Reasons For Emotional Overeating
Some will say that solving emotional overeating is as easy as just telling people to stop being lazy, exercise and to stop over eating. But for them, food means so many more things besides fueling their bodies with nutrients.
It’s like if you think about not eating, the more you want to eat? The mind can be a powerful thing and the craving for food can become so intense that stopping it is like trying to stop a monster, with only food being the way which you can find solace and emotional peace.
But, is the mind the only cause of overeating or are other reasons….
- Studies have shown that women who go undiagnosed as ADD (but do in fact have it) are much more likely to develop an Eating Disorder. Some of the neurological symptoms of ADD/ADHD can be: holding onto negative thoughts and/or anger, as well as impulsivity both verbally (interrupting others) and in actions (acting before thinking).
- Stress – In an America poll, more than 80 percent of Americans say money and the economy are two significant stressors in their lives. With nearly half admitting that they use overeating to cope.
- Many children – like adults – eat for comfort, often because of self-dislike, difficulties with school work or friendlessness. This loneliness is then made worse when a child is shunned and bullied simply for being fat.
- Associated with rare conditions such as Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), hyperphagia can cause a person to overeat excessively — even sneaking or stealing food in an attempt to satisfy their unstoppable hunger. About 4,500 Americans are diagnosed with PWS, but experts believe that undiagnosed cases would raise the total to nearly 30,000.
- Now that we have the technology to concentrate any food substance we want and eat it in concentrations that would have never existed in nature. Our bodies are confused and are still telling us to eat more, we don’t have any signals to know when we have had too much of those substances.
Tips For Overcoming Emotional Overeating
If you can see a pattern in your moods and your eating and dieting cycles, you can pinpoint the triggers of your overeating.
Just as alcoholics and other drug abusers are advised to avoid situations where the object of their addiction is easily accessible, emotional eaters need to be aware of how the behavior of others can influence their tendency to overindulge.
Thanksgiving dinners (the stress of a large family gathering coupled with an abundance of enticing entrees) and wedding receptions (lots of happy people eating lots of delicious cake) are all situations in which the spirit of the crowd can sweep us away from our healthy eating goals.
If you feel emotional tendencies increasing there are some things you can do to keep your mind off the topic of food or when you’re upset…
- Blow off steam by going for a run or take the dog out for a walk.
- Call a friend, e-mail your kid, or walk to the mall.
- Eat foods full of water. This way you feel full without gaining weight!
- Treat yourself to a new body lotion or a new book or magazine, something that can cheer you up/keep you occupied.
Try to figure out what kinds of situations do you encounter regularly that cause you to overeat?
By identifying your triggers, habits, and vulnerabilities is the first step towards breaking the cycle. Then try to form good habits, establish a healthy relationship with food, and give your body the care it deserves.
For people suffering from emotional overeating they have to learn how to eat ‘intuitively.’ This means letting your body tell you when you are hungry, instead of listening to your mind.
Finally,
If you do snack when you are emotional, don’t then use your mistake to pull your mood down until you start on a binge. Look at it for what it is, try to find the triggers or the reason behind the problem and you’re well on your way to getting control of your eating.
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