Food is sometimes perceived as a panacea for all problems. After a hard day at work, you definitely need to enjoy a couple of cakes, a quarrel with your loved one – an excuse to eat a couple of chocolate bars. This phenomenon is called emotional overeating and is a persistent habit of eating your problems and emotions when the body does not really need food. Thus, the desire to snack arises at the subconscious level, and not at the physiological level, which indicates the development of an addiction to food.
Why Emotional Eating Occurs
The most common causes of emotional eating include:
- excitement;
- disappointment;
- alarm;
- stress;
- fear;
- offense;
- guilty;
- sadness;
- boredom.
It is precisely with such emotions that it can be quite difficult for a person to cope. When it is not possible to neutralize the source of irritation or solve the problem, there is a desire to distract from them, and at such moments, of course, something tasty comes to the rescue.
However, not only negative emotions can cause emotional overeating. Quite often, people can become overly fond of food in moments of joy – during meetings with friends and family. That is, if during the next feast you are once again too carried away by eating treats – it is also emotional overeating.
Food addiction: what makes us overeat
When a stressful state sets in, the amount of cortisol in the blood increases – a stress hormone that can increase hunger.
Childhood memories also play a big role in the formation of emotional overeating. Usually, in order to comfort a child, kind grandmothers and mothers offer to eat a candy or a pie, so that the child does not cry. Children grow up, but the following logical chains are imprinted on a subconscious level: chagrin – encouragement – food, achievement – award – food. Thus, a vicious circle is formed, which you will never be able to leave with the help of a bar of chocolate, but when a new problem appears in a person’s life, that same ill-fated sweetness again acts as the best psychologist.
How do you know if you are experiencing emotional overeating?
If you answer "Yes" to any of the above questions, you are addicted to food.
1. Do you eat when you are bored, lonely or sad?
2. When you are stressed or anxious, do you have an overwhelming urge to eat something delicious?
3. Is a joyful event or personal achievement always a reason to please yourself with your favorite dish?
Food addiction: how to get rid of it
1. Recognize that you have an emotional eating habit.
2. Keep a food diary. Thanks to the recordings, you will be able to keep track of what emotions you eat.
3. Eat regularly.
4. Don't keep negative emotions to yourself. Splash them out on paper, tear up the paper and throw it away.
5. Find an alternative way to discharge. Take up singing, dancing, knitting – in general, find a hobby that will give you pleasure and comfort.
6. Do not go to the grocery store on an empty stomach and do not fall for discounts and promotions. So you protect yourself from buying junk food.
7. Remember healthy sleep. With a lack of sleep, the mood worsens, which provokes overeating.
8. Do not store sweets in a conspicuous place.
9. Do not be silent! When you feel this or that emotion in relation to a person – just tell him about it. Do not be afraid to talk about your feelings, because if you are sincere both with others and with yourself, you will have nothing to eat.
Emotional Overeating – a problem that can be easily eliminated, you just need to start working on yourself and stop worrying about everything internally. Share your emotions with others, talk about your feelings and then spiritual conversations will replace another chocolate bar.
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