You can discover if you’re an emotional eater by asking yourself a few questions.
There are a number of triggers that can cause us to develop emotional eating patterns. Many of these can be deep rooted and often developed from an early age. We all eat for different reasons, and in today’s society, hunger is probably one of the least common of all reasons. Many of us have triggers that cause us to eat, some of these are:
Food smells nice
Looks tempting
Craving favorite food
Eating is regulated by time, lunchtime, etc
Irritability
Stress
Boredom
Feeling lonely
Other people eating at same time, family, friends party, etc
The list above reveals triggers that may become emotionally related in some way. The trick is to understand and recognize the trigger and work at dealing with the emotion behind it, rather than turning to food to satisfy the emotion.
Questions to test if you’re an emotional eater
1. Do you regularly eat when you’re not hungry?
2. Do you eat large portions and always finish the lot?
3. Do you feel like eating when you’re lonely, stressed or irritable?
4. Do you crave your favorite food often, and go out your way to get them?
5. Do you always eat food that looks or smells nice, even if it’s not time to eat?
6. Do you feel guilty and depressed after eating a big meal?
Answering YES to more than one of the above questions may mean your eating patterns are likely to be driven by emotions rather than hunger.
If you believe you’re an emotional eater, then try to assess what thoughts you have whilst eating. This can be done by completing a food diary and recording your emotions and how you feel when you eat. Eventually, you may start to see a pattern that seems to trigger your eating habits, at which point you’ll be more prepared to deal with the cause of overeating. It may be best to seek professional help if you’re an emotional eater, rather than starting a new diet plan to lose weight.
A tip would be to learn to eat regularly judged by hunger and not by the clock or any emotional triggers!
Stay Strong~~!!!
IPL
There are a number of triggers that can cause us to develop emotional eating patterns. Many of these can be deep rooted and often developed from an early age. We all eat for different reasons, and in today’s society, hunger is probably one of the least common of all reasons. Many of us have triggers that cause us to eat, some of these are:
Food smells nice
Looks tempting
Craving favorite food
Eating is regulated by time, lunchtime, etc
Irritability
Stress
Boredom
Feeling lonely
Other people eating at same time, family, friends party, etc
The list above reveals triggers that may become emotionally related in some way. The trick is to understand and recognize the trigger and work at dealing with the emotion behind it, rather than turning to food to satisfy the emotion.
Questions to test if you’re an emotional eater
1. Do you regularly eat when you’re not hungry?
2. Do you eat large portions and always finish the lot?
3. Do you feel like eating when you’re lonely, stressed or irritable?
4. Do you crave your favorite food often, and go out your way to get them?
5. Do you always eat food that looks or smells nice, even if it’s not time to eat?
6. Do you feel guilty and depressed after eating a big meal?
Answering YES to more than one of the above questions may mean your eating patterns are likely to be driven by emotions rather than hunger.
If you believe you’re an emotional eater, then try to assess what thoughts you have whilst eating. This can be done by completing a food diary and recording your emotions and how you feel when you eat. Eventually, you may start to see a pattern that seems to trigger your eating habits, at which point you’ll be more prepared to deal with the cause of overeating. It may be best to seek professional help if you’re an emotional eater, rather than starting a new diet plan to lose weight.
A tip would be to learn to eat regularly judged by hunger and not by the clock or any emotional triggers!
Stay Strong~~!!!
IPL