Emotional Eating 101

[Gaelen]

This series by Roger Gould, MD appeared originally in Dietwatch's electronic newsletter Scoop. I'll continue to attach articles from the series as long as Dr. Gould keeps writing them. Gould is the author of the program Managing Food.

Emotional Eating 101: Part 1 of 4 (http://www.dietwatch.com/dietwatch/diet/dietnews.asp?show=gould_part1.html)
Emotional Eating 101: Part 2 of 4 (http://www.dietwatch.com/dietwatch/diet/dietnews.asp?show=gould_part2.html&AfilliateReferer=lsV4_38)
Emotional Eating 101: Part 3 of 4 (http://www.dietwatch.com/dietwatch/diet/dietnews.asp?show=gould_part3.html&AfilliateReferer=lsV4_40)
Emotional Eating 101: Part 4 of 4 (http://www.dietwatch.com/dietwatch/diet/dietnews.asp?show=gould_part4.html&AfilliateReferer=lsV4_42)

[Gaelen]

Emotional Eating 101 (Part 1 of 4)
by Roger Gould, M.D.

This is the first of several articles on the subject of emotional eating. Over the next couple weeks, we are going to explore emotional eating, how it leads to obesity, why it should be considered a real addiction, and the strategies that work and don't work in dealing with the addiction.

Emotional Eating

If you are like most people, you are keenly aware that diet programs don't work for long. It's safe to say that no new diet or exercise regimen, no matter how biologically sound it may be, is likely to result in lifelong weight loss. But why is that? It's because you can't control what you eat.

The bottom line is that you already know how to lose weight. You know that if you eat less and exercise more eventually you'll see the pounds come off. But if you know that eating less and exercising more will result in weight loss, why don't you just do it? What's getting in your way? Or, if you do succeed in losing a little weight with a diet, why do you usually regain the weight you lost? Why can't you hold onto healthier habits as a way of life? Why do you overeat despite your best intentions?

The answer to all these questions is the same: emotional eating. Most simply defined, emotional eating means you eat to satisfy emotional hunger; it means you use food for comfort or as a way to cope with life; and it means you eat for reasons other than what your body needs.

Take any moment in time, focus the camera lens on your neighborhood, take a close look, and you'll find emotional eating. You'll find dozens of people—maybe even hundreds or thousands—breaking their diets at this very second. All those people woke up this morning determined to stay away from fattening treats or eat reasonable portions, but by afternoon, many had one hand on the Twix Bar and the other on the forehead, wondering why, why on earth they had no willpower. In fact, you are probably one of those people. Maybe boredom at work has propelled you to the snack table, or a snub from a friend or an ugly new assignment. Whenever you reach for a boredom-breaking snack despite your commitment, or whenever you eat to quell anxiety, that's emotional eating. Whenever you binge after a fight, or double up on portions because your day turned sour, that's emotional eating. Whenever you feel that sharp craving for your favorite food, that's emotional eating.

When it comes to emotional eating, people aren't eating to feed their body. No one needs a candy bar after a fight to make it through the night. When people eat at times like these, they are eating to satisfy, numb, or avoid their emotions. And unfortunately, it's all too common.

People who are suffering from emotional eating are driven to eat so they won't have to face what's bothering them internally. And in many ways, they become addicted to this way of handling life. They feel compelled to eat in this way and can't control what they eat. That's why diets don't work. If you're struggling with emotional eating and can't choose to eat less and exercise more, you can't lose weight. It's that simple. And since no diet ever teaches you how to control what you eat, they are doomed to fail sooner or later. In other words, unless you can learn to stop emotional eating, you will never be able to lose weight and keep it off. Period.

Emotional Hunger
Emotional hunger is what fuels emotional eating. Unfortunately, you will always have emotional hunger no matter what you do. That's part of being human. However, emotional hunger is not so much the problem as how you deal with it.

People who suffer from emotional eating usually only deal with emotional hunger by eating. And, since life is rife with emotional turmoil, emotional eaters are normally overweight. They are so attached to dealing with the ups and downs of life with food that any suggestion that they can stop emotional eating makes them nervous. Many people cannot imagine being able to handle a bad day without turning to food for comfort. In this way, the tendency to handle emotional hunger with food is no different then a smoker's tendency to handle stress with a cigarette.

When you are an emotional eater, the odd thing about emotional hunger is that you feel truly hungry, and at the moment when the craving for food grips you, you can't tell that your hunger originates in your mind, not in your belly. People who are not emotional eaters, who never really satisfied emotional hunger with food, usually eat less when they are troubled by emotional hunger. Their emotional hunger doesn't feel like physical hunger, just as a non-smoker's stress doesn't give them the urge to smoke.

I like to think of it this way: emotional eaters eat when they aren't really hungry because they have two stomachs—one real, the other a phantom. The hunger in your belly signals you when your system has a biological requirement for food. If that was the only signal of hunger you received, you'd be thin. It's the phantom stomach that causes the problems. The phantom stomach sends out a hunger signal when unruly emotions and unsolved personal agendas start pushing themselves into awareness. A short-circuit occurs, and you feel so hungry that you're compelled to eat.

I see the power of the phantom stomach demonstrated almost daily in my work with patients. The other day, a patient who had just finished breakfast told me in the middle of a difficult session that she suddenly felt extremely hungry. As soon as we started talking about her sexual problems with her husband, her appetite kicked in and she could hardly wait to get to McDonald's. Her phantom stomach was shouting, demanding action.

Phantom hunger has such power that it drives you to go to almost any lengths to satisfy it. I saw this fact demonstrated in Technicolor when I consulted at the Pritikin Institute in Santa Monica, California, where clients paid ten thousand dollars a month to take part in a controlled diet and exercise program. Although the tuition for the program far exceeded the cost of attending the most expensive private university in America, I frequently found participants sneaking out for hamburgers and french fries at a corner stand. These were all highly motivated people sent to Pritikin by their doctors because of serious, life-threatening health problems, but positive motivation clearly wasn't enough to help them resist phantom hunger. As you know, all dieting programs depend on positive motivation, ignoring the obvious: that there's such power in the emotional forces underlying the desire to binge or overeat that if you don't expose those forces and conquer them, you'll always be at their mercy—you'll always have weight problems.

In a later article, we will discuss the 12 types of emotional hunger that I have identified, but for now, let's point out the main differences between emotional hunger and physical hunger so you can begin to differentiate between the two in your daily life.

First, emotional hunger normally comes on like lightening, while physical hunger develops slowly. Emotional hunger is like a rocket going off: it happens suddenly. Physical hunger develops little by little: first there's the tummy rumble, then the grumble and then it really starts complaining with hunger pangs. But, the slow stages of physical hunger are very different from the quick onset of emotional hunger.

Second, emotional hunger demands food immediately, whereas physical hunger is bit more patient. Much like its quick onset, emotional hunger demands immediate satisfaction. On the other hand, even if you are ravenously hungry, your physical hunger will wait for food.

The third difference between the two involves mindfulness. Satisfying physical hunger involves a deliberate choice and awareness of what's being eaten. How much of what's being eaten is noticed, meaning you can stop when full. However, emotional hunger on the other hand usually doesn't notice how, why or what's being eaten. Emotional hunger will even demand more food even after the person is stuffed.

Fourth, physical hunger is open to different types of foods, but emotional hunger often demands very particular foods in order to be fulfilled. If you're physically hungry, even carrots will look delicious. If you're emotionally hungry, however, only cake or ice cream might seem appealing.

Fifth, satisfying emotional hunger often results in guilt, or promises to do better next time. This is in sharp contrast with physical hunger, which is viewed as necessary to survival and therefore has no guilt attached to it.

And sixth, emotional hunger, of course, results from something emotionally upsetting, while physical hunger results from a physical need.

Whenever you feel compelled to eat in a way that doesn't match the patience or speed of physical hunger you are struggling with emotional eating and hunger.

Now that you've read this article and thought about it a little, it's time for you to personally evaluate how it applies to your life. Below are some questions and activities that you should answer and do before the next article becomes available. Taking these questions and activities seriously will help you get a better understanding of emotional eating.


How hard is it for you to see emotional eating in your life?
Is it very visible?
If so, describe the instances you've got in mind.
Do you think instances like this are the main obstacle to you losing weight?
If it's not so visible, why do you think you have trouble eating less and exercising more?
Do you have trouble differentiating between emotional hunger and physical hunger?
Describe a time when you may have mistaken emotional hunger for physical hunger. What was happening at the time to make you emotionally hungry?
Why didn't you deal with it directly, instead of using food?


Examine your hunger whenever it arises. Try to use the six distinctions we laid out as a guide.
Do you feel emotionally hungry more often than physically hungry?
Do you always give into the emotional hunger or do you sometimes find another way to satisfy it without food?

[Gaelen]

Another good article about emotional eating and exercise:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=208

Take Action Against Emotional Eating -- Regain Control With Exercise
By Zach Van Hart, Staff Writer, www.sparkpeople.com

HEADLINE: Emotional Eating is a Problem
Your reaction: Tell me something I don’t know…

By now, you likely know what emotional eating is. You probably realize that emotions cause 75% of overeating. You're an expert on how to discover times and triggers of high emotions. What you’re waiting on are alternatives. Enter exercise.

Exercise is a great emotional outlet because it provides remedies for many of the emotions that trigger eating. Plus it’s a healthy alternative.

You’re in control
Different feelings can cause emotional spells. Loss of control is one. Maybe you’re going through a difficult break-up. Your company is downsizing. A family member is ill. You can go all day feeling like you’re losing control – until the moment you open the fridge. Now, the control is back.

Exercise can remedy this even better, providing the same in-control feelings that food does. You can decide which exercises you do, where you exercise and for how long, and the list goes on. Work out in the living room, or at the park. Break a quick sweat in 15 minutes, or walk for an hour. Unlike other areas in your life, this choice is yours.

Reverse the unhealthy trend
Hopelessness is another cause of emotional eating. You may feel unhealthy, overweight, and that you can’t do anything about it. So you turn to comfort foods, typically unhealthy ones, and simply add to the problem. Exercise is another way to deal with your emotions and to regain hope, only it’s a healthy version. All exercise holds some healthy benefits; there’s no exercise that will make you unhealthier.

Rely on others
What does food provide when you’re emotional? For most, it’s comfort. Why not turn to a friend or family member instead for that comfort? If you’re worried they won’t have time for you, that’s where fitness comes into play. Exercising with a fitness buddy or a group when stress and emotions hit benefits everyone. You are able to share your time and your feelings with someone you trust. Perhaps they have some great advice for you, or you may think of a better way to handle the issue just by saying it out-loud.

Plus, with this strategy, everyone receives the benefits of working out. It’s a win-win situation for you and your fitness buddy!

Comfort exercises
When emotions hit, some of us open the fridge and find our favorite foods to console us. Think about some exercises that you find comforting instead. "Comfort exercises" are your favorites, the ones you always enjoy. They should be activities you look at as FUN, not as work.

You can have a different comfort exercise for each season (running in the winter, yard work in the summer) or for different times of day (push-ups in the morning, stretching in the evening). You can have several comfort exercises, or just one. Discover what exercises you truly enjoy, ones you look forward to, and lean on them when your emotions strike.

article created 2004, and reprinted from www.sparkpeople.com

[Gaelen]

And this article explores emotional eating from the perspective of developing new constructive habits:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=55

Get a Handle on Emotional Eating -- The Secret Sabotage of Your Program
By Zach Van Hart, Staff Writer www.sparkpeople.com

Ever been angry or upset one minute and then on your couch eating the next, unable to remember why you started eating or how long you had spent munching? If so, then you have entered the world of emotional eating. It’s something than can happen to anyone, and one of the most common dieting obstacles out there.

Emotional eating at its best passes after a few minutes. At its worst, it can take over your life and cause you to eat uncontrollably for extended periods of time. And according to nutritional experts, 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. So don’t worry, if you suffer from emotional eating, you are not alone.

People often eat to relieve stress or to get something off their minds. The kicker is that stress, and the insulin jump that goes with it, may actually cause you to crave high sugar, high carbohydrate foods – foods that go straight to your waistline and cause you even more stress.

Rather than munching, it's better to develop new skills for dealing with boredom, self-esteem issues and stress. Try to pinpoint the major reasons for your stress or unpleasant emotions, and see how you can turn the tide. Here are a few suggestions to combat your emotions:


Get your trigger foods out of the house
Get your crutch foods out of arms' reach
Go for a walk or jog. Physical activity relieves stress.
Do deep breathing and relaxation exercises
Keep a reminder of your goal handy
Talk to a friend
Visit and post on the support message boards
Surround yourself with positive reinforcers, like pictures and people
Keep a journal that includes your best personal accomplishments
Track your eating patterns, including when and why you pick up food.

If you still seem to come back to food when your emotions get the best of you, you can at least be prepared. Eating large amounts of snacks is not a good thing. But if you eat low calorie foods, it’s not so bad. So stock the fridge with healthy alternatives--foods that have good nutritious value and are smaller in size.

Here are a few food suggestions to keep within arms' reach:

Apple or orange slices
Carrot sticks
Banana
Broccoli
Whole wheat toast
Bran muffin
Fruit smoothie
Applesauce


reprinted from an article published at www.sparkpeople.com in 2003

Actually, even the list of food suggestions 'to keep within arms' reach' isn't so far off. I'd sub in a Wasa Crisp for the whole wheat toast, and an almond meal muffin for the bran muffin, the fruit smoothie would just be protein shake and I'd probably skip the applesauce. But there ARE carb-appropriate portions of all of the items listed, and if they address the immediate emotional issue and give you the guts you need to work past the situation, I say, go for it. YMMV.

[Gaelen]

Another take on emotional eating: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=98

Going Through the Emotions: Why It's Worth the Trouble
-- By Mike Kramer, Staff Writer

The world can be a beautiful place, full of possibilities and life. You can feel invincible and in control. But it’s not always like that, is it? The world can also be a stressful, upsetting, confidence-crushing place. At times, it seems like even something as clear-cut as weight loss is harder than it really needs to be. Is it worth the trouble, you ask. Why am I banging my head against the wall? Is it really doing any good?

You’re darned right it is!

When life and your mind are full of troubles, when things seem out of control, you’ve got to take control of what you can. When confidence is low, that’s exactly when you need to be at your healthiest, your strongest, your most energetic. There’s no better time to create your own little corner of sanity and positive feeling. The best way you can do that is to stick with those small daily weight loss goals.

You can be the hammer, making things happen, or you can be the nail that sits there and gets pummeled over and over. If you’re starting to feel like a nail, it’s up to you to keep your program moving forward. Gather yourself together, draw a line in the sand and refuse to give in to the doubts and temptation to give in or quit.

You’ve probably heard this story before, but since you’re here, it’s worth retelling: A frog, hopping around the farm, minding his own business, fell right into a pail half-filled with cream. Swimming frantically, he found the sides too steep and too high. Determined not to give up, he continued to struggle. He kicked and squirmed, kicked and squirmed until at last his churning had turned the cream into a block of butter – allowing him to hop right out. He never gave up!

Here’s how your story and his intersect. If he only saw the hopelessness of his situation and started feeling sorry for himself, he would have sunk to the bottom. But instead he kept kicking. He kicked not because he knew it would help him escape, but because he was compelled to, he had no choice. He kicked because the alternative was no alternative at all.

From the frog’s point of view, all he was doing was treading water (or cream), doing what he could in a bad situation. If you keep kicking, even if it just seems like you’re treading water, you’re actually causing real change that will make a huge difference later on.

There will be good days; there will be bad days – sometimes several in a row. There will be lazy days and discouraging days. But there will also be days of revelation, days of making a breakthrough, days of being proud of who you are becoming, days of wanting to climb on top of your success and reach for the stars, because you just know that anything is possible.

These are the days that make it all worthwhile. These are the days that let you deal with those other, not-so-great days. Once you know those bad days will be there, it’s easier to accept them at face value and deal with them. But you have to keep kicking on those bad days to get to the good ones. If you’re not kicking, you’re sinking.

Don’t let the world or your own doubts take away one of the most positive things you have going for yourself – your determination to create a healthier, more energetic, more vibrant, more wonderful YOU.
==================

[Gaelen]

And some strategies to help cope with overeating in general, and emotional eating in particular:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=305

(excerpted from)
Overcoming Overeating: New Strategies to Stop Overeating Before You Start
-- By Nicole Nichols, Personal Trainer

Why do we eat? We all know why we should be eating: to supply our bodies with plenty of energy to get through the day; to get nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals which help us to stay healthy and free of disease; and to get useful carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—all of which contribute to running our bodies properly and maintaining good health.

But sometimes we can all be guilty of eating for other reasons. We love food! And that’s great! Eating should be pleasurable, not just nutritious. Food is everywhere: books are devoted to cooking and recipes, we find ourselves daydreaming and even talking about the newest restaurant or our favorite foods.

Many times we eat to celebrate—holidays, job promotions, graduations, weddings…we’ll find just about any achievement ("I raked the yard!", "We sold our house!", "My favorite team won!") to be celebration-worthy, and we’ll eat to commemorate it.

Other times, we let our emotions take over. When we’re stressed out, sad, angry, or lonely, we oftentimes turn to food to comfort us. Even starting (and staying on) a new diet can be stressful, especially when emotions creep in.

In our food-obsessed culture with out-of-control portions always lurking within our grasps, how can we not overeat? It’s hard to break habits and go against the lessons we have always been taught, like cleaning our plates, not being wasteful, or getting the best deal—which usually means ordering up and getting a lot more food for the money.

There are many ways to stop overeating. While some may seem silly…silly just may work for you. From the following list, find a few that work best for you, and try several. For example, if you find yourself eating out a lot, experiment with the dining out options more. After finding the strategies that work, stick with them. Over time, you’ll break the habits of overeating and form new habits. Pretty soon, you won’t even need the strategies at all, and you’ll be on your way to a permanent lifestyle change!

Skills for Any Setting
Whether you’re cooking your own meal, eating at work, or snacking at a football game, here are the strategies you can take anywhere:

Know your portion sizes.
Make your own "portion pack" to take with you or keep the following common items in mind when preparing and eating meals.
A golf ball is the size of a serving of nuts (including peanut butter) or cheese.
A deck of playing cards is equivalent to 3 ounces of any meat.
Use a die to estimate a proper serving of oils and fats.
For fruit and veggie servings, use a tennis ball.
One serving of cooked grains or potatoes is about the size of a computer mouse.

Divide your plate. Fill your "divided plate" only once. If you’re still hungry, have another half-plate of vegetables (Gaelen's note: or protein!.) It’s that simple.
Portion-controlled plates are available to buy as well…although they’re much more expensive than drawing an imaginary line.

Quench your hunger with water. Instead of high-calorie, low-nutrient drinks like soda, alcohol, or other sugary drinks, choose water. It’s free wherever you go, and most people don’t meet their 8-10 cups-a-day requirement. Drink water before, during, and after a meal to slow yourself down while eating and curb hunger.

Supportive groups are crucial. Surround yourself with positive people who motivate you to reach your goals, not those who want to sabotage your efforts. When you feel tempted, emotional, or if you have already gotten off-track, turn to your support group. Call a friend, email a family member, or get online to the SparkPeople support boards. Sometimes all you need is a short word of advice from a friendly voice.

Tips at Home
Cooking at home may be the easiest way to control your portions during a meal, but it also presents us with fully-stocked cupboards and refrigerators that can be tempting:
Bring home healthy fast food. Try precut, frozen, canned or microwave-in-the-bag vegetables. Automatic portion control.

Stop the Taste-Testing Habit. If you’re the cook in the family, you may be eating a lot of calories when you taste your foods as you cook. To stop this natural habit, try chewing gum while you prepare you meals. Each time you are tempted to sneak a bite, you’ll have to take the gum out of your mouth. This will make you more conscious of what you’re doing. (Gaelen's note: I'm a cook. Not tasting what you serve is the biggest mistake home cooks make--do not do this, even in the name of weight loss! You still need to taste what you prepare...just use the SMALLEST spoon in the kitchen to do it, and whenever possible use a fork to taste liquid things. You only need a taste to know if it needs more seasoning--not a portion!)

Make fruit your dessert. It’s a great way to get more produce into your diet, and it satisfies the sweet craving many people have after a meal. Experiment with new and exotic fruits. And, when it comes to fruit, eating a little extra isn’t a bad thing.

Keep your hands busy. Many people want to eat when bored or just out of habit while watching TV. Keep your hands occupied with something else, and you won’t want to eat. Try knitting, painting your nails, shuffling cards, petting your cat—anything that keeps your hands moving will do the trick. Or, keep your whole body busy by doing crunches, squats, lunges or other body exercises while you watch.

Feeling hungry? Try this first. Try drinking a glass or two of water. Many people mistake what is actually dehydration for hunger.

When you feel the urge to snack or keep eating, take an exercise break. Walk around the block for 5 or 10 minutes, run up and down the stairs, or distract yourself with anything for about 10 minutes. You’ll probably find that you weren’t really hungry, but bored instead.

Buy snack-size portions. Don’t buy more of your unhealthy snacks just to save a buck or two. If you have trouble controlling yourself—if you eat the whole bag of chips before you realize what you’ve done—then buy snack size items. You can find chips, pretzels, cookies, snack cakes, soda, juice, ice cream, and even cereal in single serving sizes.

Make rules that works for you and your family such as: No eating in front of the TV, in the car, or at your desk. This will help you avoid mindless eating when you’re not hungry.

Tricks for Dining Out
It’s difficult to control your portions—not to mention ingredients and cooking method—when you are at a restaurant. Despite this, there are several things you can control:

Inquire about portion sizes. If it sounds huge, and it probably is, ask the server to split your entrée in half. Tell them to box up half ahead of time (and maybe even keep it in the kitchen until you’re ready to leave). Or, split the dish with a friend.

Order ala carte. Many, if not all restaurants are notorious for their enormous portions. When you feel like you can’t win on size, or if even half of an entrée is still way too big, order side items. Most restaurants do offer staples like baked potatoes, steamed fresh veggies, and rice dishes. Or, even if it’s dinnertime, ask for the lunch portion. You may have to pay the dinner price, but you’ll save yourself from eating way too much, and you’ll be much happier about that.

Decide ahead of time what you’ll order. That way, you won’t be tempted by the less-healthy fare when you look at the menu. If you’re familiar with the menu, don’t even look at it—simply order what you already had in mind.

Don’t be afraid to make substitutions in ingredients and cooking methods. Many people don’t like to be picky at restaurants, but think of it this way. They’re there to meet your needs and serve you. If they don’t have something you want, ask! Vegetarians and vegans know this scenario all-too-well, because they have to modify almost every dish on the menu to be able to eat it. Waiters and waitresses will want to comply and help out (because it means tips for them), and chefs can easily make modifications.

Some things to try:

Different cooking methods. If your dish is fried or high in oil, ask for steamed or stir-fry options.
Take something out. Ask for less or complete removal of cheese, sour cream, gravy, special sauces, mayonnaise, etc.
Add something new. Ask for extra veggies in your salad, or to add vegetables to a dish that doesn’t normally contain them.
Substitute. Ask for grilled chicken on your salad instead of breaded.
Tell your server you don’t want the free bread, chips, etc. when you first arrive.
Ask for dressings, sauces, and condiments on the side. Use just enough to taste. Many "sides" of salad dressings are still 2-5 times as big as the recommended 2-tablespoon servings.
Don’t pick at the food left on your plate. Put your utensils on your plate so the handles get dirty. You won’t want to pick them up again, and you won’t mindlessly eat more while chatting over dinner. Or, try laying your napkin over top of the remaining food. Out of sight, out of mind.