Overcome Emotional Eating

Written by Tiffany Boydston Friday, 17 February 2012 00:00

From the minute we are born, we learn to associate food with love and comfort. After all, our mothers nursed us and gave us a bottle immediately when we showed any signs of crying, irritability or fuss. We carry this into adulthood by “rewarding” ourselves with food.

It’s common to comfort yourself with food when you’re sad, stressed, anxious, bored, overwhelmed, depressed, angry— the list goes on. But it helps to have the right approach, tips and techniques to help you discover the real reason you are trying to comfort your “hunger.” Often, our emotional connection to food is due to physical imbalances that lead to cravings and overeating. In other words, we turn to food when we feel unbalanced.

Sit down and ask yourself:

• Do I turn to food when I’m emotional imbalanced, sad, angry or stressed?

• Do I think about food all the time?

• Do I deprive myself when on a very restricted diet?

• Do I eat to make myself feel better?

• Do I sometimes feel guilty after I eat something healthy because it just was a little too much?

If you answered yes to most of these, the first step is to be aware of what you are doing. Be aware that you are eating because of these feelings. That way, you can decipher whether you are hungry or are just eating for comfort. Trust me, it will help. I have been stuck in boredom with a desire to eat, yet I wasn’t hungry. I made the decision to have a hot tea and that was warming and comforting enough, which in the end made me feel better than overeating.

Finding the Root of the Cause 

Notice how we are ALWAYS craving sugar, carbohydrates, chocolate, salty foods and caffeine! Well, this is common and doesn’t mean you don’t have self-control—  more likely, it’s coming from a physiological imbalance. The most common imbalance are:

• Adrenal imbalance

• Hormonal imbalance

• Food sensitivity— i.e. gluten, dairy, yeast, eggs, soy, citrus.

• Yeast overgrowth— due to lack of healthy bacteria

Having these sort of imbalances can confuse your body’s signals of eating. I would suggest getting a full panel done to see where all of your levels are. Then discuss with your doctor what can be done to help balance you.

The Plan 

Pay attention to your hunger signals, and use an imaginary scale to rate your hunger preference level. When your hunger level is just above the middle of the scale (meaning you are only slightly hungry), have a small snack. Overeating happens when you reach the bottom of your hunger scale, so make sure you are always satisfied.

Cut sugar from your diet. Sugar is addicting. It leads to overeating and sends the wrong signs to your hunger scale, even when you are full. Thank goodness there are products like stevia that do not affect your insulin levels.

Plan ahead— bring small snacks wherever you go, even when you have a party to attend. Plan to have only have two glasses of wine and a taste of dessert. This way, you are not depriving yourself, but are instead satisfying your “want.” You will come to realize these “wants” weren’t as good as you remembered, and this will make you appreciate your healthy way of eating.

If you’re having a hard time dealing with emotional eating, sit back, relax and know that there is something you can do about it. Gain awareness, learn whether it is emotional or psychological, and make a plan to conquer this.

I'd love hear back from you on this topic!  I will be checking in on the FitnessRx for Women Facbook page as well as my own (Tiffany's Facebook Page ).  Feel free to post any questions and I welcome your suggestions for future topics.

TIffany Boydston is an IFBB Bikini Pro and qualified for the 2012 Bikini Olympia!  She’s also an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, Crossfit Certified Trainer, Tapout Personal Trainer, and certified nutrition specialist.  You can catch up with Tiffany on Facebook & twitter: @TiffanyBoydston

Tiffany Boydston can be contacted for appearances through www.fmg-fitnessmanagementgroup.com