Do you eat your emotions? Let’s break that cycle by understanding why we do it and how to resolve it. At the very least, let’s stop doing the things that perpetuate emotional eating. I’ll be speaking on this at the SHExperience Conference on May 4th at 1pm at the University of San Diego, where we will get into your specific situations and work through the process.
Emotional eating is 70% of overeating, hence the weight gain. Emotional eating stems from not being able to express ourselves or not letting ourselves feel. We bottle it up and it manifests into habits we can’t stop until we address the core issue. First, check in with yourself…what emotions are you suppressing?
Second, what’s causing it or perpetuating it? Are you on a diet or restricting your food? Following a diet makes one feel greater anxiety, greater depression, lower self-esteem which then causes inflammation and adds on weight. These negative and stressful emotions promote greater food intake. I know when I have these emotions, I tend to sleep poorly too which…you guessed it…leads to cravings, emotional eating, and weight gain. Then we go on a diet because we are sick and tired of the weight we’ve put on. You see this vicious cycle. Let’s put an end to it!
Let’s talk solutions.
- Breathe. Sounds so easy. I hold my breath without realizing it though. Do you? Breathe while you eat. It gets your metabolism working by turning on that efficient digesting parasympathetic system.
- Control. Feel in control. Learn to listen to your body instead of being ruled by the latest diet.
- Eat Clean Food. Emotions improve for those who eat better. The opposite, positive cycle, begins and you start feeling better, then continue to eat better, and so on.
- Awareness. Become more aware of your body and your emotions. What is “eating” to you? Is it pleasurable, a chore, or guilt. It’s probably obvious given your answer how your body will handle food. There’s a mind-body connection going on here.
- Joy. Add more joy. Eat without technology.
- Wait Out. Use the 15-minute “wait out” period and go do something else. Chances are you’ve moved on and have forgotten your cravings.
I hope you can join me and many other fabulous speakers as we work on specific process and “get into action” to end emotional eating as well as learning how to lead, nurture, self-care, and accelerate in life. For more information: http://www.sandiego.edu/soles/conscious-leadership-academy/womens-leadership/shexperience.php
If you need help understanding nutrition and all the mixed messages out there, give us a call. We will address your stress level, eating habits, exercise, cravings, emotional eating, and overall health and happiness. Start with a free health consultation at www.HappyFoodHealth.com or (619) 876-2655. See if this is the right match for you. I do things very differently to make health a natural lifestyle and this is not for everyone. Check out Yelp for other people’s opinion of Happy Food. ~ Samantha Hua, Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, San Diego, CA
