I used to overeat all the time.
The problem was that my appetite was all out of whack because I was running on fumes half of the time and hated my job.
I used to think that I was hungry, but instead, I was just tired, or anxious.
Food was a way that I could make myself fall asleep at night or give me temporary comfort.
This is emotional eating.
The problems with emotional eating
- It happens excessively (daily)
- It is harmful to our bodies
- It dysregulates our ability to feel emotions
- We feel out of control
Trust me, when I was going through this binge eating period I thought I was going to have to deal with it forever.
It can be challenging to break the habit of eating emotionally.
It takes a lot of focus and practice at the moment to stop yourself and address what true feelings and sensations are coming up.
Enter the ackronym HALT.
HALT
Hunger
Angry or anxious
Lonely
Tired
Here is how you do it:
Whenever you have trouble deciding if you are hungry vs emotional consider the acronym HALT and ask yourself – am I hungry, anxious, lonely, or tired?
These aren’t the only reasons for emotional eating, but they are common ones.
Here is how you do it:
The key is to just STOP at the moment and think about HALT regardless of the outcome.
You may end up eating or overeating anyways but each time you stop to think you are one step further in the right direction.
This awareness is the object.
This awareness is the antidote.
Learning to identify true hunger is a practice.
Once you learn to rely on your internal hunger cues eating becomes much more natural and easily controlled.
The opposite is also true.
For a minute think about what would happen if you continue to eat emotionally. Where would you be in a month, six months, a year, five years? It can be painful to think about but the truth is – that sh*t is very real and it is important to realize the consequences of your actions.
It is all about changing your habits.
You are more powerful than you think.
Krista
PS. Sometimes all you need is a guide. Someone to help you with the specifics and hold you accountable. Book a time on my calendar in three easy steps to see what the power of upgrading your nutrition and habits around food and exercise could do for you!