7 Tips to Stop Emotional Eating For Good
Savannah Kruger
May 19, 2023
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It takes courage to click on a blog post like this one. I hope it helps you take the next steps in creating a relationship of love, respect, curiosity, and tenderness with your own body. Healing my relationship with food took years of slowly learning to listen to my body’s wisdom, educating myself on the research, and refining the practices discussed in this post. I share it with you now because I truly hope it helps.
Something important I want to address before we dive in is the nature of eating disorders and who this post is for. This is for people who have identified they are eating when they are not hungry and would like to see if a new way of relating to food could be more nourishing for them. My intent is not for you to ever limit the amount of food you’re eating, but rather eat as much as your body truly needs and would feel nourished by. If you are someone who feels that limiting your food is challenging for your health or your mental health (maybe you’re experiencing anorexia, bulimia, or something of that nature), I’d suggest that you do not read on. Some of the ideas expressed in this guide could be interpreted as reasons to limit your eating and that’s definitely not my intent. We do not condone restricting one’s body of the food it needs in any way. Food can be medicine and our hope with this post is to help you live in greater alignment with the true needs of your body. If you are struggling with disordered eating or body dysmorphia, we recommend seeking support from a therapist or similar qualified mental health professional. We have so much love for you.
These tips are not “shoulds” that you must do, but rather experiments for you to try on and see how they affect how you feel. Try em out for a few days in a row and see if you notice a difference.
Without further ado, Here are seven powerful approaches that can help you shift your relationship with food.
1. Don’t bring food you know isn’t good for you into your house.
Just don’t buy it. You can’t eat it if it’s not around. If you have a craving, you’re going to have to drive all the way to the store to buy it and all that work will likely be enough to stop you from going altogether. Instead, make a list of all your favorite unhealthy foods and brainstorm what healthy alternatives you could buy or make in their place so you’re able to enjoy what you love without the negative health effects. If chips are your guilty pleasure for example, then look for foods with crunch that are better for you, like nuts, carrots, beet chips, or kale chips. If sweets have your heart, buy your favorite fruits instead.
2. Ask those around you if they’d support you in your goals.
If other people are bringing food into your home that draws you to eat when your body isn’t hungry, it can be really difficult to kick the habit. If this is your situation, see if it would feel good to you to have a conversation with them about your goals and the relationship you’re seeking to build with food. They may be willing to support you by not bringing certain foods into the home as well. Perhaps the conversation turns into an opportunity for you both to get clear about what kind of lifestyle you want. You both could support each other in creating the kinds of food habits that feel best to you.
3. Only eat when you’re hungry.
This hack is simple yet incredibly powerful if you really commit to it. Get in the practice of only eating when your stomach actually tells you it’s hungry – not when you’re bored, not when you’re feeling sad – only when you’re physically hungry. Doing this one thing has created powerful and healthy weight-loss results for me and has saved me a lot of money because I then started only buying the amount of food I was actually hungry for.
4. Stop eating when you’re 80% full.
As you eat, pay a little attention to your stomach and notice when you feel like you’re about 80% full. This point can be a good place to stop eating and see how you feel. As the food that’s coming down the pipe reaches your stomach, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up feeling 100% full in a few minutes. Stopping at 80% full is a great way to only eat as much as your body truly needs and avoid overeating.
5. You don’t have to finish your food.
A lot of us were told to always finish everything on our plate — but you don’t have to! As adults, there’s no rule that says we need to finish our food. Drop this belief and you’ll be able to honor when your body tells you it’s full. Then you can pack your food up and eat it later, which is great if you’re frugal like me. One meal now can become two when you listen to your stomach.
6. You don’t have to eat at the typical breakfast, lunch, and dinner times.
If you can let go of the idea of when you “should” eat and rather listen to your
body’s wisdom, you might find that you want to eat at times that are different than the typical 3 meals a day. For example: in the summer, my body only wants to eat two meals, one around 10 am and one around 4 pm. In the winter, my body wants to eat three heavier meals every day. That works for me and I feel great. You will likely be different. Give yourself and your body permission to do what’s best for you when it comes to meal times and you’ll be surprised what you discover.
7. Check in with your body to see if you’re actually thirsty instead of hungry.
Oftentimes we’re actually thirsty when we think we’re hungry. To avoid overeating, tune into your body and ask it if it’s thirsty before reaching for food. Once you feel abundantly hydrated, you can ask again to see if you’re truly hungry.
All in all, it’s not about limiting how much food you eat but rather listening to your body. When we slow down and listen to our body’s wisdom, a world of intelligence about our unique food preferences emerges. I hope this helps you and I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. What worked for you, what didn’t, what messages did you hear from your body? I can’t wait to hear.
with so much love,
Savannah
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WRITTEN BY
Savannah Kruger
Hey! I help people heal trauma, design more beautiful lives, and create loving and secure relationships. Building this coaching practice has been a transformative experience for me. When I’m not at the computer, I’m typically off galavanting in the hills of Boulder, CO where I live, dancing wildly, running community events, or snuggling with my boo. Right now I’m nerding out on neurobiology, energywork, human sexuality, personal style, Persian cuisine, and DAOs. In the past I’ve designed and led a range of in-person and online programs at Harvard, with MIT, at Boulder Startup Week, and many others. I’m truly stoked you’re reading these very words! 😉
