Emotions Have a Big Appetite
Our emotions have
a big appetite. Here are some emotional
reasons we eat that have nothing
to do with hunger:
| Crowd
Pleasing (going along
with others) |
Because
it's There
(can't waste food) |
Paired
Event Eating:
Movies = Popcorn |
Feeling
ill, sick, tired
(maybe eating will help?) |
Eating
by the Clock
(it's Time to Eat) |
Chasing
Away Bad Feelings
(Afraid to feel
hungry, empty) |
Revenge
(You can't make me) |
Eating
as Entertainment
(something to do, "I'm
bored, let's eat!") |
Sadness
(Food as best friend) |
For
Others
(I baked you a special treat) |
Holidays:
Special Occasions
(Let's party!) |
Reward
Eating
(I deserve a "special
treat" for being so good)
|
I Forget What Hunger Feels Like
- Have you forgotten what
it feels like to be really
hungry?
- Do you think you're always
hungry, even after you've
just eaten?
- Are you afraid to feel hungry?
- Do you eat and eat but never
feel full or satisfied?
- Do you think about what you'll
have for dinner, while you're
eating lunch?
These are symptoms of having
lost track of the basic nourishment
principals: Eat when hungry, sleep
when tired. You can relearn how
to nourish (feed yourself) well,
and it begins with learning about
hunger.
First learn what hunger feels
like to you. Where in your body
you first notice it, and what
happens if you ignore it. Learn
to gauge where you are on the
hunger scale from starving to
over-full, and learn what it feels
like to be satisfied with what
you've just eaten.
Not sure what it means to be
satisfied with what you've eaten?
It means not over-full, not underful,
just satisfied. You've eaten enough
to be comfortable. There is a
difference. How do you represent
the word "full" to yourself?
Does it mean comfortable or overstuffed?
It's totally okay to eat past
full sometimes. I do it. You do
it. We all do it, but what's important
is that you learn to not need,
or think you need, to eat past
full every time you eat. You can
learn this (taught in week five
of the Ending
Emotional Eating workshop).
Excuses Are
Like Asses - Some Are Just Bigger
Than Others
More reasons we eat that have
nothing to do with hunger:
- Member of the Clean Plate
Club
- In transition -- I'll
lose weight when I ... (meet
a man, go on a cruise, for
my daughter's wedding)
- Can't get to sleep --
maybe a nice snack will
make me sleepy?
- For energy
- Pleasing others -- "I
made it just for you."
- It's time -- "Hey
look, it's time for lunch!"
- Eating in anticipation
of future hunger; "I
won't have time to eat later,
so I better eat now."
- Too good to pass up --
"I'm not hungry, but
I can't pass this up."
- Last chance; "I'll
may never
have another chance to eat
this again."
- To calm down, or feel
better -- "I don't
feel right. Maybe eating
something will help?"
- It smells or looks good
-- "Wow, look at that
cake!"
Any of this sound familiar?
Wouldn't you like to learn how
to end this vicious cycle? Read on to discover How to End the Cycle of Pain
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