How do you know you’re an emotional eater?
Do you know and understand what emotional eating means?
Have you ever eaten a big meal and still felt an urge for more food?
Have you ever kept eating when you know you’re not hungry?
Maybe you know or maybe you don’t, but there is this “hunger” that’s deep within us – a hunger that you just can’t get rid of so you do the first thing that your body does when it needs some filling…you fill up with food. These are classic tell-tale signs that you are an emotional eater.
I hear many of my tribe members in my free and private community, and people I talk with say, “I’m an emotional eater,” but they don’t know what to do about it. I know overcoming any obstacle requires our attention first, and secondly the knowledge behind why we do what we do (aka knowing).
So how can you tell the difference between emotional eating, or eating to satisfy a genuine physical hunger?
Here are 5 signs that you might be emotionally eating:
You NEED to eat a very specific food
When something comes up in your life that causes uncertainty, fear, or lack of control, we often turn to food to help ground us and to feel comfortable. We turn to very specific foods on an individual basis that will bring us comfort (knowing we can be certain in one thing when all else seems out of our control).
You keep eating after you’ve eaten a meal
When we are emotional eating, we are often using food as a placeholder for something else in our lives. Whether we are lonely, disconnected spiritually, or searching for purpose in life, food can temporarily take the place of what’s missing. If you feel like you can never get full from a meal, you may be using food to fill up the areas in your life that need filling with something greater.
You eat fast
When we are emotional eating, we will often take our attention off the eating process and “numb out” during our meal. It’s uncomfortable for us to address certain stressors in our lives so the body turns to a very easy and comforting distraction…food. By turning to food for a distraction, the last thing the mind wants to do is pay attention to the very thing that is helping take our minds off of that stress.
You eat immediately after an emotional event
If the first thing you want to do is eat after you’ve gone through an emotional event, be it positive or negative, chances are you’re emotionally eating. Whether you’re celebrating a promotion, or grieving the loss of a loved one, the body will try to come back down to earth by turning to food. Food literally grounds us when we experience intense emotions.
Guilt after eating: A strong sign that you’re an emotional eater
After we emotionally eat, both the brain and the body are aware of what just happened, even if you don’t know what the trigger was. Feeling guilt or shame after you’ve eaten a meal is a red flag that you’re emotionally eating.
As I teach in Claim Your Food Freedom program emotional eating is very common and is a collective issue. Seeking greater meaning in why you turn to food is the first step in channeling the energy that comes from emotional eating into other areas of life that may be lacking.
In my 4 step process to eliminate food cravings report, I guide you through times of emotional eating and tips to help you overcome the moments when you feel insatiable.
Get you your guide to eliminate emotional eating and food cravings for free by clicking the button below.
Now over to you…what food do you crave when you have an emotional moment? What do you do to about it? I want to hear from you either right here in the comment section up to you, but let’s chat.