Why Emotional Eating IS Okay

Ladies and gentleman welcome to the ring! Today in the green corner we have PHYSICAL hunger and in the red corner we have EMOTIONAL hunger! Most people will tell you that emotionally eating is not okay. They will say that it makes you feel bad about yourself. That it will make you feel guilty for overeating. That it will make your blood sugar high hours later if you are a Diabetic. But I am here to tell you that it is okay. It is okay, but only under one condition.

Emotional eating is done to make yourself feel better rather than eating because you are actually hungry. But no matter how many brownies you eat, no matter how many cookies you stuff your face with, no matter how many pieces of halloween candy you consume, you will never be satisfied. When you eat to fill emotional needs, your body looks to food not because it needs nutrients but because it needs comfort! Our bodies naturally tie comfort to food because food tastes good! and it increases activity in our pleasure pathways. But after that brownie is gone, after the comfort of food is no longer there, you will STILL be hungry because there is a deeper rooted problem that needs attention!

Emotional eating can be powerful and people might say that in the end it really doesn't fix anything. But I like to look at things in a positive way! If you can recognize when you are emotionaly eating, then after being momentarily comforted by those cookies or chocolate ice cream you need to take a step back. Notice that you just binged out on an entire platter of cookies but do not feel guilty or beat yourself up about it!! This can be even MORE damaging to your mind than the original problem of stress or loneliness was. In the big scheme of things: so what? you will learn from this and move forward but you will not live in the past. Simply use this as an opportunity to ask yourself what really is going on. Am I stressed? Am I lonely? Am I tired? Am I bored? Am I fighting with someone important in my life? Get to the root of the problem. Take control so that you solve the problem because if you never solve the problem you will continue in an emotional eating cycle...and staying in that cycle is what is unhealthy not only for your body but for your mind as well!

I'll admit, sometimes though it is hard to distinguish between the two hungers, especially if a lot of the time you turn to food to cope with your emotions. So here is a chart with clues to help you look out for next time you are "STARVING" for a chocolate cake or big mac:

After being able to recognize when you are going through something emotionally, then you can use alternatives to feed that need for comfort!

• If you’re depressed or lonely, call someone who always makes you feel better or play with your pet!
• If you’re anxious, expend your nervous energy by dancing to your favorite song, squeezing a stress ball, or taking a walk.
• If you’re exhausted, treat yourself with a hot cup of tea, take a bath, light some scented candles, wrap yourself in a warm blanket, and make sure you are getting 8 hours of sleep a night!
• If you’re bored, read a good book, watch a movie, go outside, or turn to an activity you enjoy (playing the guitar, crafting, watching youtube videos, working out, etc.).

Never beat yourself up over emotional eating. Learn to accept your feelings, even the bad ones! There is a reason why you feel this way so getting mad at yourself is counterproductive! The one condition where emotional eating is okay is if you use food as comfort in the moment, but reflect on why it happened so it won't become an unhealthy cycle. Don't fight the cravings, ACCEPT THEM! Love your body. Love yourself no matter what. Because when you love yourself, you will learn how to treat it right. You have one body and one mind. What relationship will you create with it? 

Comment below how you listen to your body and find the root of the problem!