Emotional Eating - How to Recognize It

Summary

In this video, Dr. Tracey Marks discusses emotional eating, which involves overeating in response to negative emotions. She explains that it's not just about sadness and comfort food but also includes eating as a reward, due to stress, to combat fatigue, or for entertainment. Dr. Marks offers three tips to control emotional eating: recognizing true hunger, eating mindfully without distractions, and addressing the underlying emotions before reaching for food. The video aims to educate viewers on the connection between emotions and eating habits and provides practical advice for self-improvement.

Takeaways

• 🍽️ Emotional eating is defined as overeating in response to negative emotions, often as a coping mechanism.
• 🎉 Examples of emotional eating include eating as a reward, stress eating, eating to fight fatigue or boredom, and eating for entertainment.
• 🧠 Emotional eating can be subtle and is not limited to obvious situations like eating ice cream when sad; it can also be associated with social events and habits.
• 🥗 It's important to distinguish between true physical hunger and emotional hunger, as emotional eating can lead to excessive consumption.
• 💧 Tip 1: Quench your thirst with a non-sugary drink before eating to ensure you're not mistaking thirst for hunger.
• 🍲 Tip 2: Practice mindful eating by focusing on the experience of eating without distractions like phones or television.
• 👥 Tip 3: Pause and reflect on your emotions before eating, especially if it's not a typical mealtime, to determine if you're eating for emotional reasons.
• 🚶‍♂️ If you're not genuinely hungry, try taking a short break to do something else, like walking, to distract from the urge to eat.
• 🥕 The 'boring food test' suggests trying a healthier option like a carrot to see if it satisfies your hunger, which can help differentiate between real hunger and emotional cravings.
• 🌟 Dr. Tracey Marks provides these tips to help viewers recognize and manage emotional eating triggers for better self-improvement and mental health.

Q & A

What is emotional eating?

Emotional eating is the act of overeating or consuming food in response to negative emotions, often as a way to cope or deal with those feelings.

Why is it important to distinguish between emotional eating and eating for nourishment?

It's important to distinguish between emotional eating and eating for nourishment because emotional eating can lead to overconsumption and potential health issues, whereas eating for nourishment is about consuming food for energy and health.

What are some examples of emotional eating mentioned in the script?

Some examples of emotional eating mentioned in the script include eating as a reward, stress eating, eating to fight fatigue or boredom, and eating for entertainment.

How can one tell the difference between real hunger and emotional hunger?

Real hunger can be satisfied by any palatable food, whereas emotional hunger often seeks specific comfort foods. It's also suggested to quench thirst with a non-sugary drink first to see if the sensation of hunger persists.

What is the significance of eating mindfully in controlling emotional eating?

Eating mindfully involves focusing on the experience of eating without distractions, which can help individuals become more aware of their hunger and fullness cues, thus preventing overeating.

Why is it recommended to pause before eating when you're not normally scheduled to have a meal?

Pausing before eating at unusual times can help individuals identify if they are truly hungry or if they are eating due to an emotional trigger, which can lead to overeating.

What is the 'boring food test' mentioned in the script?

The 'boring food test' is a strategy where, if you feel the urge to eat when you're not truly hungry, you test whether a healthier, less preferred food like a carrot can satisfy your hunger, indicating that the urge was emotional rather than physical.

How can recognizing emotional triggers help in managing emotional eating?

Recognizing emotional triggers allows individuals to address the underlying emotions directly rather than using food as a coping mechanism, which can lead to healthier emotional and eating habits.

What are the three tips provided in the script to control emotional eating?

The three tips to control emotional eating are: 1) Know when you're really hungry, 2) Eat mindfully, focusing on the eating experience, and 3) Address the emotion you're experiencing before eating, especially at unusual times.

How does the act of eating with others influence mindful eating practices?

Eating with others can encourage mindful eating by providing natural pauses in eating while engaging in conversation, which can help individuals eat more slowly and become more aware of their fullness cues.

Outlines

00:00

🍽 Understanding Emotional Eating

Dr. Tracey Marks introduces the concept of emotional eating, which is characterized by overeating in response to negative emotions. Common examples include using food as a reward or to cope with stress, fatigue, boredom, or for entertainment. The video emphasizes that while enjoying a meal at a restaurant or celebrating with food isn't necessarily a disorder, it's when eating becomes linked to emotional states rather than hunger that it can lead to overeating. Dr. Marks advises recognizing emotional eating triggers and managing them effectively.

05:00

🛡️ Combating Emotional Eating with Three Tips

The video offers three strategies to control emotional eating. First, it's crucial to distinguish genuine hunger from other sensations, suggesting drinking water or other non-sugary beverages before eating to quench thirst and re-evaluate hunger. Second, mindful eating is promoted, which involves focusing on the act of eating without distractions like television or phones, and being fully present with the food's taste, texture, and the act of chewing and swallowing. Lastly, Dr. Marks recommends pausing to identify the underlying emotion prompting the desire to eat, especially outside of regular meal times, and suggests engaging in alternative activities to break the cycle of emotional eating.

Keywords

💡Emotional eating

Emotional eating refers to the act of consuming food in response to emotional cues rather than physical hunger. In the context of the video, it is described as a behavior where individuals overeat to cope with negative emotions, such as sadness or stress. The video emphasizes that while emotional eating is common, it's important to recognize and manage it to prevent overeating and potential health issues.

💡Negative emotions

Negative emotions are feelings such as sadness, anger, or stress that can negatively impact an individual's well-being. The video discusses how these emotions can lead to emotional eating, where food is used as a form of comfort or distraction. Recognizing the connection between negative emotions and eating habits is crucial for managing emotional eating.

💡Mindful eating

Mindful eating is the practice of being fully present and aware while eating, focusing on the sensory experience of food and the body's signals of hunger and fullness. The video suggests that mindful eating can help control emotional eating by allowing individuals to distinguish between real physical hunger and emotional cravings. It involves eating without distractions, such as phones or television, and paying attention to the texture, taste, and smell of the food.

💡Triggers

Triggers are situations, emotions, or environments that prompt an individual to engage in emotional eating. The video advises viewers to identify their personal triggers, such as stress or boredom, to better manage their eating habits. Understanding one's triggers is essential for developing strategies to avoid emotional eating.

💡Nutrition

Nutrition refers to the nourishment that the body receives from the food and drink that individuals consume. The video implies that the primary purpose of eating should be for nourishment, rather than emotional satisfaction. It suggests that even when experiencing emotional eating, it's important to consider the nutritional value of the food being consumed.

💡Reward

In the context of emotional eating, a reward is something that individuals use to celebrate or congratulate themselves, often in the form of food. The video gives the example of having a celebratory dinner or treating oneself to something nice after an accomplishment. This can lead to emotional eating if not moderated.

💡Stress eating

Stress eating is a type of emotional eating where individuals consume food to cope with stress or difficult situations. The video mentions that some people might eat to help them think through something difficult, which is an example of stress eating. It's important to recognize this behavior and find alternative ways to manage stress.

💡Fatigue

Fatigue refers to a state of tiredness or exhaustion, which can lead to emotional eating as individuals might turn to food for an energy boost. The video suggests that eating to fight fatigue is a form of emotional eating that should be managed by addressing the underlying cause of fatigue rather than relying on food.

💡Boredom

Boredom is a state of being uninterested or unengaged, which can lead to emotional eating as a means of passing the time or seeking stimulation. The video points out that eating when working on a tedious project or simply out of boredom is a sign of emotional eating that needs to be recognized and managed.

💡Entertainment

In the context of the video, entertainment refers to the association of food with leisure activities such as watching movies or attending social events. The video mentions eating popcorn at a movie or wings at a Super Bowl party as examples of how food is often tied to entertainment, which can lead to emotional eating if not monitored.

💡Hunger

Hunger is the physical need for food that arises due to the body's energy requirements. The video distinguishes between real hunger and emotional hunger, emphasizing the importance of recognizing true physical hunger before eating. It suggests techniques such as drinking water to quench thirst and re-evaluating hunger to ensure that eating is for nourishment rather than emotional reasons.

Highlights

Emotional eating is defined as overeating to deal with negative emotions.

Eating is a large part of our socialization and not just for nourishment.

Examples of emotional eating include eating as a reward, stress eating, fighting fatigue or boredom, and eating for entertainment.

Eating can become attached to emotional experiences rather than sustenance.

Anyone can be vulnerable to eating in excess when it's based on an emotional reaction.

Recognizing emotional eating triggers and learning to manage them is crucial.

Tip 1: Know when you're really hungry; thirst can be mistaken for hunger.

Eat when you're hungry, not when you're starving, and real hunger can be satisfied by any palatable food.

Tip 2: Practice mindful eating by focusing solely on the eating experience without distractions.

When eating with others, use conversation pauses to slow down and feel full.

Tip 3: Pause and introspect about your emotions before eating, especially if it's not a regular mealtime.

If you're bored, take a break to break up the monotony before eating.

The 'boring food test' suggests trying a healthy option to see if it satisfies hunger.

Recap of the three tips: Ensure real hunger, eat mindfully, and address emotions before eating.

The video aims to help viewers control emotional eating through self-awareness and mindful practices.

Transcripts

Emotional eating, signs you're doing it and how to stop doing it that's what I'm

going to be talking about today. I'm Dr. Tracey Marks and this channel is

about mental health education and self-improvement. I publish videos every

Wednesday so if you don't want to miss one, click the subscribe button. Emotional

eating is defined as overeating to deal with negative emotions and our most

common association with this is someone who's sad and eating a tub of ice cream

to deal with it. And that's one example but there's also a more subtle way that

we connect our emotions to food. After all the real purpose of eating is for

nourishment. But have you ever eaten when you weren't hungry? Eating is a large

part of our socialization. We go to fine restaurants to enjoy the experience and

not just because your stomach is rumbling. Here are some examples of

emotional eating. Eating as a reward. This would be like having a celebratory

dinner or treating yourself to something nice if you accomplish something. Stress

eating. Do you need to eat something to help you think through something

difficult? Eating to fight fatigue or boredom. Do you eat something when you're

working on a tedious project? Eating for entertainment. Is that movie just not the

same without that bucket of popcorn or box of M&Ms? If I go to a Super Bowl

party I expect wings even if I just ate before I left.

just because you enjoy a nice restaurant or a celebratory dinner doesn't mean you

have an eating disorder. But in all of these situations eating becomes attached

to something emotional rather than it just being for sustenance. And what this

means is that anyone is vulnerable to eating in excess when it's based on an

emotional reaction. So if you have a problem with eating in excess, you need

to be able to recognize your triggers and learn how to manage them. So here are

three tips to control your emotional eating. Number one, know when you're

really hungry. Sometimes hunger can be mistaken as

thirst so first quench your thirst with something non-sugary to drink and then

re-evaluate whether or not you're still really hungry.

And also you want to eat when you're hungry and not when you're starving. And

remember, real hunger can be satisfied by anything palatable. So it doesn't have to

be just potato chips or Doritos. Theoretically even a carrot should

satisfy real hunger. Number two is eating mindfully. I mentioned this in a previous

video on mindfulness and I'll put a link to it up in the corner. But what this

involves is eating without distraction and focusing solely on what you're

eating. So you want to think about the experience of eating so that means no

phones. You're not eating and watching

television and you're thinking about the texture of the food the smell of the

food, just the experience of it going down your throat, how many times you need

to chew before you can swallow. Those are some of the things that you can think

about as you're - to direct you to be thinking about the eating experience and

the eating process. Also if you're eating with someone, don't eat while they're

talking and it has nothing to do with being respectful or anything like that.

It allows you to pause and give yourself a chance to feel full. If you're eating

alone, chances are you're not going to eat and

pause and eat and pause. But if you're eating with someone, that's the perfect

opportunity to eat slower and therefore ultimately eat less. So you may say well

if I don't eat while they're talking when am I gonna eat. Okay good point. The

point here is that it's not a hard and fast rule that you can't ever eat while

they're talking. It's just don't eat the entire time while they're talking so you

eat sometimes, then you talk while they're talking maybe this time you

don't eat and wait take a break. But the idea is that you're taking breaks while

you're eating rather than just scarfing down your food, getting it done real

quick and increasing the chance that you're going to eat more than you really

need to. The third tip requires a little more introspection and it's to pause and

think about what emotion you're experiencing before you eat or before

you grab for the food. And this is especially the case if it's not a time

that you would normally be eating. So if you do this and realize, well actually

you're bored, before you eat take a quick break five to ten minutes

and break up the monotony of whatever it was you were doing maybe you take a walk

around your home or go outside or something get some fresh air. And then

after that, doesn't have to take a long time, after that

see if you're still really hungry and then also if you are. I would take it a

step further and give yourself the boring food tests. So if you're not

really a carrot eater, you're more of a Doritos eater, see if eating the carrot

will satisfy that real hunger that you supposedly have. Let's recap those three

tips. Make sure you're really hungry, so drink something to quench your thirst

ahead of time it also helps fill you up. Eat mindfully, so you're gonna focus

only on the eating experience. Think about every aspect of your eating. No

television, no phone. And then address the emotion that you're experiencing before

you're grabbing something to eat especially if it's at a time when you're

not normally having a meal. I hope this was helpful for you thanks so much for

watching and leave me a comment and share this video too.

That'd be great.