For many of us, it is a natural reaction to turn to food when we are upset, happy, sad or depressed. Over time, this reaction becomes a learned activity that we resort to without even realizing it. Whether your parents used food rewards when you were growing up or you learned the behavior on your own, emotional eating can really derail your diet plans. However, there are ways that you can overcome this issue and get back on track for healthy eating.
Before you even get started, you'll need to write down the reasons behind your emotional eating. Sometimes, just seeing them on paper makes it easier to get a handle on the problem. Take one week and keep a food journal. Write down absolutely everything that you eat, as well as making a note about your mood at that exact time. By taking this step, you'll be able to target which foods you turn to when you are in different moods. Don't be ashamed if the amount of food seems like a lot - we're going to fix that.
Now that you know which foods you turn to and why it's time to start working on the actual habit. Now, for many people food is an actual addiction, just like a drug. And, when you're combating drug abuse, especially with serious drugs, going cold turkey is extremely difficult and stressful. This can backfire for an emotional eater and they can easily end up binging when the stress levels get to be too much.
So, let's look at a food addiction like a heroin addiction. When a heroin addict is trying to quit, they go through some hideous withdrawal symptoms. In order to help them through this stage, doctors will prescribe a drug known as methadone. This is intended to work as a bridge that will help the drug user step down from heroin to a lesser drug. Once they get past the need for heroin, they are weaned off of methadone.
While food may not be as dangerous as heroin, we can learn a lot from this process. You need to create a bridge food that will replace the foods you turn to in an emotional crisis. For example, if you eat ice cream when you are upset, throw it all away and replace it with frozen yogurt. You're still going to get that benefit of a comfort food, but it's a lot more healthy. Once you find that it's easy to replace your ice cream with frozen yogurt, you can then wean yourself from this with something else that is even healthier.
By taking the time to slowly wean yourself from the foods that you turn to in an emotional crisis, you're much more likely to be successful at giving up your addiction. It's not going to happen overnight, but with time and patience, you can stop turning to food as a drug. We also recommend counseling during this process to get at the roots for your reasons for emotional eating.
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comfort food, healthy eating, moderation, stress eating, trigger food
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16 comments ↓
and, in my opinion. you are so not exaggerating with the heroin comparison.
Ive had many friends who are compulsive overeaters lament to me the fact that, if they had a substance problem, once they kicked it they’d never ‘have’ to do it again…that they have to eat/do their problem substance daily.
M.
Heroin can’t be as bad as bread can it?
While I appreciate the logic in slow weaning, I’ve found the approach doesn’t work. Addiction isn’t just about emotions, as I’m sure you know. High-glycemic foods like ice cream, or frozen yogurt, create a glucose-insulin blood sugar roller coaster (and eventually, deadly insulin resistance). The down cycle of these swings means strong cravings for more of the substance. Those of us who become addicted to foods have to abstain from those foods in order to stop “triggering” the addictive response at any level: mental, emotional, or physical. The “Excess in Moderation” maxim can work for “normal” people, but not for addicts. Even small amounts of the craved substance can continue to fire addictive cravings. Cold turkey is, by far, the easiest route to long-term success.
I’m sure the cold turkey method is very effective for some people, but it always backfires with me. Sugar is my Achilles Heal, and I’ve tried the cold turkey method several times but always with horrible results! I ended up with incredibly, huge cravings and ultimately nasty binges. Not fun, and terribly discouraging!
For me the slow weaning is working, slowly replacing the sugary foods with more protein, vegetables, and whole grains. I’m *finally* getting a handle on my sugar cravings, but without the horrible withdrawals! It’s the “good” food I’m now putting in my body that is making the junk less attractive - imagine that!
[...] a recent article at weightladder.com, Kevin talks about emotional eating, and how sometimes it functions much like a drug addiction. We eat when we’re down, we eat [...]
I totally understand about the sugar addiction - and it IS an addiction.
What if the overeating on sugar is just a sign that you have an imbalanced biochemistry, nothing more? And that by changing what and when you eat you can heal your body, stop the bingeing, and know what to do to prevent it from happening ever again?
I know that changing what and when I eat has made a huge impact on how I feel.
I have been working with a program which has helped me immensely.
Would you be interested in hearing any more?
Glad to hear it, Susan. That said, I wonder if you were truly “kicking” with your cold turkey. It’s not just “sugar” food, it’s the glycemic level of all carbohydrates, relative to protein, fat, fiber, etc. Once biochemistry is balanced, the only “cravings” that remain are mental and emotional. Anyway, we haven’t met, but I’m really happy you’re finding *your* own method–one that is working for *you*. I also see the wisdom in the “slow replacement” method. Congrats.
Selena, I run a high-traffic alternative health site, and am always interested in hearing about programs that assist people with carb addiction. I turn 53 this weekend, became addicted to carbs when I was a kid, finally carved together my own program (not something I’ve published) a couple years ago that works for me, and dropped the 30 pounds necessary to put me at a healthy weight.
@Selena
I am interested too…
I used to binge constantly. It was the first thing I thought about in the morning and the last thing at night. I could not stop eating chocolate and white bread. I hated myself, I was depressed, I had to drag myself through the day and I had so much shame it was unreal.
When I found Radiant Recovery a few years ago now I knew it was for me. Every bit of the program spoke to me. It gave me answers to *why* I could not say no. Now, eighteen months after following the advice on the website I am joyful, content, serene, confident, I haven’t binged in well over a year and I eat just three meals a day.
There was no white-knuckling, just a sensible approach to healing my biochemistry with normal everyday foods.
Finding Radiant Recovery has changed my life. There is hope out there. And it all starts with breakfast.
Ah, Kathleen DesMaisons’ work. I haven’t personally experienced her most recent work, so it’s helpful to hear your positive experience. Perhaps I should interview her. Thanks, Selena.
And I can also say that Radiant Recovery has helped me since I discovered it last year.
I came off sugar a few years ago (cold turkey — it was terrible). Withoug sugar, my weight balanced out and my headaches went. But still I was looking for the “missing piece of the jigsaw”.
I used to think “if only I change my thinking/attitude” then I could solve any personal issue, including emotional eating. I am now convinced - through daily experience - that how I feel is biochemical. If my food is steady, then I am steady … physically *and* emotionally.
Not sure how i feel about this, but I guess it works for some. I would be interested in hearing more from someone that has tried this.
I had a lifetime addiction to sugar and certainly didn’t realize it. I’ve been in the Radiant Recovery program for 8 weeks and my life has changed dramatically. My addiction displayed in my depression, anxiety, emotional instability, ravenous appetite and binging. I was so NOT in tune with my body that I had no clue the connection to the foods I ate and my mental state of mind. In the few weeks I’ve worked as RR suggests, I’ve not had one single depressive episode. I’ve found a quietness and peace as never experienced. While it may not be the program for everyone with sugar sensitivity, its worth looking into.
[...] there is a way to change all of that and break the stress cycle. While you’ll never be able to remove all stress from your life, there are ways that you can combat [...]
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