I was thinking… How to tell if you’re eating because you’re physically hungry or because you feel something is lacking inside of you? Maybe you’re even eating out of boredom.. Do you know the difference? Emotional hunger comes on all of the sudden and is often connected to stress and to difficult feelings or situations. Many times causes very specific carvings such as pizza, burger, pasta, chocolate or ice cream. You have to indulge your carvings right away; it’s all about the “quick fix” and instant gratification. You tend to eat more than you normally would and that creates feelings of guilt, remorse and self-loathing.
On the other hand, physical hunger comes on gradually and involves a slow, steady progression of clues that it is time to eat. It revolves around a need to nourish and fuel the body.You are aware you are hungry and have decided to eat in order to fulfill your physical need. As soon as you fulfill it, you stop eating therefore, eating to feed a feeling, and not a growling stomach, is emotional eating. It means using food to make yourself feel better. Remember that emotional eating is something that most people do when they’re bored, hurt or sad. Learn to recognize and understand the triggers and you will be on your way to break free from food cravings and compulsive overeating.
Have in mind that “Emotional hunger can’t 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 consumed.”