Emotional Eating & A New Support For You

Emotional eating gets a bad reputation—but the truth is, it’s not one single behavior, and it’s not a personal failure.

At its core, emotional eating simply means using food to cope with emotions rather than (or in addition to) physical hunger. And it shows up in different ways for different people.

Common Types of Emotional Eating

You might recognize yourself in one—or several—of these patterns:

• Stress eating: Eating when you’re overwhelmed, exhausted, or mentally stretched thin.

• Comfort eating: Turning to familiar or nostalgic foods for a sense of safety or soothing.

• Boredom eating: Eating for stimulation, distraction, or something to do.

• Social or celebratory eating: Eating for connection, tradition, joy, and shared experiences.

• Restriction-driven emotional eating: Eating emotionally because you’ve been dieting, restricting, or depriving your body—often followed by guilt or shame.

  
  

None of these make you weak. They make you human. I am offefring a free support group on Meetup to build a community and share our stories and what has worked for us. You can register here. We meet ever other Sunday with our next meeting on 1/25/26 at 11 AM PST.

Why Awareness Matters

Here’s the part that often gets missed:Awareness is half the battle.

When you pause and gently ask, “What’s driving this urge?”—without judgment—you create space. And in that space, you gain choice.

Awareness isn’t about controlling your eating. It's about understanding it.

A Gentle Reframe

This is important to say clearly:Emotional eating is normal.

Food has always been about more than fuel. It brings comfort. It connects us to memories, culture, and one another. Using food for comfort occasionally does not mean something is wrong with you.

The goal is not to eliminate emotional eating altogether.

The goal is to:

• Expand your coping toolbox

• Build awareness instead of shame

• Practice compassion instead of control

So food isn’t the only way you cope—but it also doesn’t have to be forbidden.

A Final Reminder

You are not broken.Your body is not the problem.And learning to make peace with food starts with understanding—not judgment.

If this resonates, know you’re not alone.

 I am offefring a free support group on Meetup to build a community and share our stories and what has worked for us. You can register here. We meet ever other Sunday with our next meeting on 1/25/26 at 11 AM PST.