I have been an emotional eater since I was a kid. It was a long time ago that I can’t even remember when it started. At first I didn’t realise that it was an issue. I always thought that eating is just one of my hobbies. Whenever people asked me about my hobbies I would confidently say ‘Eating’.
One day I read an article about emotional eating, and it hit me. I then realised that I have an eating disorder. I eat when I am sad. I eat when I am angry. I eat when I feel loss of control. I eat when I am happy. It doesn’t matter if I am already full, I still keep eating. This bad eating habit eventually compromised my self-confidence. I had body image issues. To solve this problem, I started to follow different kinds of diet. I became a yo-yo dieter which, of course, eventually didn’t work.
I started to know yoga from a gym. At that time, I was doing the class merely to burn calories. Then I realised that yoga is more than just burning calories. Yoga helps me to connect with my inner self. Once I connected with my inner self, I started to see the story behind my eating problem. From there I can understand myself better and recognise my habitual patterns.
As the name implies, emotional eating is related to emotions. Emotions are neither good nor bad. They just are. Let them flow without judgment or necessarily action. Pranayama and meditation are great tools to calm the mind. With still mind, I find it easier to observe my emotions. By having no attachment to the emotions, they can no longer rule over me.
After knowing all of this, I learn to eat mindfully. Eat food that my body needs. Learning this new habit requires training and patience. It won’t be easy, but I’m sure it will be worth it.
Novi
200hr Weekday (Nov-Dec 2013)