68: How to Stop Using Food as a Crutch

The Dr. Carolyn Coker Ross Show: Binge Eating Disorder, Stress Eating, Emotional Eating, Food Addiction

If you've been using binge eating, emotional eating or food addiction behaviors or body dissatisfaction as a way to deal with your stress, emotions or to deal with underlying childhood beliefs of unworthiness or unlovability, it is hard to change. Want to know how to deal with stress and food cravings? Want stress relief, food addiction help, and an end to emotional eating. Listen in.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to deal with emotions without using food as a crutch.
• Specific actions you can take to deal with stress without using food as a crutch.
• Why your body is the result not the cause of your problems.

STUDY GUIDE: HOMEWORK

1. List situations in your life that are stressful. Some examples might include: - loneliness - dissatisfaction at work - relationship issues (relationship with parents, siblings, partner/spouse, friends) - parenting concerns and fears - financial - other - add in any other stressful situations in your life right now 2. For each of these situations, make a list of behaviors you have around food that you are recognizing are a response to these life stressors. For example, I was laid off from work and have been worried about finding another job. Looking back, I've noticed that I've been eating lots of junk food "because it's cheaper" but really because of wanting to be comforted. 3. List 1 statement (affirmation) you can say to yourself the next time you "feel fat." For example, I can ask myself "what are you really feeling?" or I can remind myself that I can use another skill to deal with stress rather than food or body hatred.

Mentioned on the show: Schedule free Anchor Program consult: https://findingyouranchor.as.me/consult

Here is the link to my #TEDxPleasantGrove talk on intergenerational trauma: https://youtu.be/ljdFLCc3RtM