HOW TO DEAL WITH EMOTIONAL EATING
Do you eat out of habit, because you’re stressed or because you’re genuinely hungry? Dr Christian explains how to tell the difference
We’ve all uttered the words “I’m famished” or “I’m starving”, but we rarely really are. We’ve lost touch with how we feel, so we eat for lots of reasons, from boredom to sadness, habit to thirst. Luckily you can unlearn these habits with some practice.
“EMPTY” FOOD
Eating lots of fat-free, low-calorie snacks will leave you hungry after 10 minutes because there’s nothing satisfying in them. Veg contains lots of fibre so it’s filling, but you have to eat a lot to get enough calories, so munching on endless carrot and celery sticks can leave you hungry, too. Protein and fibre are more filling, so a boiled egg or a handful of nuts would make you feel fuller for longer
STRESS
When we’re stressed we often turn to food, eating a packet of biscuits to soothe our worries. That eating is motivated by pleasure rather than hunger, because eating releases rewarding chemicals – it’s sometimes called hedonic hunger. Stick a sign on your fridge with two questions: “How am I feeling?” and “What do I need?” That should make you think about whether your tummy is actually rumbling or if you’re just feeling anxious, and rather than a snack, all you need is a breath of fresh air or a chat with a friend.
MANAGE MUNCHIES
Research has shown your brain doesn’t get the same “food high” at night, so you can eat the same amount of food as in the day, but you’ll feel less satisfied and potentially look for more treats – watch out for this. If you always feel sleepy mid-afternoon and desperately want something sweet to wake yourself up, have a coffee. People think caffeine is bad, but while it isn’t great for some people, generally it wakes you up, with hardly any calories – just don’t add sugar, cream or other extras.
THIRSTY?
Sometimes we think we’re hungry but it’s actually thirst, because our bodies aren’t good at differentiating between the two, so try drinking a glass of water before eating those crisps. Even if you are hungry, drinking
water makes you less likely to overeat. UK researchers told overweight people to drink 500ml of water half an hour before each meal and they lost nearly 3lbs more than those who just followed diet advice.
Bad sleep
Poor make sleepyou craveand weird carbs sleeping because patternsa lack of can sleep boosts the chemical signals that enhance the pleasure of eating. Blue light from your phone, laptop or tablet has also been linked to poorer sleep and increased hunger. Try not to stare at screens in the hour before bed, or immediately before meals.
eat at a table
When you eat, just eat! If you’re watching Eastendersnotice yourself while gettingyou eat, full, you you’ll probablyjust keep won’t shovelling food in. Very few families sit round the table and eat together but that’s how kids learn how much to eat and how fast to eat it. Research has shown that children who sit around the table and serve themselves from dishes learn to recognise portion control better than children who have their food plated up for them. Eating while you’re walking around isn’t good either because you have so many distractions you’ll have no idea how much you’ve eaten.
go slow
My granny was Downton Abbey posh and she used to tell off my father and I for wolfing our food. She said that in polite company you should match your pace to the slowest eater. There’s a lot to be said for old-school table manners because you realise you’re hungry before you overeat. Hormones – such as ghrelin – that tell your body it’s full, take about 20 minutes to be released, so when you eat really quickly you overtake ghrelin production. Being self-aware and aware of others helps you to eat at a good pace and eat the right amount.
don’t Pressure or reward
them overeating,Kidsfull, untilareto finish goodwe particularlyteach everythingat recognisingthem as otherwise.can packet whenlead sizesto Telling they’re have healthy, grown.it’s better Eating to untileat until you’re you’re stuffed no isn’t longer hungry. Rewarding kids with food can unintentionally teach them to manage their emotions with food, too. I do it myself – I have a big tub of lollipops that kids get after injections. It’s all about how often you do it – once in a while after a nasty jab is fine, but if it’s happening daily, it can make kids overeat.
stomachs don’t shrink!
When you start to eat less, your stomach doesn’t shrink. A morbidly obese person and a very skinny person will have a very similar size stomach. You can’t “stretch” your stomach, but you can learn to ignore the feeling of fullness. In some cases people don’t physically recognise fullness, too. Obesity is complex – there can be underlying disorders that mean obese people can’t regulate hunger hormones, or they can have insulin resistance. It can be genetic, or it can be learned behaviour from years of bad habits, but it’s usually a combination.