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- Do you eat more when you\u2019re feeling stressed?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Do you eat when you\u2019re not hungry or when you\u2019re full?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Do you eat to feel better (to calm and soothe yourself when you\u2019re sad, mad, bored, anxious, etc.)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Do you reward yourself with food?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Do you regularly eat until you\u2019ve stuffed yourself?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Does food make you feel safe? Do you feel like food is a friend?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Do you feel powerless or out of control around food?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The emotional eating cycle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Occasionally using food as a pick-me-up, a reward, or to celebrate isn\u2019t necessarily a bad thing. But when eating is your primary emotional coping mechanism\u2014when your first impulse is to open the refrigerator whenever you\u2019re stressed, upset, angry, lonely, exhausted, or bored\u2014you get stuck in an unhealthy cycle where the real feeling or problem is never addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Emotional](\"https:\/\/www.helpguide.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/emotional-eating-cycle-564.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nEmotional hunger can\u2019t be filled with food. Eating may feel good in the moment, but the feelings that triggered the eating are still there. And you often feel worse than you did before because of the unnecessary calories you\u2019ve just consumed. You beat yourself for messing up and not having more willpower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Compounding the problem, you stop learning healthier ways to deal with your emotions, you have a harder and harder time controlling your weight, and you feel increasingly powerless over both food and your feelings. But no matter how powerless you feel over food and your feelings, it is possible to make a positive change. You can learn healthier ways to deal with your emotions, avoid triggers, conquer cravings, and finally put a stop to emotional eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before you can break free from the cycle of emotional eating, you first need to learn how to distinguish between emotional and physical hunger. This can be trickier than it sounds, especially if you regularly use food to deal with your feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emotional hunger can be powerful, so it\u2019s easy to mistake it for physical hunger. But there are clues you can look for to help you tell physical and emotional hunger apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emotional hunger comes on suddenly. <\/strong>It hits you in an instant and feels overwhelming and urgent. Physical hunger, on the other hand, comes on more gradually. The urge to eat doesn\u2019t feel as dire or demand instant satisfaction (unless you haven\u2019t eaten for a very long time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emotional hunger craves specific comfort foods. <\/strong>When you\u2019re physically hungry, almost anything sounds good\u2014including healthy stuff like vegetables. But emotional hunger craves junk food or sugary snacks that provide an instant rush. You feel like you need<\/em> cheesecake or pizza, and nothing else will do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emotional hunger often leads to mindless eating. <\/strong>Before you know it, you\u2019ve eaten a whole bag of chips or an entire pint of ice cream without really paying attention or fully enjoying it. When you\u2019re eating in response to physical hunger, you\u2019re typically more aware of what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emotional hunger isn\u2019t satisfied once you\u2019re full.<\/strong> You keep wanting more and more, often eating until you\u2019re uncomfortably stuffed. Physical hunger, on the other hand, doesn\u2019t need to be stuffed. You feel satisfied when your stomach is full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emotional hunger isn\u2019t located in the stomach.<\/strong> Rather than a growling belly or a pang in your stomach, you feel your hunger as a craving you can\u2019t get out of your head. You\u2019re focused on specific textures, tastes, and smells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emotional hunger often leads to regret, guilt, or shame.<\/strong> When you eat to satisfy physical hunger, you\u2019re unlikely to feel guilty or ashamed because you\u2019re simply giving your body what it needs. If you feel guilty after you eat, it\u2019s likely because you know deep down that you\u2019re not eating for nutritional reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emotional hunger vs. Physical hunger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n