3 Tips to Mange Emotional Eating Triggers

I used to be like Pavlov’s Dog with emotional eating: Sadness —-> Food. Most of the time there was no hesitation or pause. But if I did try to willpower my way through it, that was futile. I always caved because I didn’t understand how to resist. I’m guessing you probably feel the same. So here are three tips for ending your emotional eating habit when triggered.

1. First of all and most importantly, believe and accept that this is changeable, and change your self-talk about it.

It has to start here because the other tips will never work otherwise. You might say things like "I have to have ________________ when I'm upset." or "Every time I'm stressed I run to ______________."

Yes, so far that's what's happened. Because you had a thought and acted on it. It made you feel better so you did it again and again, without realizing the long term downsides. That created a habit. By the time you did experience the downsides, it felt impossible to stop doing because your brain gets dopamine (feel good hormone) for repeating the habit. It's begging for both the dopamine and to make the unpleasant feelings go away. So you cave and grab the food.

You might feel like emotional eating is just "you." I sure did. Especially because no one else I knew had that problem. But you might've grown up seeing everyone use food to self-soothe and you were soothed with food, so that's why it feels unlikely to ever realistically change.

When we do something for years and decades, it's definitely not quick or easy to change. That's what makes it feel like it's "just who you are." You've tried and you always go back to it.

Change your self-talk to "this is a habit loop" instead of "this is just me."

Or "these urges are so strong and hard to resist but I can create a new habit" instead of "I can't help it" or "I don't have the willpower."

2. Name the feelings.

Really acknowledge what is happening. What specifically are you feeling? Don't bypass this and go straight from agitation to eating.

What do you actually need when you feel this way? List all the ways food won't in fact solve these feelings, and/or how it'll now give you two problems: the original trigger plus feeling crappy & down on yourself for getting out of control with food again.

3. Have a list of 3-5 things handy of what helps YOU when you're triggered.

Physical touch and closeness are known to give us oxytocin - which is another feel good hormone like the dopamine that your brain is seeking. So hugging or snuggling with your pet or a special person will give that to you.

Other known ways of increasing oxytocin are talking with a friend, helping someone else, meditating or nature.

If you can't do these in the heat of the moment, make a specific plan of when and where you will do them so that helps get you through the moment.

I hope that gave you at least a little sliver of light that there's nothing wrong with you for having this problem or for not being able to change it - - yet.

Tell me below what aha this gave you?

To your freedom!

♥ Debbie