Are you emotionally eating?

Some people know if they’re emotionally eating, and some people don’t.

And you might be wondering who cares? Overeating is overeating, right? I just want it to stop.

Well here’s the thing… 

If you don’t realize you’re doing it you’re probably trying to solve the wrong problem.

You’re either trying to solve the symptom of eating by doing things like dieting, restricting food, or telling others not to bring food into the house.

Or you’re trying to solve the things you think are wrong with you. Thinking you’re broken. Thinking you have no self-control or willpower. Thinking it’s all hopeless because you’re a sugar addict… a food addict… a carb addict.

Trying to solve that shit doesn’t work because it’s not the problem. It’s not why you’re eating.

You’re eating because you don’t know how to manage your emotional life without food.

You’re eating to try and solve problems that food can’t fix.

The answer to feeling stressed at work isn’t to reach for a Snickers bar. The answer is to unravel why you’re feeling stressed at work (and solve that).

The answer to feeling disappointed isn’t found at the bottom of the Doritos packet. The answer is to understand what that disappointment is telling you (and solve that).

And the answer to wanting to punch your husband in the face is not to down a fist full of cookies (or to actually punch him in the face btw 🤪). The answer is to figure out why you feel angry enough to want to punch him in the face (and yes… solve that).

Restricting food or having more willpower or self-control will never solve that crap (well maybe some self-control will solve the punching in the face part but it doesn’t solve the anger driving your eating).

When you try and use food to manage your emotional life, you don’t solve the overeating, and you don’t solve the real problem.