Understanding and Overcoming Emotional Eating

In this blog, we’ll explore emotional eating, offering understanding, support, and practical steps towards nurturing a healthier relationship with food and our feelings.

What is Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating is when we use food as a way to handle or suppress our feelings rather than to satisfy hunger. It’s usually a coping mechanism, where eating becomes our go-to response to deal with a range of emotions – from stress and anxiety to sadness and loneliness. 

Common emotional eating triggers include challenging life events, daily stresses, or even feelings of emptiness or boredom. Understanding your triggers is the first step in recognising our patterns and starting the journey towards healing our relationship with food.

It’s important to note that emotional eating can stem from positive events too. Celebrations and joyful gatherings such as birthdays or holidays can be common triggers of emotional eating as well.

Quick Navigation

1. Understanding Emotional Eating
2. Who Does Emotional Eating Affect?
3. How Can I Tell If I’m an Emotional Eater?
4. The Impact of Emotional Eating/ Symptoms
5. Strategies to Overcome Emotional Eating 
6. Diagnosing Emotional Eating: What to expect
7. How do I support someone who struggles with Emotional Eating?
8. Treating Emotional Eating 
9. Seeking professional help
10. Personalised Recovery Strategy
11. The Natural Food Therapy Approach
12. Final Thoughts on Emotional Eating
13. Frequently asked questions about Emotional Eating

Understanding Emotional Eating

As mentioned previously, emotional eating means consuming food as a way to regulate emotions rather than to satisfy physical hunger. It’s different from physical hunger in that it often arises suddenly, is usually craving-specific (usually energy-dense foods), and eating does not lead to a feeling of satisfaction; instead, it might end in guilt or shame.

Physical hunger, on the other hand, builds gradually, can be satisfied with a variety of foods, and doesn’t lead to feeling guilt or shame. Many of us experience physical hunger as a sense of emptiness in our stomachs, accompanied by growling and rumbling. Beyond the stomach, physical hunger might also be felt in our chest or throat. It can lead to feelings of tiredness, drowsiness, or trouble focusing, and may even affect our emotions, causing irritability or anxiety (aka “hanger”).

Identifying the specific situations and feelings that trigger emotional eating is an important step toward understanding this complex behaviour. Emotional eating therapy can be incredibly valuable, as it helps individuals explore the emotional web tied to their eating habits, paving the way for healthier coping strategies and a more positive relationship with both food and their emotions.

Who Does Emotional Eating Affect?

Emotional eating can affect individuals of any age, gender, or background. Whether it’s a high-stress CEO, a student navigating exams, a busy parent, or a teenager dealing with the pressures of adolescence, emotional eating can become a coping strategy for anyone dealing with emotional distress or looking for a way to escape for a moment.

How Can I Tell If I’m an Emotional Eater?

If you often find yourself eating in response to feelings rather than hunger, it might indicate emotional eating. Signs include eating to the point of discomfort, feeling ‘out of control’ around food, eating in secret, and often feeling guilt/shame after eating.

If eating is your primary emotional coping mechanism—if joy, sadness, stress, or any other emotion leads you directly to the kitchen—you’re likely experiencing emotional eating. Recognising these patterns is the first step toward change, offering an opportunity to seek support. 

If you’re wondering whether emotional eating plays a role in your life, asking yourself some reflective questions may help. Here are some questions to start with: 

1. Do you often find yourself eating when you’re not physically hungry?
2. Do you eat in response to specific emotions, like stress, sadness, or boredom?
3. After eating, do you frequently feel guilt, shame, or regret about what or how much you’ve eaten?
4. Is food your primary way of soothing yourself or dealing with uncomfortable situations?
5. Do you often eat alone or in secret?

The Impact of Emotional Eating/ Symptoms

Emotional eating often starts off feeling like a comfort blanket, a quick fix to soothe stress, sadness, loneliness, and other emotions. Initially, reaching for that food might feel like a relief, but this is usually followed by feelings of guilt and shame, adding another layer of emotional distress.

Over time, this pattern can significantly impact both physical and mental health. It can lead to a complicated relationship with food, characterised by cycles of bingeing followed by restrictive eating, which only makes negative feelings worse rather than resolve them. This cycle can contribute to weight fluctuations and, in some instances, might evolve into more serious eating disorders. It’s a pattern that stands out from other eating habits because it’s triggered by our emotions, rather than being driven by physical hunger.

Recognising the impact of emotional eating is an important realisation. However, understanding that reaching out for help with emotional eating is a critical step towards recovery is even more essential. It’s not just about breaking free from the cycle; it’s about learning healthier ways to cope with emotions and developing a more nurturing relationship with food. 

Seeking professional support can guide you through understanding the root causes of emotional eating, helping you to build strategies for a healthier, more balanced approach to eating and emotional well-being. 

Strategies to Overcome Emotional Eating 

Learning how to stop emotional eating is more than just changing what you eat—it’s about understanding why you eat. Here are some foundational steps to help begin your journey to overcoming emotional eating: 

Identify Your Triggers/Emotions

Start by becoming aware of what prompts your emotional eating. Is it stress, sadness, or maybe loneliness? Recognising these triggers is the first step toward gaining control over them.

Create a List of Healthier Coping Mechanisms

Once you know what emotions drive your eating habits, think of alternative ways to address these feelings. For example:

• Feeling Lonely? Text, video chat, or call a friend or family member.
• Stressed or Anxious? Try deep breathing exercises, yoga, or a short meditation session.
• Bored? Dive into a new or favourite hobby, like painting, reading, or gardening.
• Need a Mood Boost? Listen to your favourite upbeat music or watch a comedy.
• Seeking Comfort? Wrap up in a cosy blanket with a good book or journal your thoughts.

Pause and Assess Your Hunger

Pause to ask yourself, “Am I physically hungry or is this emotional hunger?” Here’s a reminder of the difference between the two: 

Physical Hunger:

• Gradually intensifies over time.
• Can be satisfied with any food.
• Eating leads to a feeling of satisfaction.
• Occurs several hours after a meal.
• Comes with physical signals like a growling stomach, weakness, or headache.

Emotional Hunger:

• Hits suddenly and demands instant satisfaction.
• Craves specific “comfort” foods.
• Leads to eating past fullness without feeling truly satisfied.
• Isn’t related to the time since your last meal.
• Often accompanied by feelings of guilt or shame after eating.

Avoid Restricting After Emotional Eating and Eat Consistently

One common reaction to emotional eating is to swing to the opposite extreme and restrict food intake. This can lead to a harmful cycle of bingeing and restricting. Instead, eat balanced meals consistently (every 3-4 hours) and try not to restrict your intake after you emotionally eat.

Diagnosing Emotional Eating: What to expect

Emotional eating isn’t officially diagnosed like specific eating disorders such as anorexia or binge eating. It’s typically seen as a behaviour or symptom within a wider scope of disordered eating habits, essentially when eating is driven more by emotions than hunger.

Health professionals, including therapists and dietitians, identify emotional eating by assessing someone’s eating patterns, emotional triggers, and the overall context in which eating happens unrelated to hunger. 

These assessments may involve discussions, food diaries, and exploring an individual’s relationship with food. While there’s no specific diagnostic test for emotional eating, recognising it is important for addressing the underlying emotional issues and developing healthier coping mechanisms.

How do I support someone who struggles with Emotional Eating?

Supporting someone who struggles with emotional eating is about offering compassion, understanding, and encouragement without judgement. Here are a few ways you can provide support:

1. Educate Yourself About Emotional Eating

Learning more about emotional eating can help you understand what your loved one is going through. This knowledge helps you to offer more empathetic support and understand the complexities of their experience.

2. Listen Openly and Without Judgment

Create a safe space where they feel comfortable sharing their feelings and experiences. Listen more than you speak, and resist the urge to offer quick fixes. Sometimes, just being heard can be incredibly healing.

3. Encourage Healthier Coping Strategies

For example, if you notice your loved one feeling stressed, talk about engaging in activities together that can help alleviate stress without turning to food. This could look like attending a yoga class, taking a walk outside, or even trying out a new hobby together. These shared experiences can not only be an immediate stress-reliever but also provides them with practical examples of alternative coping mechanisms.

4. Encourage Them to Seek Professional Help

Gently suggest the possibility of seeking support from an eating disorder specialist. Offer to help them research options or even accompany them to their first appointment if they’re open to it. 

Your support can make a significant difference in their healing process, offering light during challenging times and helping them feel less alone in their journey. If you’re worried about a loved one suffering from an eating disorder, we offer private consultations to provide guidance on how to support them. Click here to book a consultation.

Treating Emotional Eating 

Treating emotional eating means understanding and healing your relationship between food and emotions. It’s about recognising food not just as a source of nutrition, but as something we often turn to for comfort, stress relief, or as a coping mechanism for other underlying issues. 

Treatment often focuses on Emotional Eating Therapy, a specialised approach that addresses not just what you eat but why you eat. It dives into the emotions and situations that prompt you to reach for food for comfort, aiming to resolve these underlying issues rather than just putting a bandaid on your emotions. 

Through techniques like cognitive-behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and emotional regulation strategies, Emotional Eating Therapy helps untangle our complex feelings tied to food, guiding us toward a more mindful and joyful relationship with eating.

Seeking professional help

The path to overcoming emotional eating often begins with reaching out for professional support. The role of therapy, counselling, and coaching should not be overlooked, as these services provide the understanding, tools, and personalised strategies needed for recovery. Explore our Private Coaching to learn how we can support you through this. 

Emotional eating affects many aspects of our well-being—physical, emotional, and sometimes even social. Therefore, treatment might include a multidisciplinary approach that includes working with a therapist for emotional support, a dietitian to rebuild a healthy eating pattern, and a coach for motivation, practical tools and accountability. This comprehensive care ensures all facets of emotional eating are addressed, laying a foundation for lasting change.

Personalised Recovery Strategy

Creating a personalised recovery strategy is crucial for healing from emotional eating. Each of us are unique and have different emotions and life experiences, therefore, our treatment strategies shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all solution. 

Along the way, you might discover aspects of yourself and your past that influence your current relationship with food, offering valuable insights that can guide your recovery. This journey is not about quick fixes but about sustainable change, self-compassion, and developing a positive relationship with food and your body.

If you’re searching for a tool that will help guide you towards establishing a healthy relationship with food, you’ll want to check out our new course, the “Food Relationship Roadmap”. This course guides you through the process of ditching dieting, understanding hunger and fullness cues, learning to eat in a way that honours your body and emotions, and more. 

The Natural Food Therapy Approach

At Natural Food Therapy, we recognise that each person’s journey with emotional eating is deeply personal and unique. We’re dedicated to being by your side every step of your journey. This means not treating you as just another number but committing to your recovery with the understanding that lasting change takes patience, compassion, and continuous support. 

Our multidisciplinary specialists are trained to address your overall physical, emotional, social, and mental health, providing a comprehensive approach to the psychological and nutritional aspects of emotional eating. Through personalised care, educational resources, and a supportive community, we aim to support you beyond recovery; we guide you towards creating a lasting friendship with food and your body.

Final Thoughts on Emotional Eating

Navigating emotional eating isn’t a straightforward path—it’s a deeply personal journey and varies greatly from one individual to the next.

At Natural Food Therapy, we offer personalised support tailored to your unique experiences and challenges. What makes us different to other practitioners or coaches? Our specialists are trained in multiple eating disorder disciplines such as nutritional therapy, counselling skills and specialist coaching, which means your dedicated coach can support you through multiple aspects of your recovery journey.

Frequently asked questions about Emotional Eating