Stop eating to get comfortable acknowledging your triggers and habits

The longer I work with clients, the more I realize that most of us who have food problems simply suffer in some way and seek love / comfort. We can have a very loving relationship with another person, but if we don’t love ourselves, something is missing and we use food to fill the void. For others, it could be alcohol, drugs, gambling, or smoking.

However, food seems to be the most common, as it is quick and easy, does not harm anyone else, and can be easily hidden. Unfortunately though, we only feel good for a split second with the initial taste, then guilt sets in, we feel uncomfortable, and we begin to punish ourselves, which simply leads to more meals or bingeing. Unfortunately, eating just keeps the excitement inside of us. Instead of facing our problems, we overeat, which only creates more problems.

The only time our body really wants food is when it is physically hungry. So when we eat for emotional reasons, it doesn’t work, because our body doesn’t want food, it wants comfort in some other way. So we keep eating waiting for that magic dose that never comes.

By learning to eat “naturally,” we reconnect with our body’s natural hunger and satisfaction instincts. This will then meet the physical need and allow us to find positive and empowering things that will serve the emotional need. The wonderful thing about natural eating is that it is based on awareness. Once you are aware of your habits / triggers around food, you can make a different decision.

The key is to honor your emotions, to notice that you are sad, lonely or stressed. Sometimes a good cry is the answer, as this allows you to get the emotion out of your body. Other ways to do this are to laugh, sing, scream, or do something physical like run, ride a bike, or practice martial arts. Then you can think clearly and find something positive to comfort you and move on.

I encourage you to start thinking about the times you overeat or binge and see if you can see a pattern. You will discover that it is based on certain activities and events that have led to negative habits. Because once you realize what you’re doing, you can find a way to avoid those triggers and make different positive decisions.