Before You Emotionally Eat

Before reaching for food to cope with difficult emotions, take a few minutes to pause and reconnect with yourself. This guided practice combines gentle psychoeducation, nervous system regulation, and self-compassion to help you explore what's beneath the urge to emotionally eat—without shame, judgment, or pressure to change your behavior. Together, we'll create space for curiosity, awareness, and choice so you can move forward feeling more connected to yourself, whether you choose food or another form of support. Ideal for anyone navigating emotional eating, stress eating, or using food as a coping strategy. Please note: This practice discusses emotional eating and is intended for supportive purposes; it does not replace professional medical or psychological care.

Transcript

Hello and welcome. My name is Lisa Schlossberg and I will be your guide for today. Today we are here to support you before you emotionally eat. So I'm going to just say a few things and then guide you through a practice and we'll see where it takes us. There is no agenda here and there is no expectation. So this is not a video to necessarily help you not eat emotionally. It's really designed just to support you with checking in with yourself so that you can choose from a place of freedom and permission and presence and connection with yourself how you would like to proceed. So if you're listening to this, It's very likely that maybe you have an urge to eat emotionally, Or this is something that you do to make yourself feel better on a regular basis. You and me both, And we are in really good company. So the first thing you want to remember is that emotional eating is normal and human and completely valid. It's actually a function of brain science. The right neurotransmitters in our brain are released every single time we eat that can bring our mood up and bring our stress down. So if there is any shame, Judgment, Fear, Or embarrassment that you might be here with today, The first thing I want to invite you to do is just release it. Let it go. Any of the stories that you might be hearing that you have internalized from other people about how you should have more willpower or more discipline. None of that is really true. This is just you doing your best as a human to manage and regulate your system the best ways that you know how, And sometimes food is one of the tools in the toolbox. So first, Just let that be okay. And the second thing you want to remember when it comes to emotional eating is that you have all of the freedom and all of the permission to choose food as a coping mechanism. Some of the time, The reason that we can feel so out of control around food is because when we want to use it to make ourselves feel better, There's also the trying to control using it so that we don't end up doing it that way. And then all that really does is introduce conflict and tension in the body because you're fighting yourself. So, First you're releasing the shame and judgment around wanting to use food emotionally, And then you're also remembering that you have all the permission to choose to do that. So if any parts of you again are holding on to the story that you shouldn't or it's bad if you do, You are safe to release those as well. If you want to use food to cope with this emotion that you're sitting with right now, That is okay. You can choose to do that and no one is taking that away from you. Now, From this place of there's no judgment, There is no shame, And there is all the freedom and permission, Lastly, I will invite you to close your eyes for a moment if that feels okay. Maybe just drop your gaze. And just start with a couple deep breaths. So feeling your breath move through your body. So you're not just thinking about inhale and exhale. But you're really feeling inhale and exhale as you are in your body. So just feeling your lungs expand on the way in. And then feel your lungs contract again as you breathe out. And just staying here for a few rounds of breath to let your system know that you are safe. In this stillness. And as you're breathing, Another reminder, Whatever you choose to do is okay. Whether you choose to eat food or not. You are equally safe. Equally loved. And equally worthy of belonging and connection and community. And so with that, If your eyes are closed, You can keep them closed. But just taking a moment to check in. And get curious. So right now in this moment, You might notice that you have an urge to turn to food. And you just want to insert a little bit of curiosity around that. You can do it, There's no judgment. And also. What do you notice it is? That you're hoping the food will help you feel. Or not feel. So you might notice. That. Hmm, If I eat this thing, Then I won't have to sit with this sadness. Or if I eat this thing it'll make me feel better about my anxiety. Or if I eat this thing, It'll bring me. A moment of joy. Whatever it is, Just start to pay attention and notice. And again, There's no judgment of the answers. Food and eating can be very emotional. And we're not here to change that. We're just here to draw the awareness to that. And so with this insight. That might be coming to you about why you want to choose food right now. You can also get curious. Are there other things? That can support you. So if there's something else. That can support you with having a moment of joy. Are there things other than food? That you can use maybe in addition to or instead of. Entirely up to you. And if there are other things coming up around. Some sadness or anxiety that you might be sitting with. You can also just get curious, Are there other things? There are other things that support you. Like maybe calling a friend. Putting pen to paper and journaling about what's on your mind. Going outside, Taking a walk, And getting some fresh air. And none of these are intended to be tools to use for you to not use food. But this is a practice about getting curious about what's underneath the food. And so allowing yourself a moment. To see. What comes up when you ask the question? What am I really hungry for? What am I looking for? What am I needing? What is it that I want to feel right now? And just collecting those answers, Whatever they are. And giving yourself a moment with a deep breath. Of just acknowledgement of whatever comes through. Allowing yourself to empathize with you. You know that it's hard. To feel what you're feeling right now. You know you wouldn't be turning to food if it didn't help you in some way. And that's okay. So whether you choose. To do some of these other things or use some of your other coping mechanisms or not. Now you have awareness. Of what really needs to be tended to. And that's the purpose here. And so if you're ready at any point, You can just slowly start to blink your eyes open, Bring yourself back into the room. Ah, Notice your breath. Maybe reconnecting to your body, Just feeling your feet on the ground. Feeling yourself supported by the chair that you might be sitting in. And then again, Just a reminder. If in this moment from a more regulated state. Remembering that you have all the freedom and permission you choose to use food right now to feel better. Go for it. And. . . If with all of the insight and awareness that maybe came through about what it is that's underneath emotional eating. If you feel inspired to do something else. Either way, It's okay. Now you get to move forward in one piece with yourself. Eating or not. But with the awareness of the parts of you that need your attention.