Emotional Eating and Weight Gain

For many people, emotional eating is at the root of their inability to lose weight. Emotional eaters, or people who turn to food to deal with emotions, tend to take in far more calories than they need because they’re using their emotions, rather than their body’s natural hunger, as their guide. Emotional eaters also tend to reach for foods that are high in fat, sugars and calories instead of healthier alternatives. How can you stop emotional eating and the resulting weight gain?

Identify Why You Eat

The first step to solving a problem is to clearly identify it. Keep a food journal for a week. In addition to keeping track of what you eat and when, write down how you’re feeling at the time. Do you notice that you tend to eat when you’re stressed? Are you eating a lot when you’re lonely or bored or sad? Using a food journal can help you recognize the patterns of emotional eating and specifically identify which emotions cause you to eat.

Develop New Coping Mechanisms

Once you’ve identified why you’re eating, the next step is to find an alternative to food for dealing with your emotions. The healthy alternative that is right for you will depend, in part, on which emotions you’re experiencing.

• If you’re lonely, consider picking up the phone to reconnect with an old friend or joining a club to make new friends.
• If you’re stressed, experiment with deep breathing techniques or meditation exercises.
• If you’re depressed, try writing about your feelings or talking to a professional about ongoing depression.
• If you’re bored, make a list of activities that you might enjoy that don’t involve food, like reading a book or going for a walk.

Seek Out Help

You may find that practicing deep breathing or addressing your emotions on your own aren’t enough. If you’re struggling to deal with unresolved anger, anxiety or depression, consider enlisting the help of a counselor, support group or medical professional to help you tackle any underlying issues.