Muse Workshop No. 3

Stop Emotional Eating
November 22, 2010


-Emotional eating means eating for emotion and not for the purpose of satisfying hunger.
-Humans are wired to seek food for comfort. As a baby, the first thing one did was cry and that was for food. Also humans are "hardwired" to eat when they are stressed. 
-People search for food mostly when they feel: (A) Anxiety/Anger, (L) Lonely, (T) Tired or 

(B) Bored.
-Every food is associated with an emotion!

-Pros for emotional eating include: one feels better/satisfaction, helps develop a social connection (because one eats with others), it is an easy and accessible task and it is reliable (chocolate never lets one down).
-Cons for emotional eating: weight gain, one becomes dependent on food, one feels guilty, it does not solve the problem and time is spent trying to undo the effect ( a lot of exercise). 
-The positive results (as listed above) are rather immediate and humans like immediate results. Therefore, one is more likely to turn to food which gives quick comfort, rather then wait and solve the actual emotional problem which will take much longer. 
-67% of people in the US of A are overweight!
-The best way to change a bad habit is to replace it with something else. For example, instead of eating when you are feeling sad, try going for a walk, reading a book, watching a movie, talking to a friend, planting a tree, ANYTHING really :)
-Cope with emotions and do not try to control them or let them control you! Emotions will come back if not coped with. Do not turn to food either because food does not fully get rid of the emotion in the long run.
-It takes 20 minutes for food to inform the brain that one just ate or for one to feel the sensation of being full. So, the longer one takes to enjoy the food, the less one eats and does not overdo it. 
-If one thinks that he or she is hungry, he or she should first stop and think if he or she is emotionally hungry or really hungry. If one is really hungry, then he or she will actually feel a sensation of being hungry. 
-So to help with emotional hunger, some tips are treat physical illnesses and stay healthy, balance eating, avoid mood altering drugs, get exercise, build mastery (find something that you are proud of and can turn to when you need help coping with emotions).