How Can I Learn to Identify the Feelings That Trigger My Emotional Overeating?

Identifying the feelings that trigger emotional eating can be challenging. Whether you turn to food in times of stress or chronically eat in order to cope with past emotional traumas, it's important to learn what feelings trigger the automatic response of eating. It may be helpful to write down the thoughts and feelings you experience both before and after an emotional eating episode. Keeping track of your feelings and behaviors on paper may assist with the process of changing your behavior.

Instructions

• 1

  Make a list of common negative feelings such as "bored," "sad," "irritated," "angry" or "depressed." Each time you go to eat, identify which negative feeling you might be trying to escape by using food. If you identify that you're about to eat because you're bored, make a check mark next to the word "bored." Do this every time a negative feeling triggers you to eat or have the desire to eat.

• 2

  Consider what events or circumstances throughout your daily life might be producing negative feelings. For example, if you turn to food every time you get off the phone with a negative or critical friend, you might see that the feeling triggering your emotional overeating is annoyance or irritation. If you overeat when you're home alone at night, the feeling that triggers the eating might be loneliness. Consider how your circumstances or daily behavior might be contributing to your negative feelings.

• 3

  Ask yourself the question, "what am I feeling right now?" when you have the urge to eat when you're not hungry. Record your answer by writing your thoughts down. Repeat this process even if the urge continues. It's likely you may initially feel something like boredom in the beginning, then guilt or shame for the desire to keep eating and finally anger than you can't control your eating. Notice how your feelings change after you ask yourself what you're feeling.

• 4

  Tune into your body. It's possible the feelings that trigger emotional overeating are also physical. Notice how your body feels right before you want to overeat. Ask yourself if you're tired, jittery, weary or hurting anywhere. When your body is not feeling its best, you may be more tempted to get a quick rush from sugary foods or numb the pain with something that brings pleasure to your taste buds.

• 5

  Notice which feelings are the ones that trigger your overeating the most. For example, if you discover that anger is your biggest emotional trigger, you might want to consider doing some deep breathing or going on a run every time you feel like overeating. These healthy activities can help you release the negative feelings of anger and may stop you from overeating. In time, you will learn how to identify and manage the feelings that triggers overeating the most.