Eat To Live, Not To Cope: 4 Steps To Quit Emotional Eating - Page 4

3. Uncover your “hidden hungers.”

If you’ve ever thought, I just have no willpower, you’re not alone. But psychologist Melissa McCreery, Ph.D., author of The Emotional Eating Rescue Plan for Smart, Busy Women, says this mindset is part of the problem.

“It has nothing to do with self-control—it’s a response to a ‘hidden hunger,’” Dr. McCreery told Woman’s World in the same article. 

When cravings hit, pause and ask yourself, What am I really feeling? Naming the emotion—whether it’s stress, loneliness, or boredom—can give you the power to choose a different path. Maybe you’re not actually hungry. Maybe you just need connection, comfort, or rest.

“Just saying, I’m stressed right now, helps you realize you may be craving something else, like a conversation with a good friend,” Dr. McCreery added. “This shift toward awareness lets you begin to take the power back from urges.”