Are you one of those people who eat when upset? (Like me:)

I'm one of those people who eats a lot when I'm angry and stressed.I also enjoy eating very much, I think I like to eat in every way :D

Emotional eating behavior often occurs as a result of feeling stress, anxiety, fear, boredom, sadness, loneliness, or feelings of inadequacy. When the desire to suppress negative emotions and the eating behavior collide, the desire to eat occurs in order to feel powerful or to forget.

It is possible to observe the eating behavior as a way of coping with the intense emotion experienced in the problem of stress or sudden unexpected events brought about by daily life events.

Emotional eating behavior harms people's lives not only psychologically but also physiologically. As a result of emotional eating behaviors, many physical ailments such as weight problems, cardiovascular diseases, sugar and cholesterol are encountered.

In order to get the emotional eating problem under control, it is important to seek help from a therapist. Because emotional eating may not be just a behavior problem that today brings us. Emotional connections and relational problems we bring from the past can also occur as a result of our self-evaluations.

In addition, raising awareness on eating behavior, distinguishing between eating, which is a physical need, and emotional eating, and doing more physical activity are important steps to stop emotional eating.

Differentiate Physical and Emotional Hunger

To eliminate emotional eating behavior, first notice it. Do you really feel physically hungry?

What time of day you eat is important. Especially people with daily routines are physically hungry, usually at the same times of the day.

There are clear differences between emotional hunger and physical hunger. Emotional hunger comes out of nowhere and makes you feel the need to eat right away. Physical hunger gradually reveals itself. There is a greater tolerance for hunger.

Since emotional hunger does not tolerate time, it causes desire for foods that can be consumed quickly and easily. More carbohydrate, sugary, packaged or fast food foods are consumed.

The most challenging part of emotional eating is the feeling of being full. Because in emotional eating, the feeling of fullness is usually not felt. It is noticed only when it turns into a physical pain. If you often feel feelings such as regret, guilt, shame after eating, you can understand that this is an emotional eating behavior.

Common Triggers of Emotional Eating

Stress

Stress has some physiological effects on eating behavior. Stress causes the level of certain hormones or cortisol to rise. Therefore, the body desires to consume intensely sweet or excessively fatty foods to balance itself.

Intense Emotions and Thoughts

Eating behavior is frequently observed in order to suppress emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety, worry, anger, shame and to numb oneself.

Boredom

It often occurs during periods of unemployment or long vacations. In this process, it is known that the person tends to eat as a method of coping with the feeling of emptiness in his life.

Childhood Nutritional Problems

The meal that comes after a success as a child emerges as a trigger for emotional eating in adult life. For example, going to the hamburger shop after every successful exam makes every child happy and feel good. This may turn into a strategy used on eating behavior in adulthood, especially to cope with the feeling of failure.

Transitioning to a Healthy Eating Routine

To establish a healthy eating routine, first of all, be patient. Instead of procrastinating, allow as much as you can and don't try to be the best. If you have a weight problem caused by emotional eating behavior, it may be a good idea to consult a dietitian and go to a health checkup. But don't set yourself a weight loss goal when trying to establish a healthy eating routine.

Keeping an eating diary can be especially important for recognizing the connection between your eating behavior and your emotions, and for better understanding yourself.

Keep track of your eating times. When do you most want to eat? For example, if you find yourself eating a packet of chips when you get home from work after a long day, it could be a sign that a stress factor at work triggered you.

Develop healthy eating strategies. Emotional eating behavior usually occurs in such a way as to consume quickly while standing or on the sofa, in front of the TV, to distract the focus from eating. Instead, make sure you have your meals sitting at the dinner table and giving your full attention to the food.