98. How Alcohol Kept Me Stuck in Emotional Eating and How I Stopped
Welcome to Episode 98 of the Emotional Eats Podcast!
Breaking Free: The Connection Between Alcohol and Emotional Eating
If you’ve ever poured yourself a glass of wine at the end of a long day or found yourself reaching for snacks when stress kicks in, you’re not alone. But have you ever paused to ask yourself why? In this episode, I’m sharing into my personal and nonlinear journey of letting go of alcohol—not as a rigid, rule-based “quit” but as an intentional choice to release something that wasn’t serving me. Along the way, I discovered a powerful connection between alcohol and emotional eating that might just change the way you see both.
The Surprising Link Between Alcohol and Emotional Eating
For years, I saw alcohol as just another part of my routine—something I turned to for relaxation, celebration, or simply out of habit. But over time, I started noticing patterns. When I had a drink, my food choices changed. My ability to tune into my body’s fullness cues disappeared. I would eat mindlessly, not because I was hungry, but because my brain was disconnected from my body.
This isn’t just about alcohol. It’s about how certain behaviors—whether it’s food, drinking, or numbing out in other ways—become coping mechanisms. Many midlife women have spent years dieting, controlling, restricting, and then rebelling against food rules. Alcohol can sometimes slip into that same cycle, whether we realize it or not.
My Journey of Letting Go
In January of 2022, I didn’t make a New Year’s resolution to quit drinking. In fact, I didn’t plan on stopping at all. I just started questioning whether alcohol was actually adding value to my life. Over time, I realized that it wasn’t. I wasn’t drinking excessively, but even a glass or two was leaving me feeling inflamed, sluggish, anxious, and disconnected from myself.
I tried “moderation,” just like I once tried to “moderate” my emotional eating. But the more I learned about myself, the more I saw that letting go completely—not quitting, just letting go—was what I needed. And as the months passed, I stopped counting days, months, and years. Alcohol was no longer something I needed to track. It simply became my new normal.
The Ripple Effect of Alcohol on Your Body and Mind
As women enter perimenopause and post-menopause, alcohol can start affecting the body in ways it never did before. For me, it wasn’t just about weight or food choices—it was about how alcohol made me feel. I noticed:
Increased inflammation and puffiness in my face and body
Poorer sleep and sluggish mornings
More intense cravings, especially for sugar and carbs
More anxiety and negative self-talk
Less connection with my body’s hunger and fullness cues
When I let go of alcohol, I found that my emotional eating also became easier to manage. My ability to listen to my body improved, and I felt a deeper sense of self-awareness.
7 Questions to Ask Yourself About Alcohol and Emotional Eating
This isn’t about quitting. It’s about exploring. If you’ve ever wondered whether alcohol is affecting your food choices or emotional well-being, here are some questions to reflect on:
How does alcohol make me feel physically, emotionally, and mentally?
Do I notice patterns with my eating when I drink?
Am I using alcohol to escape discomfort or to enhance joy? Am I tuning in to joy without alohol?
Does alcohol support or hinder my health and wellness goals?
If I removed alcohol for a period of time, what might change for me? What would my before and after look like?
Is alcohol impacting my relationship with my body, food, others or self-care?
Is alcohol holding me back from something I truly want? What is it that I truly want?
This is not about guilt or shame. It’s about curiosity. It’s about giving yourself the space to explore what works for you without pressure, judgment, or timelines.
Finding Freedom & Support
Letting go of alcohol has given me more clarity, better energy, and a deeper understanding of myself. But I also know that making changes like this isn’t always easy. That’s why I created the Emotional Eats Community—a space for midlife women who are ready to break free from emotional eating, food guilt, and self-sabotage. You’ll find real conversations, coaching, and support from women who get it.
Join the Conversation and Community
Continue learning, talking, and getting support around emotional eating, midlife women’s health, and menopause by joining the Emotional Eats Community.
Click here to join: https://kimhynes.com/emotional-eats-community-sign-up
Love the Emotional Eats Podcast?
If you enjoy The Emotional Eats Podcast, please subscribe, follow, and give us a 5-star rating and review. Tag us on social media—I would be so grateful!
Disclaimer:
The information in this podcast and blog is not intended to replace working with your doctor, other medical practitioner, or mental health professional. This content is for conversation, information, and entertainment purposes only.
If this post resonated with you, share it with a friend who might need to hear it. And remember—awareness is the first step to freedom. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.
Connect with Kim:
https://www.instagram.com/kimhyneshealth
Free Guide – Stress Eating Tips: https://kimhynes.com/stress-eating-tips-optin
98. How Alcohol Kept Me Stuck in Emotional Eating and How I Stopped
Welcome to Episode 98 of the Emotional Eats Podcast!
Breaking Free: The Connection Between Alcohol and Emotional Eating
If you’ve ever poured yourself a glass of wine at the end of a long day or found yourself reaching for snacks when stress kicks in, you’re not alone. But have you ever paused to ask yourself why? In this episode, I’m sharing into my personal and nonlinear journey of letting go of alcohol—not as a rigid, rule-based “quit” but as an intentional choice to release something that wasn’t serving me. Along the way, I discovered a powerful connection between alcohol and emotional eating that might just change the way you see both.
The Surprising Link Between Alcohol and Emotional Eating
For years, I saw alcohol as just another part of my routine—something I turned to for relaxation, celebration, or simply out of habit. But over time, I started noticing patterns. When I had a drink, my food choices changed. My ability to tune into my body’s fullness cues disappeared. I would eat mindlessly, not because I was hungry, but because my brain was disconnected from my body.
This isn’t just about alcohol. It’s about how certain behaviors—whether it’s food, drinking, or numbing out in other ways—become coping mechanisms. Many midlife women have spent years dieting, controlling, restricting, and then rebelling against food rules. Alcohol can sometimes slip into that same cycle, whether we realize it or not.
My Journey of Letting Go
In January of 2022, I didn’t make a New Year’s resolution to quit drinking. In fact, I didn’t plan on stopping at all. I just started questioning whether alcohol was actually adding value to my life. Over time, I realized that it wasn’t. I wasn’t drinking excessively, but even a glass or two was leaving me feeling inflamed, sluggish, anxious, and disconnected from myself.
I tried “moderation,” just like I once tried to “moderate” my emotional eating. But the more I learned about myself, the more I saw that letting go completely—not quitting, just letting go—was what I needed. And as the months passed, I stopped counting days, months, and years. Alcohol was no longer something I needed to track. It simply became my new normal.
The Ripple Effect of Alcohol on Your Body and Mind
As women enter perimenopause and post-menopause, alcohol can start affecting the body in ways it never did before. For me, it wasn’t just about weight or food choices—it was about how alcohol made me feel. I noticed:
Increased inflammation and puffiness in my face and body
Poorer sleep and sluggish mornings
More intense cravings, especially for sugar and carbs
More anxiety and negative self-talk
Less connection with my body’s hunger and fullness cues
When I let go of alcohol, I found that my emotional eating also became easier to manage. My ability to listen to my body improved, and I felt a deeper sense of self-awareness.
7 Questions to Ask Yourself About Alcohol and Emotional Eating
This isn’t about quitting. It’s about exploring. If you’ve ever wondered whether alcohol is affecting your food choices or emotional well-being, here are some questions to reflect on:
How does alcohol make me feel physically, emotionally, and mentally?
Do I notice patterns with my eating when I drink?
Am I using alcohol to escape discomfort or to enhance joy? Am I tuning in to joy without alohol?
Does alcohol support or hinder my health and wellness goals?
If I removed alcohol for a period of time, what might change for me? What would my before and after look like?
Is alcohol impacting my relationship with my body, food, others or self-care?
Is alcohol holding me back from something I truly want? What is it that I truly want?
This is not about guilt or shame. It’s about curiosity. It’s about giving yourself the space to explore what works for you without pressure, judgment, or timelines.
Finding Freedom & Support
Letting go of alcohol has given me more clarity, better energy, and a deeper understanding of myself. But I also know that making changes like this isn’t always easy. That’s why I created the Emotional Eats Community—a space for midlife women who are ready to break free from emotional eating, food guilt, and self-sabotage. You’ll find real conversations, coaching, and support from women who get it.
Join the Conversation and Community
Continue learning, talking, and getting support around emotional eating, midlife women’s health, and menopause by joining the Emotional Eats Community.
Click here to join: https://kimhynes.com/emotional-eats-community-sign-up
Love the Emotional Eats Podcast?
If you enjoy The Emotional Eats Podcast, please subscribe, follow, and give us a 5-star rating and review. Tag us on social media—I would be so grateful!
Disclaimer:
The information in this podcast and blog is not intended to replace working with your doctor, other medical practitioner, or mental health professional. This content is for conversation, information, and entertainment purposes only.
If this post resonated with you, share it with a friend who might need to hear it. And remember—awareness is the first step to freedom. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review.
Connect with Kim:
https://www.instagram.com/kimhyneshealth
Free Guide – Stress Eating Tips: https://kimhynes.com/stress-eating-tips-optin
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