Emotional Eating

What a slippery slope...

Having emotional eating is like trying to run uphill while an invisible monster is chasing you in the night. You can hear his deep growl right behind you and no matter how fast you run, he's right at your heels. Maybe it's more like a needy ex that you broke up with and they simply can't get the hint and won't stop texting you.

What can I say other than, "Trust me...I get it"?

It may have been a bad day or something that happened years ago. Whatever the case, we somehow develop this coping mechanism through our friend that has always been there... "food". It doesn't judge us, look at us "funny", or call us names. It comforts us in the time of need.

First things first: Emotional eating isn't a "willpower" failure.  It’s a deeply human response to stress, boredom, or sadness. Think of it as a biological "hug" your brain is trying to give itself. When we eat certain foods, our brains release dopamine—the feel-good chemical—which provides a temporary (though fleeting) escape from whatever is bothering us.

I emotionally ate in private. If I was on a call during the drive through (usually Taco Bell), I would put others on mute so they couldn't hear what I was ordering. Mainly because I was ordering enough food for three people! (I was a big binge eater too)

It would go through that perpetual cycle of: Eating for comfort to feel better, then filled with instant regret and shame followed by me beating myself up usually through moments of an intense workout because now I felt "fat" and "unworthy".

I would eat because I was happy, bored, sad, mad and the list can go on and on. The emotional eating started very early on for me during childhood. Which later turned into binge eating.

Some folks turn to drugs, maybe alcohol and like a lot of us without even knowing it... we turn to food. Lets be honest, it's more socially acceptable. Nobody will bat an eye if you eat a cheeseburger but if you opened a beer at 9am every morning here comes Judge Judy!

Physical Hunger vs. Emotional Hunger

The trickiest part about emotional eating is that it can feel incredibly real. Your own body is fighting against you.

Here is how to tell the difference:

Feature	Physical Hunger	Emotional Hunger
Onset	Develops gradually over time.	Hits suddenly and feels urgent.
Craving	Open to different food options.	Specific (e.g., "I need pizza").
Sensation	Felt in the stomach (growling).	Felt in the mind (mental "loop").
Satisfaction	You stop when you're full.	You eat past the point of fullness.
Afterward	No feelings of guilt.	Often followed by regret or shame.

Honestly, it was one of the hardest things I had to overcome. Food is everywhere! Good luck if you ever try to go on a diet! If you become addicted, it's literally at every corner, on billboards as you drive down the road, and your TV every five seconds (or it feels like it anyway)!

You likely tell yourself, "Yeah, I know this is bad but I just NEED it right now!" and the cycle begins all over again.

Water fasting helped me distinguish between the difference of physical hunger and mental/emotional hunger. It lifted the "veil" and cleared my mind. I had to do a lot of research on how the body works and find out the "Why" of my problem.

As it turns out, it was a really bad HABIT I developed early on in life. Food was the only real stability I had. It was the only thing I wasn't scared of and that I could turn to. I emphasize 'habit', because you can always create new habits... Healthier habits!

Bottom line is, food is meant to nourish you but it can also be a source of pleasure. The goal isn't to become a robot who only eats for fuel, but to develop a HEALTHY relationship where YOU are in the driver seat... not your emotions.

It takes practice, time and patience. None of us are perfect and never will be. All we can do is try our very best to become healthier, stronger and wiser the older we get.