We all make numerous food decisions every day, whether it’s grabbing a sandwich for lunch or eating chips for a snack—these are choices. Most of the time, we choose to eat to satisfy hunger; however, there is such a thing as using food as a coping mechanism. “Emotional eating” is not a diagnosable eating disorder, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously. It can happen when you are eating out of anger, sadness, loneliness, stress or even as a result of positive emotions. It can be hard to determine whether you are an emotional eater, so we’ve gathered some of the major signs of being one, and how to deal so it doesn’t interfere with your life!
1. You crave certain foods when you’re upset
If you find yourself yearning for a pint of ice cream when something bad or upsetting happens, you might be an emotional eater. According to Jennifer Calo, clinical registered dietitian and nutritionist at Compass Nutrition, “Most emotional eaters will crave fried, fatty foods or sweets when stressed or upset.” This is because carbohydrates and fats actually activate the pleasure centers in our brains, allowing us to feel soothed and satisfied.
Laura Bumberry, a clinical psychologist at Webster Wellness Professionals, suggests using pros and cons to decide if fulfilling the craving is in your best interest. “For example, if you know that eating ice cream will be soothing in the moment but that you will have significant guilt afterwards, you may consider other coping skills first,” she says. It’s important to consider both short-term and long-term outcomes.
2. You don’t pay attention to how much you’re eating or whether or not you’re full
When you’re feeling emotional and you turn to food, you are unlikely to realize how much you’re actually eating. This can be tricky because doing so is common when watching Netflix, for example; however, it’s only related to emotional eating when you’re eating for an emotionally driven reason. “Emotional eaters often eat mindlessly, meaning out of containers (like chips out of the bag rather than in a separate bowl) without paying attention to portion sizes or their fullness cues,” Calo says. For example, if you find yourself ordering a large pizza or eating an entire box of cookies after a tough day, you’re not going to think about how much you’re really eating.
To combat this mindless eating that’s brought about by your emotions, Bumberry suggests checking in with yourself during and after eating to rate your level of fullness on a 10 point scale—you can even use online scales to help you determine whether you’re hungry or not. You should also always portion your food, rather than eating straight out of a bag or box.
3. You feel guilty after eating
Once you realize what you’ve just actually eaten, you might feel guilt or shame. According to Calo, this perpetuates the cycle of negative emotions. After the guilt, the cycle leads you to restrict or starve yourself because you feel so bad about what you’ve eaten. This restriction only leads to more emotional eating, starting the cycle over.
When you do find yourself feeling guilty, it’s important that you forgive yourself. Instead of dwelling, Bumberry recommends planning your next meal so it is more balanced.
4. You use food to celebrate
This one is a little more difficult to gauge because of how regular it is. It’s common to celebrate something with food, whether it’s a birthday with cake or even the holidays with a big feast. However, this can become problematic when you celebrate every single small accomplishment—or just every time you’re feeling good—with food, because you are likely just looking for a reason to over-indulge.
The next time something positive happens, you might want to consider some alternatives, like celebrating with a nourishing activity such as a massage or a pedicure.
5. You eat to avoid your feelings
This is the most obvious of all the signs. Using food to avoid feeling sad or angry only makes matters worse. While it may offer a temporary solution, it’s only because food can be “numbing,” according to Calo. “People turn to food for comfort rather than dealing with negative emotions,” she says. In the end, though, those feelings will still exist.
Rather than eating, Calo says that dealing with your negative emotions via journaling, or talking to a friend or therapist, will help in the long run. While it may be uncomfortable, it’s better to release these emotions because bottling them up could lead to an addiction to food as a coping mechanism.
Additional Ways to Deal
Registered dietitian Adrienne Raimo has a specific strategy to follow in order to avoid emotional eating. First, identify what a difficult moment or emotion looks like for you. Taking a moment to identify these and what they may be trying to communicate is very important. Next, write down how you typically deal with each emotion. Lastly, prepare another healthier way you can handle the emotion.
Calo suggests alternative activities such as going for a walk, taking a 15-minute bubble bath, aromatherapy, knitting, calling a friend or journaling. Things like meditation and yoga are also helpful for dealing with your emotions.
Finally, Bumberry says that it can be useful to seek support from a clinician who specializes in eating-related issues. If your eating behaviors are causing significant emotional distress, problems in relationships, health concerns or any other quality of life problems, it is recommended that you seek professional help from a nutritionist or a psychologist. Your college counseling center likely has many resources available to you for free.
Emotional eating can be extremely difficult to deal with. Rather than being discouraged by your actions or feeling bad about yourself, take the time to identify what you’re doing and treat your body the way it deserves to be treated!