The next step on our journey to a healthier, happier and better you is to explore emotional eating.
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EMOTIONAL EATING- Part 1 – Identification
I am sure most of you have heard this phrase before. What does this mean exactly? How does one know that one is eating emotionally and once that knowledge presents itself what does one do about it.
We eat for several different reasons:
PHYSICAL HUNGER – We feel the hunger in our stomachs when we get hungry after 3-4 hours
HABITS – Each one of us has habits regarding food eating – eating in front of the TV , eating in the car when traveling, eating when we see someone else eating, eating before going to bed to make us feel sleepy
“SEE FOOD DIET” When we see a food we want it and eat it even if we are not physically hungry
EMOTIONAL HUNGER – We eat to cope with emotions. If this becomes a habit and it happens all the time we will gain weight.
Would you know the difference? It would help to ask yourself some questions so that you could determine if you are an emotional eater. Below are some questions to consider:
Do I eat when I get home after a busy day at work? I need a reward!
Do I experience sudden food cravings?
Do I tend to eat fast and not really taste what I am putting into my mouth?
Do I eat standing up?
Am I eating when I am not even hungry ?
Am I eating just to be social with others because I want to feel like I am fitting in?
If you can answer yes to any of those questions then you are an emotional eater.
Emotions are part of our lives. Emotions can motivate us to take action about things we feel for. Yet for many emotions can be scary and push us to do things to avoid having the feeling. We may stuff our emotions down with food. Eating can numb us from the feeling for a short period of time. Food can help us to escape from our feelings.
It is very important to remember that “emotions” cannot harm us. The “harm” comes from how we deal with our emotions. Imagine a life without feeling – difficult to imagine right? For example suppose you feel intense anger and you take it out on someone else such as punching them. Well you would probably get into trouble for your actions. It is not the emotion of anger that caused the harm. It is what you did with that feeling , the emotion, that did the harm.
I will explore this in more depth in upcoming blogs . You can also contact me for a free consultation at lucie@Commit2self.com
To your health,
Lucie
Lucie A. Knapp MSW,LCSW, behavioral therapist and certified life coach. Her website Commit2self.com provides ongoing education, support and motivation for weight loss and total health. Lucie has over 20 years working in weight loss starting as a personal trainer, and then working as a counselor in a major weight loss chain and finally as the Program coordinator of the Lifestyle Coaching Program at the oldest residential weight loss center in the world.
You can email questions or comments to: Lucie@commit2self.com.