Why Can’t I Stop Eating When I’m Stressed 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" 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" /> It’s been a kind of days. Work was a nightmare, you bought in an argument together with your companion, your chores had been piling up at house. Subsequent factor you understand, you’re standing within the kitchen, in search of somewhat 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 provide short-term consolation, it’s not all the time essentially the most useful instrument in your emotional coping toolkit (1).

Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at why emotional consuming occurs, learn how 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—may also help you develop into 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 if you flip to meals to appease or distract your self from feelings, reasonably than to fulfill bodily starvation (1, 2). It’s a approach of coping, not fueling (1, 2).

Bodily starvation builds step by step, comes on after just a few hours with out meals, and is felt in your physique—like a growling abdomen, headache, irritability, or low power (1). It may be glad with quite a lot of meals and normally ends if you’re full (1).

Emotional starvation is totally different. It will probably come on instantly, and it’s typically tied to a yearning for particular consolation meals—like chips, cookies, or ice cream (1). It’s typically not glad with, for instance, an apple—or one other meals that may fulfill your urge for food when you had been bodily hungry (1).

Emotional consuming can be related to consuming previous fullness, so it could actually depart 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).

Among the commonest emotional consuming triggers embody (1, 2):

Stress

Anxiousness

Boredom

Loneliness

Anger or frustration

Feeling overwhelmed or uncontrolled

Celebration or utilizing meals as a reward

Meals can provide a fast distraction or non permanent sense of reduction, consolation, or pleasure, however a sleeve of cookies or a bagful of pretzels received’t really resolve underlying issues (1). So, whereas it’s pure and customary to eat for causes apart from bodily starvation at instances, it’s useful to study different coping methods, so you possibly can handle what’s bothering you (1).

<img 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" /> You may also like

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Why We Eat When We’re Pressured

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

“If you’re harassed, your physique releases cortisol, a hormone that will enhance urge for food, notably for consolation meals which can be 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 more durable to handle your urge for food, which might contribute to emphasize consuming and overeating (6).

Emotional consuming might be discovered

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

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

Consolation meals could provide a quick distraction from emotional discomfort or provide you with a brief dopamine increase. However they don’t handle the underlying concern—and will depart you feeling worse afterward (4).

Is Emotional Consuming Actually a Downside?

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

If emotional consuming turns into your foremost approach of coping, it is perhaps useful to discover extra methods for help.

“When you often end up utilizing meals to appease your frayed nerves and calm your self down, it’s seemingly not that huge a deal, but when you end up turning to meals very often, particularly much less wholesome meals like chips and cookies, it is perhaps value listening to how this impacts your total 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 motive, and with some consciousness and help, it’s additionally one thing you possibly can change (1, 2)

In regards to the Consultants

Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, is a nationally acknowledged meals and diet professional, media persona, diet advisor, and creator. Cassetty is a former diet 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 Diet Communication from the Friedman College of Diet Science & Coverage at Tufts College and accomplished her Dietetic Internship at UVA Well being, the place she additionally works as a diet counselor for cardiology sufferers.

How you can Cope With out Turning to Meals

Emotional consuming doesn’t disappear in a single day—however constructing a toolbox of different methods may also 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 title what you’re feeling

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

2. Attempt a grounding exercise

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

3. Hold a operating record of non-food comforts

Jot down just a few mood-boosters like calling a good friend, 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 instrument with an a variety of benefits,” says Basbaum (3). “It will probably assist you 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 embody protein and fiber may also help enhance fullness, which can make it simpler to differentiate between actual starvation and emotional urges (9).

6. Follow the facility of the pause

“When 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 cross or resolve the way you wish to handle your stress (1). When you resolve to go for a soothing snack, that’s okay. However you might discover that simply that little pause is all it takes to steer you towards managing your hectic second in a different way.”

Often Requested Questions (FAQs)

What causes emotional consuming? Emotional consuming is commonly triggered by stress, boredom, nervousness, or different feelings, and it could actually develop into 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 reasonable and situational, whereas binge consuming typically includes consuming giant quantities of meals rapidly and feeling a lack of management. When you’re experiencing this commonly, it might be an indication of one thing extra critical. Contemplate reaching out to a healthcare skilled for help (10).

Can meals monitoring assist cease emotional consuming? Sure—monitoring meals, and making notice of your starvation and feelings may also 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 good friend, journaling, or doing a brief respiratory train (1). These actions can soothe you, handle boredom, or get on the root of your feelings with out counting on meals (1).

Is it okay to eat for consolation generally? 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 an alternative of judging your self for consuming emotionally, ask what you had been actually needing in that second (1). Was it consolation? A break? Connection? That self-reflection might be extremely highly effective, and it could actually assist you to start to shift your response in a extra supportive route (1).

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