Eating healthy is more than just the foods you choose to eat. It also has to do with:
When you eat
Where you eat
How you eat
Why you eat
About 75% of overeating is caused by feelings, not because of hunger. This means that many of us use food to cope with our feelings.
Emotional Eating
How do you deal with feelings of anger, conflict, stress, loneliness, boredom, or sadness?
Emotional eating is eating in response to stressful feelings. It may lead to a habit of using food to feel better.
Eating When Tired or to Help Fall Asleep
Night eating is when you eat 25% or more of your daily food after dinner 2 or more nights per week. You feel like you need food to fall asleep or stay asleep. This could be a sign you are not eating enough during the day as well.
Finding Comfort in Food
When you have these feelings, eating something sweet or salty can give a sense of comfort. This feeling often turns into guilt or shame. Put a stop to emotional, nighttime and boredom eating. Become a mindful eater.
Changing Your Eating Pattern
Find a time to listen and talk about why you or your child eats and what the feelings are. Find healthier ways to cope and deal with emotions and stress:
Write about it.
Talk with a safe person.
Go for a walk.
Take a nap.
Read a book.
Take a drive.
Put on some music and dance.
Work in the garden.
Seek help from a mental healthcare provider.
Meeting Basic Needs
Get enough sleep.
Make time for regular meals and snacks.
Plan time for exercise. This helps the brain release chemicals that decrease stress and improve mood.
Learn what it feels like to be hungry and what it feels like to be satisfied.
Use a hunger scale:
Starving: you may feel weak or dizzy
Extremely hungry: irritable
Feeling hungry enough for stomach to growl on occasion
Feeling mildly hungry
Feeling satisfied: neither hungry nor full
Mildly full: no discomfort
Feeling satisfied: you could eat more but it would be uncomfortable
Full enough for moderate discomfort
Extreme discomfort
Stomach feels tight and full, sick
Caring for Yourself and Your Child
Listen to soothing music.
Take a yoga class.
Get a massage.
Learn to meditate.
Find time for your favorite fun things to do.
Eat regularly throughout the day. Keep yourself from getting down to a 1 or 2 on the hunger scale.
Who to Call
If you are a UW Health patient and have more questions, please contact UW Health at one of the phone numbers listed below.
Nutrition clinics for UW Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) and American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH)
(608) 890-5500
Nutrition clinics for UW Medical Foundation (UWMF)
(608) 287-2770
You can also visit our website at: www.uwhealth.org/nutrition.