Some experts believe there's a temporary relief from stress or unhappiness but it's short lived and actually is the beginning of a spiral where you feel worse afterwards.......bloated belly & overwhelming feelings of guilt ring any bells?
Why do we do it? Is it learned behaviour or a deep need for comfort in the form of food? There are no easy answers but it is possible to change. Often this type of eating is mindless, we're swallowing before we even realise what we've done.
Mindful eating could be the answer. Being mindful and in the moment could allow you to pause before you eat anything, try pausing for 5 minutes and ask yourself what you really need, you probably know the answer isn't food.
I've read lots of suggestions for this pausing time such as having a glass of water, or 3 almonds.......to me that's missing the point by keeping the focus on consuming something rather than identifying the real problem (plus it makes me think of Emily Blunts character in The Devil Wears Prada when she says she's not eating but if she feels like she's going to faint she has a cube of cheese!!!!)
I've put some links below to good articles I've found on emotional eating and strategies for dealing with it, but I think there's an element of the bad habit in this behaviour and the only way to change habits is to recognise them for what they are and deal with the underlying issue, not the symptoms. Thinking about this will force me to deal with my bad habit (typically a carb fix if I've had a tough day at work).
I'll post on my efforts this week. Watch this space......
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/diet-weight-loss/emotional-eating.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047342
Why do we do it? Is it learned behaviour or a deep need for comfort in the form of food? There are no easy answers but it is possible to change. Often this type of eating is mindless, we're swallowing before we even realise what we've done.
Mindful eating could be the answer. Being mindful and in the moment could allow you to pause before you eat anything, try pausing for 5 minutes and ask yourself what you really need, you probably know the answer isn't food.
I've read lots of suggestions for this pausing time such as having a glass of water, or 3 almonds.......to me that's missing the point by keeping the focus on consuming something rather than identifying the real problem (plus it makes me think of Emily Blunts character in The Devil Wears Prada when she says she's not eating but if she feels like she's going to faint she has a cube of cheese!!!!)
I've put some links below to good articles I've found on emotional eating and strategies for dealing with it, but I think there's an element of the bad habit in this behaviour and the only way to change habits is to recognise them for what they are and deal with the underlying issue, not the symptoms. Thinking about this will force me to deal with my bad habit (typically a carb fix if I've had a tough day at work).
I'll post on my efforts this week. Watch this space......
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/diet-weight-loss/emotional-eating.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047342
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