How the mood-food-weight loss cycle works

Emotional eating is eating to feel better when you're upset, such as when you're stressed, angry, scared, bored or lonely. Major life events or, more commonly, everyday hassles can trigger negative emotions that lead to emotional eating and disrupt your weight-loss efforts. These triggers might include:

• Relationship conflicts.
• Work or other stressors.
• Fatigue.
• Money issues.
• Health concerns.

Some people also overeat in response to positive emotions.

While some people eat less in the face of strong emotions, if you're having a hard time emotionally, you might turn to impulsive or binge eating. You might quickly consume whatever's nearby without enjoyment.

In fact, your feelings can become so tied to your eating habits that you automatically reach for a treat whenever you're angry or stressed. You may do this without thinking about it.

Food also serves as a distraction. If you're worried about an upcoming event or struggling with a relationship, you may focus on eating comfort food instead of dealing with the painful situation.

Whatever emotions drive you to overeat, the end result is often the same. The effect of emotional eating is short-term. The emotions return and you likely feel guilty about setting back your weight-loss goal. This can lead to an unhealthy cycle where your emotions trigger you to overeat, you beat yourself up for getting off your weight-loss track, you feel bad and you overeat again.