Eating to fill a void – when food put down emotions
Eating to fill a void (emotional eating) has adverse effects on health but to understand how to deal with this problem we should first know what filling a void means. Filling a void refers to the feeling of inner emptiness. “Emotional eating” is not a problem of weak will and control, it’s mainly a lack of awareness of why it’s happening – what brings us to the point of preferring to eat rather than facing a certain “difficult” situation, emotional state or thought.
Knowing this will help you cope with unpleasant emotions and situations. To get rid of such emotions and feelings there should be something to fill that void.
For example, you can find a partner or a friend to spend time with or any activity that makes you feel good and confident such as sports, educational programs as well as relaxation or meditation techniques. The purpose is engaging in any other activity which will keep you away from unpleasant emotions.
Why we eat the way we eat?
We think that people eat to fill their belly only, but this is not correct. Some people use to eat just to cope with their emotions easier. So at some point in your life, it may happen that due to emotions you’ll be eating foods with lots of sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. All this will soon be reflected in the form of extra pounds, which will further put you in a bad mood.
It is true that everyone is overeating here and there, but sometimes the reason for it is a mental disorder. For people with this disorder, overeating is a compulsion that they cannot control. Overeating occurs regularly and frequently, at least once a week for several months in a row.
So, there are two types of eating i.e. physical eating and emotional eating.
Physical Eating
It is related to hunger. We eat to remove hunger and fill our belly. This will provide us with nutrients we need to survive and the energy to do the work.
Emotional Eating
Emotional eating means to eat to get rid of emotions. This helps us to cope with different types of emotions, be it positive or negative. In most cases, these are negative emotions that can be very strong and unpleasant.
Episodes of emotional eating can last for short periods in life, especially when we are exposed to stressful situations or are facing important life challenges. The situation is usually normalized by itself, but it can also take longer and turn into a chronic form. At that time, the body fails to follow the rapid emotional fluctuations, and excess pounds begin to accumulate steadily.
Emotional eating is also known as eating to fill a void. Eating to fill a void means to eat to fill the void in your life. In this case, you do not eat because you are hungry, but you are eating due to emotions. Everyone wants to get rid of negative feelings that are related to loss of control. Eating can make you feel good or better but only for a short time.
Why eating makes you feel good?
The food we take to fill a void usually contains fats, carbohydrates, and sugar in excess such as chocolate, pizza, cookies, snacks, etc. When you consume these foods, two types of hormones are released in your brain – Endorphins and Dopamine. Both hormones are feel-good hormones.
Dopamine will make you feel good and create a feeling of bliss and motivation, while Endorphins will let you cope with pain and stress. During the massage, Endorphins are released which reduces stress.
The effects of emotional eating
There are many problems related to this habit, we will discuss each one by one:
- Obesity: This is the major problem of emotional eating. Eating to fill a void has nothing to do with hunger, it doesn’t matter whether you are full or hungry. You eat just to feel better. This kind of eating leads to excessive caloric intake which increases your weight and often leads to obesity. Everyone is familiar with the effects of obesity, it is linked with many diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory problems, and cancer.
- Feeling shame: Due to excess eating, you will become overweight and this will make you feel shame. You will regret it after emotional eating. Eating to fill void makes you feel good for a specific period and you will start feeling the same again after some time. But this time you will have one more unpleasant emotion and that is shame or regret. Just think that you were trying to feel better but the result is feeling worse.
- Finding comfort in unhealthy food: Eating to fill a void does not care for hunger. When you are physically hungry you can take a variety of food to get rid of it, but emotional hunger can be fulfilled by specific food only that makes you feel good. Usually, it’s junk food.
Are You Eating to Fill a Void?
It is necessary to find the answer to this question before its too late. To save yourself from emotional eating you’ll have to look at yourself and your habits carefully. The following characteristics will let you know whether you are eating to fill a void or not.
- When you detect hunger in the head and not in the stomach: Craving for food based on emotions is happening in the mouth and mind. Your mind is overwhelmed by thinking about the food you currently want. The real hunger is recognizable by sensation in the stomach – you feel emptiness, rumbling, and even stomach pain. Eating when you’re not actually hungry could be more harmful than you think. For example, eating to keep someone company can make you an emotional eater in the worst moments. Or you might think that eating snacks while playing games and watching movies is fine. Not really! You should have control over this habit. Having control means that you have the potential to avoid these foods when you are not hungry. If you are unable to avoid eating in such cases, then this can be an alarming situation.
- Eating when you are bored: Some people eat pizzas and ice cream when they are bored. If you are alone at home and your family is not with you, then you may want to eat junk food. If you like to eat when you’re bored, then you should certainly control yourself.
- Eating when you are in financial problems: Many people get into emotional eating after losing in business, game or bet, etc. When these things happen, people like to spend time alone and eat to find relief. The only thing they do is to eat because they lack confidence in facing the world.
- Eating when you have problems in a relationship: You might have gone through clashes and misunderstandings with your loved ones. This situation can make people emotional eaters. You should control your eating in these situations.
Methods to stop eating when you’re not hungry
If you are eating to fill a void, then you should follow these methods to stop!
Ask a Nutritionist:
The first thing is to know which food can make you an emotional eater. A nutritionist can guide you very well in this regard. You should see a nutritionist and tell them what you like to eat and what you don’t and ask them about healthy foods that can be consumed when feeling empty.
Make a Diet Plan:
You should look at what you take the whole day and specific occasions. Check your weight twice a month and calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index). Your BMI should be between 18.5 and 24.9. To maintain your BMI, calculate the calorific value you should consume daily to maintain a healthy weight. You should always take the required calorific value daily and try to avoid the excess of it.
Find a companion:
Eating to fill a void can be due to loneliness, sadness, and stress. When you are alone or stressed then you should call your friend and discuss your feelings or problem with them. This will make you feel better and your friend can give you a solution to that problem which is making you stressed.
Massage therapy:
Massage also releases Endorphins in large amounts which fills your brain and makes you feel better. It is a better substitute for those Endorphins that you get from food.
Hobby:
Everyone should have a hobby. If you don’t have one then find one. Find out what you like to do in your leisure time, except for eating. Your hobby can make you feel better. One of the best choices is physical activity. If you take some time to exercise every day, your muscles will release lactic acid into your bloodstream. This represents a useful source of energy for brains, reducing the need for (unhealthy) food. In addition, exercise stimulates the secretion of hormones that act as temporary appetite suppressants. A book is like a good friend, you can read your favorite books when you are alone. You can watch TV shows, especially comedy to divert your emotions. Try meditation or Yoga – both techniques have a beneficial effect on both physical and mental well-being. There are many activities and hobbies that you might like and that can help you end up emotional overeating.
Stress relieving toys:
There are many stress-relieving toys available in the market nowadays such as Fidget Spinner, Stress Balls, Magnetic Toys, etc. This will help to cope with stress and you can carry most of them in your pocket.
Final thoughts: Eating to fill a void
Eating to fill a void is dangerous to health. You should stop it because it will create more stress and problems in your life. Your stomach is not a dustbin, therefore, you should think before eating anything.
It is crucial to recognize what triggers overeating. The simplest method is to keep a diary of everything you eat and also all the feelings you had during the day. This way you can quickly recognize patterns of behavior and find out the key trigger factors for overeating.
Eating to fill a void is just denying the problems, but not solving them. The key that unlocks the door of the vicious circle is to find out the essence of your problems since this is the only way you can solve them.
“Your health is your real wealth”