stop feeding your feelings

Do you overindulge in unhealthful foods when you’re happy and celebrating or sad and sulking? There are ways to break the cycle.

Whether you’re celebrating that promotion at work or sulking in front of the TV after a fight with a loved one, it’s easy to turn to food for comfort.

But does it work? Not well, experts say.

The immediate positive effects of emotional eating may be a distraction, a boost in the brain’s feel-good chemicals, more energy, and satisfaction from a fun food. However, just 30 minutes later, emotional eaters tend to rate themselves as feeling more guilty and more dissatisfied with themselves, says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life.

Once the distraction and calming effects of eating wear off, toxic emotions of guilt and shame often replace them. The long-term effects include lower self-esteem, a lack of trust in one’s body, and intrusive thoughts about food and weight, says Deborah Kauffmann, RD, LDN, a Maryland-based nutrition counselor for emotional eaters. And don’t forget that unplanned eating often causes a jump in blood glucose.

And the more often you eat for comfort, the more likely it will develop into a habit. “The first time you grab a croissant at your coffee place, it may be a choice—though the fifth time, you may barely deliberate,” says Jennifer L. Taitz, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and Los Angeles and author of End Emotional Eating. Habits are hard to break because the habit-forming part of the brain allows us to act without much effort. So if you often soothe hurt feelings with a buttery croissant or a creamy milk shake, you’re likely to do it automatically. And if this becomes your standard way of dealing with emotions, you might begin to confuse emotional discomfort with physical hunger, she says.

Stress also can lead to an increase in the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin. Even the specific food you desire may be deep-rooted in your brain. People reach for foods that made them feel good in the past, like Mom’s pasta or a box of cookies.

43 

Percentage of Americans who say they overeat or eat unhealthy foods to manage stress.

Source: American Psychological Association

Luckily there are ways to break this vicious cycle. Try the following strategies to end the pattern of reaching for food feeling when in a mood:

Keep a Log Tracking food and identifying your mood while eating is eye-opening. “Many times people have no idea that they turn to food when feeling lonely or frustrated,” says dietitian Cathy Leman, RD, LD, a Chicago-area nutrition counselor. The type and amount of food may be astonishing once you see it in writing. If you track your blood glucose levels in the same log, you may find additional motivation to learn better stress-management techniques.

Learn to Manage Your Emotions Your log will help you identify and name your emotions, which paves the way for dialogue or self-reflection about the situations that trigger the strong emotions.

Develop a Keen Sense of Your Values “In the moment, we forget what matters,” Taitz says. Knowing what’s important helps you choose appropriate actions. For example, keeping a photo of his kids nearby can help a truck driver remember what’s in his heart when his mind screams drive-through.

Develop Nonfood Coping Skills Eating emotionally expresses and reinforces that we don’t have the skills to cope in healthful ways. Regularly soothe yourself without calories. Try deep breathing or a 5-minute jumping-jack break, relax with a warm bath or a cup of tea, or write your thoughts in a journal. Learn to talk to yourself the way you would talk to a friend—with kindness and thoughtfulness.

Push the Pause Button Putting time between the urge to eat and actually eating lets you remember your values and nonfood coping skills. Tell yourself, for example, that if you still feel the need to eat after the timer goes off in 15 minutes, you’ll allow it. You’ll likely notice that the intensity of your craving fluctuates and dwindles to a manageable level.

Remove Temptation If you reach for ice cream or cheesy potato chips in moments of despair, banish them from your house.

Get Help Calling a friend may be enough. But if emotional eating is a continuous problem or hurts your emotional or physical health, seek a therapist skilled in helping to conquer unhealthful eating behaviors.