The Journey to Overcoming Emotional Eating:

Lessons Learned and Insights Gained.

Throughout my years as a psychologist and emotional eating coach, I’ve helped countless women overcome battles with their bodies, disordered eating, and painful pasts. Along the way, both my clients and my own journey have taught me valuable lessons.

One of the most significant insights I’ve gained is that avoiding or suppressing emotions only makes them worse. As a busy professional, business owner, mother, and wife, I always felt like I had to keep going without pausing to care for myself. Overeating became a way to cope with overwhelming feelings, and I often couldn’t stop eating even when full. I’ve found that many of my clients and friends can relate to this experience of using food to manage uncomfortable emotions.

I’ve also seen how past unresolved situations can trigger emotional eating. Traumatic experiences or painful incidents like divorce, a bad breakup, or the death of a loved one can still affect us today. By working to process and release the emotional charge of these events, we can heal and overcome emotional eating triggers.

Another lesson I’ve learned is that cravings often stem from positive memories. I’ve noticed this pattern in myself, my clients, and even my friends and family. When feeling stressed, I’d reach for my favorite chocolate or cookies, seeking comfort similar to what I experienced growing up. For most of us, cravings come from a place of love.

The pressure to conform to diet culture ideals can also lead to self-sabotage and rebellion against weight loss efforts. As someone who helps women overcome body image issues, I’ve seen how many of us hold onto excess weight as a subconscious form of resistance.

Body dissatisfaction and negative self-talk can often trigger emotional eating behaviors. When we constantly critique and stress about changing our bodies, we may resort to restricting ourselves or overexercising, which can lead to negative emotions and ultimately trigger emotional eating. However, when we learn to appreciate and love our bodies as they are, we begin to take better care of ourselves and engage in behaviors that align with that love and acceptance. This positive shift in mindset can help break the cycle of emotional eating and lead to healthier, more sustainable habits.

Finally, changing my relationship with food has been crucial to my own journey of overcoming emotional eating. Rather than labeling foods as “healthy” or “junk,” finding a balance between nourishment and indulgence has allowed me to stop feeling guilty or ashamed about what I eat and to take better care of myself overall.

Of course, there is much more to learn about emotional eating and excess weight, but I believe that by embarking on the journey to overcome these challenges, we can heal and transform our relationships with food, our bodies, and ourselves.

If you’re interested in learning more about overcoming emotional eating or if any of these lessons resonate with you, feel free to contact me.