What is Emotional Eating?

Do you know what emotional eating is?

I didn’t really, which is why I didn’t think I was doing it as much as I actually was.

I thought Emotional Eating only fell into two categories.

Eating when we’re sad. Or eating when we’re stressed.

But it isn’t just that.

Any time you eat when you’re not physically hungry... you’re emotionally eating.

Any time you eat to change how you feel... you’re doing it.

When you feel bad and you want to feel good.

When you feel good and want to feel even better.

When you don’t want to feel anything at all.

When you’re worried about how you think you might feel about something.

When you simply want the food (desire is an emotion).

All Emotional Eating. 

And most people do it. Some of us more than others. In all kinds of ways.

When your friend calls with bad news as you pass McDonald’s and you pull into the drive-through.

When your teenager starts telling you about their day and you share some Oreos to connect (holy shit... they’re actually using their words today!)

When that mid-afternoon slump hits and you visit the vending machine for a boost… you were “good” at lunch so why not.

When your day sucked and you curl up on the sofa with Doritos to relax and numb the eff out.

Anytime you’re eating to change or solve an emotion… to change how you feel, how you think you’ll feel, or to not feel at all… you’re emotionally eating.

Anytime you’re using food to manage your emotional life, you’re emotionally eating.

Which is most of us some of the time.

And some of us a lot of the time.

And if you’re anything like I was, it’s probably almost all the time.