Livin' Lean Topic Tuesday: Are You an Emotional Eater?

 

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I'd be lying if I told you that food and I have always had this beautiful, perfectly-balanced relationship. Friends and family can back me up in agreeing that there have been some ups and downs in my past. They have witnessed the roller coasters in my wild ride with weight and food. Now that the ride has ended and I can reflect, it is obvious to see the strong relationship between my feelings/emotions and my feelings toward food. Although oblivious at the time, I can now see that my weight was a reflection of what was going on inside me; emotionally. I find it interesting that right about the time in my life when I met my adorable husband, accepted my first job and bought my first house...my overall health improved.

 I was happy, in loooooooove, busy and full of life. Therefore, food was not a constant thought on my mind. It wasn't my go-to when things weren't going so well. When feeling upset, a chocolate shake did not call out "Lindsay" and promise to comfort me. When stressed, I didn't over-do it on Chinese take-out because I deserved it for working myself into the ground. Instead, food took on the role it was intended for; nutrition for the body. When all other aspects of my life found their place, food found it's place. From there, it took on a domino effect; improving my eating, energy level, sleeping, attitude and overall well-being. All of this because my emotions were finally in check.

The following quiz was sent to me, along with a book by fitness expert, Andrea Metcalf (Review coming soon!). I haven't taken this quiz yet, but I would say based on what I have shared with you and reading over it, I was an Emotional Eater. Sometimes "over" and sometimes "under", but no doubt, emotional. Our emotions can have such power over what we consume. The first step in addressing this would have to be coming face to face with our emotions. Are they controlling what, when and how much we eat?

Think you are a consistent emotional eater? Take the quiz and find out.

Are You an Emotional Overeater?

By Andrea Metcalf,

Author of

Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body

Take this short quiz to find out.

I turn to food when I'm sad, disappointed, or lonely. Yes ___ No ___

I often eat past the point of fullness. Yes ___ No ___

When I'm upset, I crave sweets or salty snack foods. Yes ___ No ___
When I go to parties or dine out with friends, I tend to overeat. Yes ___ No ___
If I eat too much, I feel guilty afterwards. Yes ___ No ___
I eat more than I should when I'm home alone or bored. Yes ___ No ___
My moods have the biggest influence on when and how I eat. Yes ___ No ___
I like to nurture family and friends with food. Yes ___ No ___
I think about food a lot. Yes ___ No ___
I am unhappy with my weight, but I overeat anyway. Yes ___ No ___
Eating is my favorite activity. Yes ___ No ___
I tend to clean my plate; I don't like to waste food. Yes ___ No ___
I binge habitually. Yes ___ No ___
The large amount of food I eat embarrasses me. Yes ___ No ___
Sugary foods tend to calm me down. Yes ___ No ___

SCORING
Count up your yeses and your noes.


If you answered yes to eight or more questions:
Your feelings of anger, frustration, loneliness, sadness, boredom, or even happiness might be causing you to overeat. And you are probably an emotional overeater. You may be eating too much or eating chaotically, but what you are really feeding is something in your life: relationship problems, broken dreams, financial worries, or problems at work. Try the strategies in this chapter, but don't be afraid to seek professional help.


If you answered yes to four to seven questions:
You may be struggling with some emotions from time to time. You are a borderline emotional overeater. At this point, it will be easier to get your eating habits under control by applying some of the strategies in this chapter.


If you circled three or fewer yeses:
You probably aren't an emotional overeater. You may occasionally use food to cope, but for the most part, it doesn't interfere with your ability to manage your weight.

The above is an excerpt from the book Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body by Andrea Metcalf. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.
© 2010 Andrea Metcalf, author of Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Days Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body.


So, how did you do? I am excited to check out this book and let you all know what I think. I already like the title with the words "Lifestyle Program". That insists it is a change for life, not just a one month diet. We all know that if you want to make changes that stay, then the good habits need to stick around too!