ve gained weight?”, or even worse “What if they say something about my weight gain?”

It often feels like one’s waistline is open for comment no matter if it has been a weight gain or loss. The problem is that we’re celebrated when we shrink and blamed when we put on weight. Here are a few tips to support your mental health when your faced with unwanted commentary on your body.

Come up with a game plan. Knowing body comments might come up is one thing but being mentally prepared to face them can give you a feeling of confidence. Try tucking affirmations in your wallet, go to the bathroom and text a friend who will support you, schedule a therapy session or alone...