Here’s what I have learned over the years about my own most common binge eating triggers.
Often, when I found myself food focused, I was reaching for food in an attempt to self-soothe. Instead of focusing on food, I really needed to reach for emotional regulation skills, instead. But I didn’t have those skills at that time.
I needed to learn those new emotional management skills, as an adult, because no one had ever modeled or taught me those when I was growing up. I had work to do…and I chose to do it. Looking back, I realize my emotional eating was a gap in my learning that I could fix (and you can, too).
Today, sometimes when I find myself thinking about food I’m tired and need to just take a nap or go to bed for the night, rather than binge eat. (If I can’t sleep because it’s not appropriate to do so at that time of day, I get to use my new emotional skills & tools, rather than go to food to fix something food can’t really fix.)
Sometimes, binge eating triggers are all about procrastinating! When I am avoiding doing something that really needs to be addressed, shifting my attention to food helps me avoid whatever it is I’m avoiding doing. That had become a habit, a well-worn habit, a well-traveled pathway in my brain that can be challenged and changed!
Sometimes when I am food focused, I am actually hungry, and when I eat foods that will truly nourish me, emotional overeating is no longer necessary.
There are many common binge eating triggers like the ones I’ve mentioned above. There are also many, many other unique reasons people struggle with emotional and binge eating. In my 20 years as an emotional eating recovery coach I’ve seen as many reasons as there are individual life experiences!
Recovery is all about gaining a greater understanding of your particular triggers and then finding new tools that actually work better, thereby replacing the need for emotional eating. Following simplistic advice like, “Instead of eating take a walk around the block or relax in a hot bubble bath”, will not cut it. Deeper, more insightful and mindful emotional regulation tools must be offered, learned, and practiced.
All that said, sometimes food thoughts are triggered by boredom. That’s when it helps to figure out what’s missing. Are you lacking emotional connection and you need to connect with a close friend? Are you feeling spiritually adrift, and need to read something that connects you to your own spirit, or to something greater? Are you lacking beauty in your life and need to find something beautiful to nourish that need in you…like a field of flowers or flowers in a flower market, or the changing leaves in fall…or an art exhibit at a local museum you haven’t visited in years?
This afternoon I was bored and procrastinating (I needed to write a blog post)! I have a teleseminar to teach at 4pm, so I couldn’t make any elaborate plans. Typically, my backup plan is to go to YouTube and watch dog rescue and reunion videos, which always make me cry and provide an emotional release that leaves me feeling better that using food.
Today on YouTube, I saw “Recommended for You” next to this video. It made me smile from ear to ear! 15 minutes later, my mood was improved and I was willing to write this blog post. Food thoughts were nowhere to be seen :-).
I hope you like it, too. Enjoy!
