Take emotion out of eating to lose weight

December 2, 2015

“Most people focus almost entirely on the physical aspects of weight loss, like diet and exercise.” said Diane Robinson, PhD, a neuropsychologist and Program Director of Integrative Medicine at Orlando Health. “But there is an emotional component to food that the vast majority of people simply overlook and it can quickly sabotage their efforts.”

Robinson said that people are emotionally attached to food. As children, food is often given as treats. Food is also a central part of occasions like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween.

“If we’re aware of it or not, we are conditioned to use food not only for nourishment, but for comfort,” said Robinson. “That’s not a bad thing, necessarily, as long as we acknowledge it and deal with it appropriately.” Whenever the brain experiences pleasure for any reason it reacts the same way.

Whether it’s derived from drugs, a romantic encounter or a satisfying meal, the brain releases a neurotransmitter known as dopamine. “We feel good whenever that process is activated,” said Robinson, “but when we start to put food into that equation and it becomes our reward, it can have negative consequences.”

In fact, researchers have found a link between emotional issues like stress, anxiety and depression, and higher body mass indexes (BMI). Many of us can relate to the idea of overindulging at happy hour after a bad day at the office, for example, or eating a pint of ice cream to help us deal with bad news.

Robinson offers these tips to help recognize the emotional connection you may have to food:

Keep a daily diary logging your food and your mood, and look for unhealthy patterns.
Identify foods that make you feel good and write down why you eat them. Do they evoke a memory or are you craving those foods out of stress?
Before you have any snack or meal ask yourself: Am I eating this because I’m hungry? If the answer is no, look for the root of your motive.

The goal is to take emotion out of eating and to see food as nourishment, not as a reward or coping mechanism. If you struggle, don’t be shy about finding help. “When we’re focused on the physical aspects of weight loss, many of us have no problem joining a gym or hiring a trainer,” said Robinson. “How about joining a support group or hiring a psychologist?” she said. “If getting your body in shape hasn’t work out yet, maybe this time start with your mind.”

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