Most emotional eating patterns stem from an emotional root. The root cause can be traced to childhood trauma, a stressful day at work, an unhealthy relationship, negative emotions, and many other life stressors.
According to Health Guide, “Emotional eating is using food to make yourself feel better—to fill emotional needs, rather than your stomach. Unfortunately, emotional eating doesn’t fix emotional problems. In fact, it usually makes you feel worse. Afterward, not only does the original emotional issue remain, but you also feel guilty for overeating.”
My goal is to help you become aware of your inner world through journaling. Journaling for emotional eating is the perfect exercise to address the root of your emotional eating, limited beliefs, and body image issues.
“Your Journal is like your best friend, You don’t have to pretend with it, you can be honest and write exactly how you feel” – Bukola Ogunwale
Journal Prompts for Emotional Eating
You can start journaling by finding somewhere peaceful to write. It is recommended, that you allow your emotions to flow freely. Try not to ignore or avoid painful feelings or thoughts. Take time to listen to your emotions and intuitions, even if it feels scrambled and illogical.
Explore Patterns Leading to Emotional Eating
- What caused you to research emotional eating prompts?
- What led you to believe that you’re an emotional eater?
- What type of foods do you gravitate towards?
- Do your food choices reveal any nutritional deficiencies?
- Do you eat in a specific location or while doing a specific activity? Why?
- If someone could help you, what would you like help with?
- Do you wait till you’re starving to eat?
- Are you able to stop yourself from over indulging?
- Do you find yourself in a pattern of dieting then binging after? Why?
- Do you meal prep throughout the week?
- How would planning meals and snacks influence your eating habits?
Discover the Root Causes of Emotional Eating
- What do you feel before, during, and after eating?
- At what moments are your cravings the highest?
- Is there a specific emotion that triggers your cravings?
- Do you reward yourself with food?
- Did your parents reward or punish you with food growing up?
- How do you typically feel emotionally and physically after binging?
- What emotions do you feel while you’re eating?
- What emotions do you feel after you finish eating?
- Do you have any painful memories before, during, or after eating?
- Is there any part of your life that feels out of control?
- Do you sometimes feel hopeless about changing your eating habits?
- How do you cope with the negative things?
Body Image Issues
- Do you love your body and appearance?
- How has emotional eating negatively impacted your appearance or life?
- Do you feel stuck in a body that you cannot escape?
- What are you body goals? Who has influenced those goals?
- Are you ashamed of what emotional eating has done to your body?
- Did anyone overly criticize your body or image growing up?
- Do you compare your body to others? Are you struggling with jealously?
- Do you hide yourself under layers of clothes?
- Are you afraid of what others think of your eating habits or body?
- When was the first time you starting worrying about your self image?
Looking for help healing?
Meet Women’s Health Coach, Ashley Lewis! She helps women simplify things in their ♥️’s, health, hormones + beauty. She has been on a 12+ year journey of overcoming an eating, identity, and image disorder. She has had three unplanned c-sections and three beautiful girls. This has also inspired her to start a postpartum reboot to help moms on their healing + health journey.
She stands out as a health coach because she isn’t afraid to share her vulnerable, imperfect moments. She hopes that her transparency and testimony will inspire you to shine on despite your own hardships, transitional seasons, daily struggles, and imperfections.
Women’s Wholeness Mastery FREE Intro Course
Who Is This Free Course For?
- It’s for women desiring to align their intuition with their physical frame, and balance their hormones, gut health, cravings, and overall holistic health.
- It’s for women who have been living in the same cycles of unhealthy patterns for years with no idea where to begin but know that change is needed and necessary.
- It’s for women who are ready to grow, learn and take their health up a notch alongside others wanting to do the same.
