• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

cait's plate

helping chronic dieters break free from diet culture and make peace with food and body.

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • FOOD PHILOSOPHY
    • FITNESS PHILOSPHY
  • RECIPES
    • BREAKFAST & BRUNCH
    • LUNCH
    • DINNER
    • SNACKS & SIDES
    • DESSERT
    • THE BASICS
  • NUTRITION
    • INTUITIVE EATING SERIES
    • NUTRITION TOPICS
    • POPULAR DIETS
  • MOTHERHOOD
    • TODDLER FEEDING
    • PREGNANCY
    • BABY
  • FREE RESOURCES
  • NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP
  • CONTACT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

emotional eating

1 · Jun 4, 2020 · Leave a Comment

exploring what emotional eating is, what can trigger it, different ways to handle it and whether or not it’s even a problem.

Photo by Food Photographer | Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash

I’ve talked a lot about emotional eating on the blog, from the Intuitive Eating perspective on it (though that is being somewhat revamped in the latest edition of the book – due out in June, but available now for pre-order!) to differentiating it from binge eating.

Today though, I wanted to walk through the different aspects of emotional eating from what it is, to how it can be triggered, different ways you can approach it and whether or not I feel it’s even a problem to begin with.

As we’ve talked about in the past, emotional eating is a drive to eat when you don’t have physical signs of hunger. It’s something that we all experience from time to time – especially given how central food is to our culture, traditions and experiences.

Emotional eating most often pops up when you have a need you’re not meeting (either because you can’t identify it or unable to meet in the moment).

In instances where you have a need but you can’t meet it (say, for example, you feel bored sitting on a conference call but you’re not able to leave the call and do something that will better entertain you), food can be a stand-in as a way to soothe the discomfort that arises from the boredom you’re unable to solve in the moment.

In instances where you find you’re eating despite not feeling physically hungry but don’t really understand why, it’s likely you have an unidentified unmet need and food is the substitute means of meeting that need until you can figure out what it is.

In either circumstance, it’s not something to berate yourself for. Reaching for food when you either can’t meet, or haven’t yet identified, a need is actually a pretty resourceful attempt at taking care of yourself in a time when you’re not quite able. It’s the most soothing or pleasurable experience you’re able to provide yourself in that given moment, which is actually an incredible act of self care.

Emotional eating can become problematic when it’s one’s only coping mechanism for uncomfortable emotions. In this case, while the act itself still stems from self-care (trying to relieve the discord you feel when an unmet need or uncomfortable emotion lingers), it can lead to eating in abundance, a behavior which in and of itself can then start to cause you additional discomfort.

Again, regardless of the why, it’s important to appreciate the important self-care role that emotional eating has played for you at a time when you had no other viable coping tools available to you.

This can be a really difficult view to take on the situation, especially living in diet culture which creates a society of constant judgement around our food, health behaviors, weight and body image. However, beating yourself up for utilizing the tools you have available to you in order to cope will only further the cycle of discomfort –> eating in abundance to help those feelings –> berating yourself for doing so and starting all over again.

A better approach to take is one of curious non-judgement and kindness to help you add some additional coping mechanisms to rely on. This means taking time to explore what it is you might be feeling during those moments to help you find other ways of coping you can add to any already existing choices. Work to use non-judgemental curiosity when emotional eating comes up to get to the heart of what it is you might be feeling or needing in that moment. When you dig to uncover those unmet needs or emotions, you’ll receive valuable information that can be critical in building additional self-care responses.

It may be as benign as sleep, or perhaps it’s true hunger that you might have been oppressing for any number of reasons. It might also be something more difficult, like dealing with a long oppressed trauma or a harmful/overwhelming work or personal situation.

While it can be hard to surface those feelings and face them, doing so will ultimately help you explore different ways that you might be able to deal with tending to them. Not only that, but exploring and facing your feelings initiates understanding, which in turn can help you make sense of your eating.

Rather than feeling as if you’re just an out of control monster who can’t be trusted around food, you start to understand why it might be happening, which allows you to stop judging yourself unfairly and begin to treat yourself with more compassion.

Taking the time to recognize and own what you’re feeling provides you the knowledge you need to determine what you really need.

Eating can serve a short-term purpose in helping numb the pain of hard feelings, but it’s similar to putting a bandaid over a deep gash – it might stop the bleeding temporarily, but you’ll have to continue changing that bandaid until you address the core problem: that you actually need stitches. We can’t access an understanding of what’s driving our eating until we stop trying to cover the wound (those feelings we haven’t faced or needs we haven’t met) with bandaids (eating).

The act of eating for comfort itself is not what causes distress in the emotional eating cycle. The problem arises when eating is our only source of coping with uncomfortable feelings. Doing the work to not only face those emotions but build an arsenal of ways in which you can cope with them is what allows us to break the cycle.

Building this toolbox of responses is key as it allows you to choose options other than food (when needed) to cope. That way, when food is your choice, it is comfort eating in its truest sense, rather than a way to numb or block out hard emotions & ultimately perpetuate that distressing cycle.

As with all hard work, this is something that takes time and repeat experience in order to change. If you’ve consistently turned to food in order to cope with hard emotions, be patient. Give yourself time to not only identify but generate additional ways to cope with or meet those emotional needs. Approach the situation with curiosity. It’s a learning experience where you’re gathering the data and tools you need to figure out the best ways to serve & care for yourself.

Disclaimer: Statements in this post are for educational use only and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent conditions. Readers are advised to consult with their healthcare providers prior to making any changes to their healthcare management.

References:

  • Bacon, Linda, and Lucy Aphramor. Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, and Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight. BenBella Books, Inc., 2014.
1

Related posts:

No related posts.

NUTRITION

please note: items in these posts may contain affiliate links which simply means I earn a small amount of money if you click on them (at no additional cost to you).  this money is always re-invested in cait’s plate so I can continue to create free content to you!

Popular Posts

  • 4-ingredient green smoothie (726)
  • peanut butter and jelly waffle sandwich (367)
  • black bean, corn, sweet potato & farro bowl (with creamy avocado yogurt sauce) (242)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Footer

more from instagram:

it took a while for me to get to a point where I r it took a while for me to get to a point where I realized I was chasing something that wasn't working for me.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
we're constantly told that thinner is better, that being healthy takes willpower and discipline.  that ‘pain is weakness leaving the body.’⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
it took me years of being miserable as I tried to adhere to all of diet culture's rules before I got to my 'ah-ha' moment.  what I was doing was not only making me unhappy, but it was harming not only my physical health, but my mental health too.  and wasn't I supposed to be doing all of this in the NAME of health?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I wish I could go back to my younger self and tell her it wasn't worth it.  all the rigidity, missing out and being so unhappy - all in the name of doing what I thought would lead to my happiest, healthiest life.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
we’re taught we can’t trust ourselves to know what’s best.  that we need to follow someone else’s plan for us in order to live a happy, healthy life.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
but for whatever it’s worth to anyone out there that might need to hear this: I’m always my happiest, healthiest self when I lean into my own body and my own experiences - not someone else’s idea of what it should be.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#caitsplatenutrition #caitsplate #antidietculture #nondietdietitian #bodyrespect #breakthedietcycle #dietsdontwork #antidietculture #foodfreedom #intuitiveeatingjourney #intuititveeating #disorderedeatingrecovery
it's not officially fall for me until I've had thi it's not officially fall for me until I've had this harvest wrap.  it's quick, easy and the perfect melt of my favorite fall flavors.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
here's what I put in it:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* mixed greens⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* roasted sweet potatoes⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* diced apple⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* diced pear⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* chickpeas (could also use chicken!)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* red onion⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* dried cranberries⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* walnuts (can also use pecans)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
* goat cheese (feta would also be great)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I drizzle the whole thing with olive oil and balsamic glaze.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
printable recipe on @caitsplate: https://caitsplate.com/vegetarian-harvest-wrap/⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#caitsplatefood #caitsplate #vegetarianlunch #easymeal #fallfood #f52community #thefeedfeed #vegetarianrecipes #vegetarianmeals #vegetarianfoodshare
walk through the grocery store and you’re bound walk through the grocery store and you’re bound to find “natural” prominently featured on any number of products.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
the idea of something being “natural” has infiltrated marketing messages in everything from our toiletries & cleaning products to food & beauty items.  that companies have found this term so useful for sales is no wonder - it’s heavily promoted in our society as being “better” for us.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
yet, we’re often told by this same health and wellness culture not to trust our natural, internal signs and signals.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
we’re told to push through exhaustion even if what our bodies really need is rest, we’re told to ignore our signals of hunger and fullness in deference to a pre-set plan, we’re constantly told to fix, resize and reshape our bodies from their natural states.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
it’s worth noting that there’s little profit to be made off us trusting and honoring our body’s innate signals and states.  if we could simply trust our own bodies, we would have no need to buy solutions to “fix” our wellness “problems.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
it then begs the question, is it truly our health and wellness, or simply the chance to profit, that motivates so much of the messaging in our health and wellness culture?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
part of freeing yourself from diet culture is unraveling the pervasive messaging we often take as hard truth and picking it apart based on our lived experience and knowledge.  this can help us determine what truly serves our overall wellbeing versus what is simply padding the pockets of the industry.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#caitsplatenutrition #caitsplate #dietsdontwork #intuitiveeatingjourney #ditchthediet #bodyrespect #foodfreedom #nondietapproach #bodyacceptance #nondietdietitian #nofoodrules #antidiet #antidietculture #breakfreefromdieting
white bean & veggie farro soup! a latest spin on white bean & veggie farro soup!  a latest spin on one of my favorite soup recipes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
super simple to pull together, perfectly comforting and great to make ahead and reheat for easy meals (my favorite kind 🙌)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
recipe is linked in my profile (@caitsplate)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
https://caitsplate.com/white-bean-veggie-farro-soup/⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#caitsplatefood #caitsplate #f52community #soupseason #vegetarianrecipeshare #meatless #souprecipe #easymeal #easycooking #recipeshare
one of the things I hear most often from individua one of the things I hear most often from individuals looking to break free form diet culture and embrace intuitive eating is “I feel like all I’m doing is thinking and analyzing my food behaviors and all I want to do is stop thinking so much about food.”

this is completely understandable.  when food and food rules have owned your life for so long, and you finally embrace the thing that’s supposed to help you break that cycle, it can feel like a lot.

the difference is, while intuitive eating may require a deeper dive at the outset, it ultimately sets you *free* from all the over-thinking and analyzing of food & food choices, setting you up for a peaceful relationship with food that can last a lifetime.

dieting and food rules feel simple at the outset, but keep us in a never-ending cycle of distress around food.

#caitsplatenutrition #caitsplate #intuitiveeating #disorderedeating #disorderedeatingrecovery #bodydysmorphia #redefiningbeauty #i_weigh #antidietculture #nondietdietitian #intuitiveeatingjourney #antidiet #nondietdietitian
pumpkin turkey meatballs! done in less than 30 mi pumpkin turkey meatballs!  done in less than 30 minutes with less than 10 ingredients.  a perfect easy fall meal!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
grab the recipe details on @caitsplate (link in profile): https://caitsplate.com/pumpkin-turkey-meatballs/⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#caitsplatefood #caitsplate #pumpkinseason #pumpkinrecipes #easymeal #easydinner #dinnerrecipes #dinnertonight #f52community #thefeedfeed

Disclaimer: Statements on this website are meant for general use only and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease. Readers are advised to consult with their healthcare providers prior to making any changes to their healthcare management. The information contained in this site is intended to serve as an inspirational aid and should be used in conjunction with advice from your healthcare professional. It is a supplement, not a substitute, to the knowledge, skill and expertise of healthcare professionals involved in patient care. All information contained in this site is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without giving appropriate credit to the original source.

Copyright © 2022 · Seasoned Pro