Postpartum emotional eating, or ‘comfort eating’ as it is sometimes called, is a coping mechanism used to manage emotions such as (but not limited to) stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue, boredom even celebration.
As we will discuss, the physiological changes post birth coupled with heightened emotions, can impact eating patterns.
Emotional eating is defined as the eating of (usually highly palatable) foods in the absence of hunger, for the reasons mentioned above. It is wildly complex, with multifactorial causes and treatment modalities. But it’s not always a bad thing. If it happens only occasionally, there isn’t much to worry about.
But to add an extra layer of confusion, it is a term sometimes used (incorrectly) interchangeably with binge eating.
What is Binge Eating Disorder
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) recognised eating disorder. And while some symptoms may overlap with emotional eating, the two are very unique conditions.
Binge Eating Disorder is a mental health illness characterised by recurrent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food over a specific period of time.
BED is characterised by a:
- lack of control
- eating abnormally large quantities of food
- eating in secret
- eating quickly
- intense guilt
- negative feelings of isolation
BED treatment involves a healthcare team like your GP, psychologist/psychiatrist, dietitian, and OBGYN/fertility specialist if considering pregnancy.
What is Emotional Eating?
While emotional eating can occur in response to positive and negative emotions. It is defined as eating when not physiologically hungry as a means of distraction from an emotion. It typically does not occur related to a lack of control, and it’s not always a bad thing.
Emotional eating isn’t always a bad thing.
If it occurs occasionally as part of healthy diet, it’s pretty ok. Some chocolate at the end of the day, a slice of cake to celebrate something, all pretty normal. It’s when emotional eating becomes frequent and consistent that the lines between healthy and not become blurred.
Emotional Eating Postpartum
Fertility, pregnancy and postpartum are life-stages of tremendous physical change. Evidence shows the risk of developing an eating disorder, or experiencing a relapse of an eating disorder in this period is significantly increased.
It is further an incredibly emotional phase, increasing the risk of turning to food for comfort more than usual.
So what can you to control emotional eating, let’s discuss.
1. Learn to Recognise True Hunger V. Emotional Eating postpartum
In the perinatal period, the body is undergoing increased metabolic demands requiring more energy, which will naturally increase hunger.
Learning to identify real hunger from emotional eating postpartum is the first step in taking control of your eating.
Physiological hunger doesn’t just strike, hunger builds slowly. If you are learning to identify between between emotional eating and hunger, give yourself 5 minutes before eating to reflect on how your body is feeling:
- is your tummy grumbling or gurgling?
- would any food satisfy you right now, or are you craving a ‘forbidden food’? (more on forbidden foods later)
- are you bored, anxious or tired
- when was the last time you ate and was it balanced and adequate meal?
If after 5 minutes you are hungry, you should eat!
If you come to realise you are not physically hungry, keep reading.
2. Acknowledge Emotional Eating
As mentioned above, occasional emotional eating postpartum is totally normal, a part of the diet. And if you know you are eating for reasons beyond hunger, you are already in control.
Reflect on why you are eating now, and the type of food you consume as a tool to manage an emotion. Ask yourself if you reach for foods you usually restrict.
3. Reduce Strict Food Restriction
Sometimes over restriction of specific foods can lead to over-eating them when your body is vulnerable (hungry, tired, time-poor, ie: the pre/post pregnancy trifecta).
Removing the moral value we attribute to food -ie: chocolate is ‘bad food’ while broccoli is ‘good food’- makes all foods equal. This reduces the risk of eating ‘bad foods’ in response to emotions.
Now, this is not an overnight, easy change to make. Learning to enjoy all foods equally can mean undoing a lifetime of cognitive eating restriction based on the moral value attributed to food.
Find a dietitian trained in intuitive eating (hi!) if this is something you would like to explore more.
4. Eat Regular Meals Over the Day
This is a big, important one. While emotional eating is tied to emotions, emotions are regulated by hunger. Inconsistent meal patterns, skipping meals or living on coffee for the first half of the day can make the body more vulnerable to mood changes, triggering excessive eating. This is especially important if you are breastfeeding and/or in a very high metabolic burning state.
Your can’t argue with a hungry brain. Your hungry brain will want quick energy usually in the form of simple carbohydrates found in foods like crackers, chips, cakes, biscuits, sweets and lollies.
Meal planning is the biggest strategy here.
Keep nourishing snack foods in your home that are easy to make and eat like homemade slices, fruits and veggies, nut and seeds, nut bars, bliss balls, veggie muffins, whole grain toast and nut butters. Keep shelf stable snacks in your handbag, car and baby bag so you always have a nourishing meal on-hand when your tummy starts to grumble.
5. Find Activities You Enjoy
I know, I know, postpartum it isn’t exactly filled with opportunities to have a massage or other activities usually enjoyed. Food can sooth and be consumed concurrently to holding your new baby. But if emotional eating is starting to escape your control, redirecting and finding other strategies to sooth your emotions can be helpful.
If you have assessed your hunger and determined you would be consuming food to cope with an emotion, you want to find an alternate activity instead. These are just ideas, the trick to success if finding activities YOU love.
- listen to a podcast you enjoy
- head outside for a walk or to a park
- start a creative activity like colouring, painting, writing
- have a warm shower
- go to a yoga class (studio or home)
- commit to 10 minutes of mediation
Knowing When to Seek Professional Help
Fertility, pregnancy and postpartum emotions can be totally overwhelming. If you find yourself turning to food for comfort more regularly, or you notice any changes in your mood or physical symptoms, it warrants a conversation with your GP. The lines between emotional eating and disordered eating can become very blurry and seeking help early is always a positive strategy.
If you are strugglingly with emotional eating before, during or after pregnancy, reach out here and I can help you map a pathway to meet these challenges.
