I eat when...
I'm feeling bored
I'm feeling anxious
I'm feeling stressed
I'm jealous of someone
I'm in need of some fun in my life
I have no one to talk to
I'm feeling hopeless
I want to celebrate
I need to relax
I'm proud of an accomplishment
I see someone else eating
I want a certain flavor in my mouth
I'm angry at myself or someone else
I need a hug
There's no one who will understand what I'm feeling
Someone offers me food and I don't want to offend them
I'm supposed to
I'm putting off something I don't want to do
Everyone can identify being in a situation when food was consumed for a reason other than being physically hungry. Eating in these situations can be uncomfortable sometimes, maybe even make you feel like you're out of control. There may be guilt or shame felt afterwards, in addition to physically feeling uncomfortable. You may find yourself blaming the food as well, vowing never to allow chips or chocolate into your house again because you can't be trusted around them.
But the food is not to blame, and neither are you.
If you backtrack to what triggered the chain of events in the first place, you might find it all started with a thought, or something that happened to you, or something someone else said or did that sparked an emotional reaction inside you. It might've started with a basic human need that isn't being met: the need for meaningful relationships, the need for physical touch, the need for adequate rest, the need for regularly fueling with food, the need to feel important and to matter, the need to care for someone.
You see, it's not about the food. It's about everything else.
And so instead of berating yourself for lacking willpower and avoiding the snack aisle next time you're at the grocery store, look a little deeper. Does your life lack structure? Is it chaotically busy? Are you stretched too thin? Do people value you? Do you like who you are as a person, on the inside? Are you being too challenged, or need more challenging? Do you have effective ways of managing your stress? Can you identify what is out of your control and what you are in charge of? Can you celebrate your life and be happy for others at the same time? Do you regularly take time for fun? Do you get enough rest?
Let's take the focus off the food, because unless you can address some of these voids in your life or change how you react to stress, that food will continue to be there when you need to cope.
You deserve to have your needs met. And you deserve to enjoy eating without guilt or shame. If you need help navigating these emotions, find yourself a counselor or a health professional that you trust and who understands the connection between emotions and food.
Visit the SERVICES page on my website to learn about what I can offer with nutrition counseling, because I understand and can help you navigate eating emotionally.
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