How to Curb Emotional Eating After a Breakup or Any Icky Experience

Step away from the freezer — ice cream is not a panacea for pain. (Photo: Getty Images)

Recently, there’s been a slew of high-profile breakups—from Miranda and Blake to Ben and Jen to Gwen and Gavin. And as a nutritionist, I instinctively have my eyes glued to the celebrity weekies looking for signs of what I know is a very real fallout of tumultuous times: emotional eating.

Many of us chomp our way through disappointment, sadness, and loneliness, curling up with a pint of ice cream (or box of donuts, or bag of salt and vinegar chips or…) after a heartbreak.

But it’s not just negative emotions that fuel a diet derailment — happy overeating is a thing, too. Many of us look forward to celebrating the joy and togetherness of summer weekends by piling the burgers on the bbq and washing it all down with oceans of rosé wine (a.k.a summer water).

You see, emotional eating has nothing to do with hunger. Food is not just an amalgam of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and fiber. It’s also a conductor of feelings — and typically, the sadder ones are harder to reign in. Big sigh.

Related: Is the Sugar in Fruit Ruining Your Diet?

So how can you make it through the emotional roller coaster of a split without winding up chubbier than cupid? Great question. Here are my top three tips for managing your feelings and staying the course on your Nutritious Life path.

1. Reframe your intentions

Yes, you could choose to go through the post breakup period staying up late and trying to be a party animal because your friends think you need to “get out.” Or you could attempt to assuage your pain with a sleeve of cookies, wanting to believe that breakup calories don’t count (as unjust as it is, they do).

You could also choose to get through this time mindfully — focusing on enjoying the company you keep with yourself, getting quality sleep, and making healthy, healing meals at home.

Bonus Tip: Keep a cup of tea on hand at all times. It will serve many purposes—the heat and smell will relax you, it will hydrate you, and it will serve as a reminder to keep your wellness on the forefront of your mind.

Related: 5 Healthy Snacks That Require No Skills

2. Know that YOU are in control 

You do not have to be a victim of stress or sadness.

Have a satisfying and healthy dinner before you head out for the night with your single friends so you don’t wind up dining on cheese fries at the bar. While you’re at it, go ahead and make the decision to stick to a wine spritzer instead of drowning your sorrows in 500-calorie margaritas.

Feeling empowered helps you control your emotions — and your eating impulses.

Bonus Tip: Keep a food journal — at least until you feel more in control. It will help you see that the “binge” you thought you had was actually just too much brie. It will also help you eat less. Knowing you will have to write it down will make you think twice before going for seconds of dessert.

3. Triple D yourself 

Use the three D’s when you feel vulnerable to emotionally eating.

Delay: Slow down, friend. Don’t head straight for the food. Instead, start with a glass of water, tea, or seltzer and make a conscious decision to adjust your intake. Nobody is going to rip your plate out from under you and the appetizer tray will still be there in 15 minutes.

Distract: Leverage your newfound freedom in smart ways. Distract yourself with that book that you downloaded to your tablet, give in to a little online retail therapy, indulge in a Netflix marathon, go for a run—whatever it takes to keep your mind occupied and your hands out of the pantry.

Disarm: Don’t bring sweets and treats into your home—keep it a sanctuary of health and wellness by stocking up on fresh produce such as strawberries, spinach, grapefruit, asparagus, and avocado.

Bonus Tip: Don’t hover over the buffet table at your work event. Make it a point to congregate on the opposite side of the room so you’re not tempted to nosh non-stop.

Related: 3 Reasons Why Stress and Weight Gain Go Together

Keri Glassman, MS, RN, CDN, is the founder and president of Keri Glassman, Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice in New York City, as well as The Nutrition School, a 12-week online course created to provide an unprecedented nutrition education and a springboard for building a successful career as a nutritionist. For more info visit: NutritiousLife.com