What are the signs of emotional eating

Emotional eating is a very unhealthy way of coping with life changes, problems and feelings you think you do not want to face head on. Weight issues, lifestyle diseases and other forms of addiction could spring from uncontrolled emotional eating.

Knowing the signs of emotional eating is the first step in breaking free from the very bad habit.

1. You want food—now.

Emotional hunger comes all of a sudden. It is an overwhelming feeling that sort of pushes you to eat right away. Real hunger, on the other hand, comes gradually and you will only feel it if you have not eaten for a while.

2. You are craving for specific kinds of food.

There is a truth to the saying “I am so hungry, I could eat a horse.” With real hunger, you can eat almost anything, even healthy food that you don’t like. Meanwhile, emotional hunger is usually your craving for sweet, fatty or salty food.

3. You don’t notice how much you have eaten.

Satisfying your emotional craving often keeps you from eating wisely. When you give in to emotional hunger, you are less aware of how much you have eaten because your focus is on feeling good. The next thing you know you have consumed an entire large bag of chips or finished two great big burgers.

4. You don’t feel satisfied even when you are full.

No matter how much you have eaten, your craving is still there. Even though you are already stuffed, something is still urging you to want more and more food. On the other hand, physical hunger stops after about 20 minutes of eating and you feel really satisfied with your meal.

5. You feel guilty or ashamed after your stuffing your face with food.

When you address real physical hunger all you feel is satisfaction that you are no longer hungry. When you give in to emotional eating you tend to feel bloated and fat because you actually know you indulged and it is not for the nourishment of your body.