18. Strategies to Overcome Emotional Eating with Registered Dietitians
Emotional eating may include eating because we're sad, bored, stressed, lonely, looking for distraction, or using food as a reward. As Registered Dietitians we believe it is important to note that eating is a legitimate coping mechanism - it releases endorphins and can make us feel good! The issues arise when it is our main coping strategy or relied on at a frequency that is unsupportive of our health and well-being. In this article and accompanying podcast episode we’ll explore the root of emotional eating and steps you can take to become more confident in navigating food and your emotions! In this episode, we discusses:
- The importance of fuelling your physical body when navigating emotional eating.
- Letting go of shame and guilt which are emotions that can hold us back from the compassion we need to harness tools to navigate out emotions
- How to identify what you are feeling and what you truly need
- The importance of feeling our emotions so that we do not need to distract or suppress our feelings with food
- How to get started and explore new tools to self-soothe
Even when we understand what's going on, many of us still need help breaking the cycle of emotional eating. It's not easy — especially when emotional eating has been a sole coping strategy for a number of years. So don't go it alone when you don't have to. Take advantage of expert help. This might include a counselor, therapist, or a Registered Dietitian who can help you identify your eating patterns and make new choices that support your physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being.
At Vitality Nutrition we support clients through our 1:1 and group based programs to overcome their unique challenges and adopt a pattern of eating that supports their personal goals and values! Visit our website at www.vitalitynutrition.ca to book directly with a dietitian or inquire about our services! We recommend booking with Hannah Murray if you have goals related to overcoming emotional eating, improving your relationship with food, and developing self-compassion and self-awareness when adopting supportive habits!
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Read the full blog article that accompanies this podcast here.
Thanks for listening!
Warmly,
The Vitality Nutrition Team
