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Answered in 6 episodes

How do I stop emotional eating?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated

The short answer

Start by catching the moment: before you eat, ask whether you're hungry, bored or stressed. If you're hungry, eat a proper meal. If it's emotion, Nikkiey suggests a walk, deep breathing, talking it out or journaling instead. Structure helps too: knowing exactly what you'll eat each day keeps food as fuel, not a fix.

Hear it from the show

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  1. Nikkiey's in-the-moment check: hungry, bored or stressed, and what to do next

    Plays from 20:45 · Ep. 186: How Stress and Cortisol Cause Belly Fat After 40

  2. The questions that tell you if it's emotional eating or impulse eating

    Plays from 10:57 · Ep. 353: Why Can't I Stop Eating? Emotional vs Impulse Eating

  3. What to do instead of eating: talk it out, journal, breathe or walk

    Plays from 20:07 · Ep. 99: How to Stop Impulse Eating: 5 Strategies for Women Over 40

  4. Carrie on grieving without eating her feelings, and the systems behind it

    Plays from 22:58 · Ep. 177: How to Stop Emotional Eating and Lose Weight After 50

  5. Why stress cravings aren't a willpower problem

    Plays from 7:38 · Ep. 237: How Stress Stops Fat Loss After 40 and What to Do

The full answer

First, drop the idea that this is a character flaw. On Ep. 237, Nikkiey says stress cravings aren't about willpower. High stress drives cravings for quick energy from sugar and processed foods, and she describes it as cortisol being in control. On Ep. 353 she adds that emotional eating is a coping mechanism. It exists because it works, at least temporarily, which is exactly why it sticks.

Next, make sure it's actually emotional eating. On Ep. 353, Nikkiey separates it from impulse eating, where the food comes first because it's there. Ask yourself:

Emotional eating usually has a feeling you can name and brings some relief. Impulse eating feels neutral and automatic, and changing your environment is the bigger lever.

  • What happened right before I ate?
  • What was I feeling when I started?
  • Did eating make the feeling better, even briefly?

When the urge hits, Nikkiey's tools on Ep. 186 and Ep. 99 are simple:

  • Pause and ask: hungry, bored or stressed? If hungry, have a good, healthy meal.
  • If it's stress or boredom, go outside for a walk or try box breathing: four seconds in, hold four, out four, hold four, a few rounds.
  • Talk to someone in your household to offload what you're feeling, or journal if no one is around.
  • Eat slowly, without TV or your phone, and learn what real hunger cues feel like. Smaller meals through the day help with that.

The longer-term fix is structure. On Ep. 177, client Carrie went through a painful falling-out with a close family member and realized she never once thought about eating her feelings. She walked three or four times a day instead. She credits her morning systems and knowing exactly what she's eating each day, because food is for energy and life, not for tamping down feelings. On Ep. 191, Nikkiey also points to visualization and gratitude as ways to shift your emotional state so you're more likely to follow the plan you already made.

From The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

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