Expert Advice On How To Deal With Dehydration On GLP-1s
Mei Wan
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Feb 3, 2025
In this blog, we’ll share expert advice on why staying hydrated is important as well as practical strategies to stay properly hydrated while using GLP-1s.
Emotional eating is when you turn to food for comfort during stressful situations or when you experience negative emotions. This can lead to weight gain and significantly impact your relationship with food. In this article our experts recommend strategies to help you make healthy decisions about food.
Have you ever reached for a pint of ice cream after a stressful day or craved chocolate when feeling down? You’re not alone.
Emotional eating is a complex behavior where people consume food in response to emotions rather than physical hunger. It’s often a way to cope with stress, sadness, boredom, or even happiness. [1] This behavior is strongly linked to cravings for high-calorie, energy-dense foods, which may contribute to weight gain and obesity.
Research shows that during stressful times, people tend to prefer comfort foods like chocolate, chips, and ice cream for temporary relief. [2] In fact, studies have found that emotional eaters experience stronger chocolate cravings, consume more chocolate, and feel less guilt about indulging compared to those with more controlled eating habits. [3]
It's important to recognize the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger.
Physical hunger builds gradually, comes with physical cues like a growling stomach, and can be satisfied with a variety of foods.
In contrast, emotional hunger often strikes suddenly and is driven by stress, boredom, or anxiety, leading to cravings for specific comfort foods. Unlike physical hunger, emotional hunger isn’t satisfied by eating until full - it often results in mindless consumption and lingering cravings. [4]
Recognizing these differences can help individuals manage their eating habits more effectively by addressing the underlying emotional triggers rather than relying on food for comfort.
Stress and anxiety are powerful triggers for emotional eating. Research shows that when people feel stressed, higher levels of cortisol (the body’s ‘stress’ hormone) are released which increases appetite and cravings for high-fat, sugary foods. [5]
Boredom and loneliness can also trigger emotional eating. Studies show that people who are more prone to boredom often turn to food as a way to distract themselves or fill the void of unstructured time. [6]
Similarly, research shows that loneliness can trigger parts of the brain that make people crave high-calorie foods, while also making it harder to control eating habits.This is especially common in women, who may be more likely to use food for comfort than men when feeling isolated. [7]
Negative emotions like sadness and depression are strong triggers for emotional eating.
Research suggests that for some individuals, food becomes a coping mechanism to temporarily lift their mood. In fact, emotional eating is a link between depression and weight gain - depressive symptoms often lead to increased emotional eating, which over time contributes to unhealthy weight gain. [8]
While emotional eating is often linked to negative emotions, positive feelings like celebration and reward can also trigger overeating.
Research suggests that people commonly use food as a reward, indulging in foods during special occasions or as a way to treat themselves. This behavior is tied to cultural and social norms, where food plays a central role in marking achievements, festivities, and joyful moments. [9]
While enjoying celebratory meals is natural, being mindful of when food becomes the primary source of reward can help maintain a balanced relationship with eating.
The pattern of emotional eating is sometimes referred to as a cycle. The stages of the cycle feed into each other, making it difficult to break.
Adapted from [10]
The cycle starts again when another emotional trigger occurs, and the person turns to food for comfort once more. Without addressing the emotional triggers or finding healthier ways to cope, the cycle continues.
Emotional eating can lead to feelings of guilt, regret, and shame. This happens because emotional eating doesn’t address any underlying emotional issues - it only provides temporary relief.
After eating, people may feel bad about themselves, which can make negative emotions even worse. This then creates the cycle where food continues to be used as an emotional coping mechanism, despite the long-term negative health implications. [12]
Emotional eating is closely linked to weight gain and obesity. Research shows that people who eat emotionally often choose foods that are high in calories and fat, which can lead to weight gain over time. This is especially true for people who eat emotionally more often, as they tend to overeat and make unhealthy food choices. [13]
Emotional eating is also connected to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. While food may provide short-term comfort, it doesn’t fix any underlying issues, and it can make these problems worse in the long run. [13]
The unhealthy eating habits tied to emotional eating, like eating too much junk food, also raise the risk of heart disease. These foods can increase blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation, all of which are bad for the heart. Over time, emotional eating can also lead to problems with how the body processes sugar, raising the risk of type 2 diabetes. [13]
Managing emotional eating can be challenging, but there are various strategies that can help break the cycle and encourage healthier habits.
Writing down what you eat, when you eat, and how you’re feeling at the time can make it easier to spot patterns. For example, you might notice that you tend to eat unhealthy foods when you’re stressed or bored.
Using a calorie counter can also help with this and also aid portion control. Understanding triggers can help to find healthier ways to cope with emotions instead of turning to food. [14]
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully aware of the present moment, without judgment. When it comes to eating, this means slowing down and paying attention to hunger cues. By eating slowly and savoring each bite, you give your body a chance to signal when it’s full, which can prevent overeating.
Instead of reaching for comfort foods, try engaging in healthier activities that can reduce stress and boost your mood. Exercise, meditation, and journaling are all excellent ways to manage emotions without turning to food. Physical activities like walking or yoga release feel-good chemicals in the brain, while journaling can help process and release emotions. Talking to a friend or family member can also provide emotional support and help you work through feelings of stress, sadness, or loneliness.
Instead of turning to sugary snacks, focusing on protein-rich foods can help manage cravings and keep you full longer. Setting a daily protein goal can be a helpful strategy in building healthier eating habits. For practical tips on healthy eating for weight loss, read our guide here.
If emotional eating becomes a persistent problem, seeking professional help can make a big difference. A therapist can help you explore any underlying emotional issues that may be contributing to emotional eating and provide strategies to cope with them in healthier ways. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to reduce emotional eating and improve weight outcomes. [15]
While GLP-1 medications like Compounded Semaglutide, Mounjaro and Wegovy are clinically proven to support weight loss by reducing your appetite and blood sugar levels, they don’t directly treat emotional eating.
This is because emotional eating is often driven by your habits, emotions, and coping mechanisms that medication alone can’t change. For long-term success, it’s important to make lifestyle changes and repair your relationship with food with strategies like the ones we’ve outlined above.
At Levity, we offer a variety of weight loss injections. These need to be prescribed by a healthcare professional. Find out if you’re eligible here.
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