EMOTIONAL EATING | A Simple, Supportive Guide
HUNGER VS. APPETITE
- Hunger = your body’s physical need for food.
- Appetite = a psychological desire to eat (often influenced by emotions, stress, environment, or food cues).
Emotional eating happens when feelings— not hunger — drive eating choices.
IMPORTANT REFRAME
Emotional eating is not“bad.”
Sometimes food is comfort or celebration, and that’s okay.
It becomes a problem when it:
- Leaves you feeling worse (physically or emotionally)
- Creates guilt or shame
- Becomes your primary coping strategy
- Interferes with your health or goals
COMMON TRIGGERS
Most emotional eating is driven by one(or both) of these:
- Suppressed emotions (stress, anxiety, sadness, boredom, overwhelm)
- Unmanaged stress (busy schedules, caregiving, work pressure, lack of boundaries)
When emotions stay bottled up, foodcan feel like fast relief — but often creates a stress–guilt cycle.
AWARENESS = POWER
Before eating, gently pause and ask:
- Am I physically hungry, or emotionally hungry?
- What am I feeling right now?
- What do I actually need in this moment?
There is no judgment here — justinformation.
STRESS & EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TOOLS
Building multiple ways to managestress reduces emotional eating long-term. Examples:
- Walking outside
- Strength training or movement
- Journaling
- Deep breathing or meditation
- Talking with a trusted friend
- Therapy or counseling
- Creating structure (meals, routines, to‑do lists)
Consistency matters more than perfection.
If emotional eating is leaving youfeeling worse, try alternatives that meet the same need. Instead of eating to:
- De‑stress → walk, shower, stretch, breathe
- Comfort → warmth, connection, rest
- Escape → music, reading, journaling
- Control → planning one small task
JOURNALING PROMPTS (QUICK & POWERFUL)
Use these anytime:
- What is my stress level (1–10) today?
- What are my top stressors right now?
- What emotions am I avoiding or holding in?
- What would help Future Me feel better later today?
You can write it out — then tear it up if you want. The release is what matters.
