Why Can’t I Cease Consuming Once I’m Confused or Emotional?

[ad_1] <img width="800" height="534" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/why-cant-i-stop-eating-when-im-stressed-or-emotional-1024x683.jpg" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="Why Can’t I Stop Eating When I’m Stressed or Emotional? | MyFitnessPal" decoding="async" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/why-cant-i-stop-eating-when-im-stressed-or-emotional-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/why-cant-i-stop-eating-when-im-stressed-or-emotional-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/why-cant-i-stop-eating-when-im-stressed-or-emotional-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/why-cant-i-stop-eating-when-im-stressed-or-emotional.jpg 1350w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> It’s been a type of days. Work was a nightmare, you bought in an argument together with your companion, your chores have been piling up at dwelling. Subsequent factor you understand, you’re standing within the kitchen, searching for just a little reduction in a bag of chips.

Emotional consuming is a standard response to emphasize, frustration, boredom, burnout, and even happiness and pleasure (1, 2). And whereas meals can supply short-term consolation, it’s not at all times essentially the most useful device in your emotional coping toolkit (1).

Let’s take a better have a look at why emotional consuming occurs, methods to spot the distinction between bodily and emotional starvation, and what you are able to do to construct extra supportive habits. I’ll additionally clarify how meals monitoring instruments—like MyFitnessPal—will help you grow to be extra conscious of your consuming patterns, so you possibly can reply to your feelings in ways in which really feel extra supportive (3).

What Is Emotional Consuming?

Emotional consuming is whenever you flip to meals to assuage or distract your self from feelings, moderately than to fulfill bodily starvation (1, 2). It’s a manner of coping, not fueling (1, 2).

Bodily starvation builds regularly, comes on after a number of hours with out meals, and is felt in your physique—like a growling abdomen, headache, irritability, or low power (1). It may be happy with a wide range of meals and normally ends whenever you’re full (1).

Emotional starvation is completely different. It may come on all of the sudden, and it’s usually tied to a yearning for particular consolation meals—like chips, cookies, or ice cream (1). It’s usually not happy with, for instance, an apple—or one other meals that may fulfill your urge for food in case you have been bodily hungry (1).

Emotional consuming can also be related to consuming previous fullness, so it will possibly go away you feeling overly stuffed and uncomfortable afterwards (1). You may additionally really feel guilt or disgrace after an emotional consuming episode, which might enhance stress (1).

A few of the commonest emotional consuming triggers embrace (1, 2):

Stress

Nervousness

Boredom

Loneliness

Anger or frustration

Feeling overwhelmed or uncontrolled

Celebration or utilizing meals as a reward

Meals can supply a fast distraction or momentary sense of reduction, consolation, or pleasure, however a sleeve of cookies or a bagful of pretzels received’t really remedy underlying issues (1). So, whereas it’s pure and customary to eat for causes apart from bodily starvation at occasions, it’s useful to be taught different coping methods, so you possibly can tackle what’s bothering you (1).

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/building-healthy-habits-1024x683.jpg" alt="How Long Does It Take for a New Habit to Feel Natural? | MyFitnessPal" class="wp-image-62640 size-full" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/building-healthy-habits-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/building-healthy-habits-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/building-healthy-habits-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/building-healthy-habits.jpg 1504w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> You may additionally like

How Lengthy Does It Take for a New Behavior to Really feel Pure?

Why We Eat When We’re Confused

Stress can have an effect on your physique—and your urge for food—in ways in which could enhance the probability of emotional consuming (4). Right here’s how.

Cortisol cranks up cravings

“Whenever you’re careworn, your physique releases cortisol, a hormone which will enhance urge for food, notably for consolation meals which are excessive in sugar, starch, and fats, which some individuals discover soothing,” says Katherine Basbaum, a registered dietitian at MyFitnessPal (4).

She explains that whereas there are methods you need to use to assist management this stress response, it’s necessary to do not forget that it’s not your fault or a results of low self-control or willpower (4).

Poor sleep hijacks starvation cues

If stress is interfering together with your sleep, it might additionally disrupt the hormones that assist regulate urge for food (5). Even an evening or two of dangerous sleep (something lower than seven hours) could make it tougher to handle your urge for food, which might contribute to emphasize consuming and overeating (6).

Emotional consuming could be realized

Assume again to being a child: Did you get a deal with after a flu shot or a cookie whenever you have been upset? Over time, experiences like these could have formed how you employ meals to seek out consolation (2). Over time, your mind could begin to affiliate consuming with stress reduction, reinforcing the sample (2). This could create a loop: Really feel stress (or one other emotion), eat one thing, really feel briefly higher (7).

The reduction can really feel actual—however it’s normally short-lived

Consolation meals could supply a short distraction from emotional discomfort or offer you a short lived dopamine increase. However they don’t tackle the underlying problem—and should go away you feeling worse afterward (4).

Is Emotional Consuming Actually a Drawback?

Meals is tied to emotion in every kind of the way. Assume: birthday cake, vacation meals, or your favourite consolation dish whenever you’re feeling below the climate. Consuming for emotional causes at times is widespread, so it’s not one thing to really feel dangerous or overly frightened about.

If emotional consuming turns into your essential manner of coping, it is perhaps useful to discover further methods for assist.

“In case you often end up utilizing meals to assuage your frayed nerves and calm your self down, it’s doubtless not that massive a deal, but when you end up turning to meals very often, particularly much less wholesome meals like chips and cookies, it is perhaps price listening to how this impacts your general well being (8).

Whereas emotional consuming isn’t essentially the healthiest conduct, it isn’t a private failure. It’s a conduct that developed for a cause, and with some consciousness and assist, it’s additionally one thing you possibly can change (1, 2)

Concerning the Consultants

Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, is a nationally acknowledged meals and vitamin professional, media persona, vitamin guide, and writer. Cassetty is a former vitamin director for Good Housekeeping and the co-author of the e book Sugar Shock.

Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD, is Meals Knowledge Curator at MyFitnessPal. She acquired her Masters in Vitamin Communication from the Friedman College of Vitamin Science & Coverage at Tufts College and accomplished her Dietetic Internship at UVA Well being, the place she additionally works as a vitamin counselor for cardiology sufferers.

The right way to Cope With out Turning to Meals

Emotional consuming doesn’t disappear in a single day—however constructing a toolbox of other methods will help you reply extra mindfully when the urge strikes (1). Listed below are some instruments you possibly can attempt to shift your habits over time.

1. Pause and identify what you’re feeling

Typically, merely figuring out the emotion—stress, boredom, nervousness—can defuse its depth (1). Ask your self: What do I want proper now—consolation, connection, relaxation?

2. Attempt a grounding exercise

Take a brief stroll, sip tea, do a respiratory train, or step exterior for a couple of minutes (1). Something that connects you to the current second could assist reset your response (1).

3. Hold a working record of non-food comforts

Jot down a number of mood-boosters like calling a pal, listening to music, or watching a humorous video. When feelings run excessive, it helps to have concepts at your fingertips (1).

4. Observe your meals and your feelings

“Meals monitoring is a device with a number of advantages,” says Basbaum (3). “It may provide help to discover patterns between what you’re consuming and the way you’re feeling (3).” Use the Notes part within the app to log temper and starvation cues so you possibly can spot emotional consuming patterns and modify over time (3).

5. Construct satisfying meals

Balanced meals that embrace protein and fiber will help enhance fullness, which can make it simpler to tell apart between actual starvation and emotional urges (9).

6. Apply the facility of the pause

“In case you really feel a sudden craving, take a beat and tune in,” says Basbaum. “If it’s emotional starvation, give your self a second to resolve the way you wish to reply (9). Take a breath, and provides your self a minute to let the urge move or resolve the way you wish to tackle your stress (1). In case you resolve to go for a soothing snack, that’s okay. However it's possible you'll discover that simply that little pause is all it takes to steer you towards managing your traumatic second otherwise.”

Continuously Requested Questions (FAQs)

What causes emotional consuming? Emotional consuming is usually triggered by stress, boredom, nervousness, or different feelings, and it will possibly grow to be a behavior when meals is used to deal with emotions (2).

Is emotional consuming the identical as binge consuming? No—emotional consuming is usually extra average and situational, whereas binge consuming usually includes consuming massive quantities of meals shortly and feeling a lack of management. In case you’re experiencing this frequently, it might be an indication of one thing extra severe. Take into account reaching out to a healthcare skilled for assist (10).

Can meals monitoring assist cease emotional consuming? Sure—monitoring meals, and making word of your starvation and feelings will help you determine patterns and construct consciousness (3). This can be a significant step towards shifting emotional consuming habits (3).

What are some wholesome methods to deal with stress? Attempt going for a stroll, calling a pal, journaling, or doing a brief respiratory train (1). These actions can soothe you, tackle boredom, or get on the root of your feelings with out counting on meals (1).

Is it okay to eat for consolation typically? Completely! Many individuals do, and it’s a standard a part of the human expertise. What issues is having a number of methods to look after your self, so meals isn’t your solely outlet (1).

The Backside Line

Emotional consuming is a standard a part of being human, and it doesn’t make you “dangerous” or “undisciplined.” As a substitute of judging your self for consuming emotionally, ask what you have been actually needing in that second (1). Was it consolation? A break? Connection? That self-reflection could be extremely highly effective, and it will possibly provide help to start to shift your response in a extra supportive route (1).

MyFitnessPal generally is a useful device on this course of (3). Monitoring what you eat—together with the way you’re feeling—will help you join the dots between your habits and your feelings, so you possibly can reply extra deliberately subsequent time (3).