We’ve all been there – turning to food or raiding the pantry when we feel lonely, bored, stressed, depressed, anxious, or upset. For me, it occurs when I’m stretched too thin – when the thought of taking the time to prep a healthy meal on top of everything else going on just sounds like too much effort.
What is the trigger for you?
The cycle of emotional eating begins when we turn to food for stress-relief, comfort, or companionship instead of looking at food as fuel for our bodies and at eating as an opportunity to glorify God.
Food can provide a break in routine and a temporary moment of pleasure, but the moment is fleeting. The aftermath of emotional eating is guilt, which prompts us to seek soothing and leads back to food for comfort. The initial feelings that triggered the emotional eating remained unaddressed so they resurface, now coupled with disappointment, hopelessness, and powerlessness. But, here’s the good news! We can invite God into that space, accept His grace, and take small, positive steps to break the cycle of emotional eating. We can rely on His power to develop healthy habits that set us free from the stronghold of food while also cultivating a deeper faith.
Here are 7 strategies to break the cycle of emotional eating:
1. Understand that your past does not determine your present or your future.
There is a reason why the initial steps in every 12-step recovery program, including Food Addicts Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous, are for the individual to admit that they are unable to overcome their addiction on their own, believe that God can help them regain control over their habits, and make a decision to turn their will and their life over to God.
With God’s help, people can and do change. But we can’t start the next chapter of our life if we keep re-reading the last one. Revisit your history of emotional eating long enough to learn from it and understand why it happened, but not long enough to stay stuck there. Realize what has worked and what hasn’t, then let go of your past mistakes and commit to starting a new chapter with healthier habits, one small change at a time.
2. Understand your triggers.
What situations or emotions drive you to eat? Is there a particular time of day when you’re more prone to snack? When is your willpower highest and when do you have the most difficulty sticking to healthy habits?
The first step in understanding our triggers is to name them. Identify your feelings and then ask yourself why you feel that way and what those emotions tell you about yourself. We are quick to blame our surroundings – “if my kids would just listen or if my boss would stop overloading me with work” – but ultimately it is up to us to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to respond to challenging situations with self-control. Just because our outside world feels chaotic doesn’t mean we have to internalize or act on it.
In taking these thoughts to God, He often reveals that I have unrealistic expectations for myself or my kids. I may have taken on too much or need to lower my expectations for how my kids should behave after a long day at school. Go to God with your feelings and ask Him to reveal what is true for you. Then, decide what you need. What the antidote for that emotion? Once we identify that, we can replace eating with a different reward that will provide the peace, comfort, companionship, or break in routine we are actually craving. We can rely on God’s strength to help us replace, rather than refuse, unhealthy cravings and invite our emotions to become tools for positive transformation.
3. Practice the pause.
Before you raid the pantry or fridge, take a moment to pause and ask yourself, “Am I actually hungry?” If the answer is yes, strive to eat nutrient dense foods that will satisfy your hunger, balancing complex carbohydrates with lean proteins to stabilize your blood sugar, energy levels, and mood. If you are unsure, drink a glass of water (oftentimes we mistake thirst for hunger) and wait 10-15 minutes to see if the hunger persists. If the answer is no, get involved in a different activity. Check out my my free printable, 52 Ways to Find Peace without Food, for ideas.
Another way to develop awareness is to keep a Food Log where you record what you eat, when you eat, and what you are feeling in those moments as you eat. Click HERE to download an example and improve mindfulness so you can make positive choices.
4. Listen to your body.
With all the diets out there – Paleo, Vegan, Low-Carb, etc. – knowing what to eat, how much to eat, and how often to eat can be overwhelming. So, let me simplify it for you…
The best diet to follow is the one that you can stick with long-term. It doesn’t involve cutting out entire food groups (your body needs carbs), counting every calorie that you put into your mouth, or depriving yourself of all the foods you love. The key to creating sustainable change is to focus less on dieting and more on eating a healthy, well-balanced diet with a few of the foods we crave in moderation. (Visit my previous post for more information on conquering unhealthy food cravings.)
It is important to listen to your body and eat in a way that works for you, not follow what someone else is doing. Remember that there are no “forbidden foods,” but while all foods are permissible, not all foods are beneficial (1 Cor 10:23). Take note of how certain foods make you feel after you eat them. If you feel guilty, lethargic, nauseous, or defeated afterwards, skip it. Discover how to sacrifice short-term benefits for long-term gain, resist the temptation to turn to food for instant gratification, and view food as fuel for your body so you can perform at your peak. If you can enjoy an occasional treat and feel good about it, then do it! The key to turning healthy habits into a lifestyle change is to practice mindfulness and moderation and have patience that, in time, you will get there.
5. Eat mindfully.
Just as we must be aware of what we are thinking, we must also be aware of what we are doing. Avoid eating in front of the TV, computer, or other distractions that inhibit your awareness for how much – or even what – you are eating. Eat slowly and savor each bite, taking note of the flavor and textures of your food. Stop when you are satisfied, not “full.” On a hunger scale of 1-10, where 1 is starving and 10 is “Thanksgiving Dinner full,” you should be around a 6 when you stop eating because it takes your brain about 20 minutes to realize that your stomach is full. Stopping before you feel full is one of the best ways to avoid overeating.
(For additional tips, download 10 Tips for Mindful Eating from my Subscribers Page. If you’re not already a subscriber, click HERE to join and gain access to my Freebie’s Library.)
6. Say “no” to self-sabotage and say “yes” to celebrating your successes!
The battle really is in your mind! As you start to make healthy choices, thoughts like, “I deserve a treat,” and “Just one little bite won’t do any damage,” will start to creep into your head. You do deserve to be rewarded, but don’t do it by reverting back to unhealthy eating habits! Doing so is analogous to a recovering alcoholic rewarding himself for a month of being clean with a drink.
Find different ways to reward yourself – get a massage, meet a friend for a walk, go to a concert, sign up for a fun run, plan a vacation, or go out to eat and delight in the fact that you can order something healthy off the menu and not feel deprived (see 52 Ways to Find Peace without Food Printable)! Focus on what you are gaining – improved health, more energy, more confidence, freedom from your dependence on food, a closer relationship with God and others – instead of what you are giving up. The things you are giving up aren’t really the things worth living for, but the new habits you’re putting into place will help ensure that you are around for the things worth living for! When you find yourself saying, “One __ won’t hurt,” instead ask, “Will it help? Will it move me forward? Or will I be taking a step back?” Challenge yourself to make the choice that will initiate the change you desire.
7. Commit your plans to the Lord.
So often we have it backwards – we start down a path and then ask God for help when we lose our footing. Before we begin any new endeavor, we must examine our motives behind it. Then, before we begin and throughout our journey – day by day and moment by moment – we must lift our choices up to Him in prayer and commit our plans to Him.
Proverbs 16:3 states, “Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.” Start your day by asking God to help you make choices that honor and glorify Him, care for your body as His masterpiece and a temple of the Holy Spirit, and control your body by purifying it of food, activities, and information (e.g. media), that are not beneficial. The solution to breaking the cycle of bad habits is to commit our plans, our choices, and our lives to God, relying on Him for the strength to resist temptation, for the ability to look at each challenge as an opportunity for growth, and for the wisdom to make sound decisions.
Call To Action: Which strategies do you already do well and which would you like to improve upon? What next step can you take to break the cycle of emotional eating?
Additional Resources:
52 Ways to Find Peace Without Food (click here or on the image above)
10 Tips for Mindful Eating – download from my Subscribers Page or click here to subscribe.
Interested in building healthy habits for your mind, body, and soul? Subscribe to my blog to join the rest of our Cultivate series! As a subscriber, you’ll receive notifications of new posts by email and receive free support through my private Facebook page.
References:
1. Narcotics Anonymous. 6th ed. Chatsworth, CA: Narcotics Anonymous World Services, 2008. xv. Print.
2. McKenna, Paul, Ph.D. (2015). Freedom from Emotional Eating. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc.
3 thoughts on “7 Strategies to Break the Cycle of Emotional Eating”
Great post! I battled a lot last year trying to eat the “right way.” Thankfully due to most diets making me more sick than healthy and taking my insecurities of my body to the Lord, I now concentrate on eating what makes my body feel healthy and revived versus what feels good for the moment. I completely agree with everything you have written here.
Thank you, Carmen! I’m so glad it was helpful and am happy to hear that you’ve been able to make healthy changes. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I hope you’ll follow along the rest of the series!