Your Senior Journey
Your Senior Journey
No More Food Shame: Break Free from Emotional Eating After 50 (Free Mini-Course) – Module 1
Welcome to the mini-course "No More Food Shame: Break Free from Emotional Eating After 50."
Best viewed on a computer or laptop so you can use the worksheets comfortably.
This mini-course is designed to help you release food guilt and feel more confident and peaceful around eating. Each module builds on the last, giving you simple, practical steps you can start using straight away.
Breaking free from emotional eating is a really important step in your life. If you’re truly ready to make a change, there are basically two paths:
1. A premium course by Eric Edmeades (paid course) which has helped many people - including me - make lasting changes in how they eat.
2. This free mini-course, designed to give you practical tools and insights to start shifting your habits right away.
Don’t underestimate what this mini-course can do - it works best if you actually try out the steps. Reading alone isn’t enough; to see real change, you need to put these small shifts into practice.
And just so you know - I’ve added a little bonus for you inside this module: a free downloadable worksheet to make everything easier to put into practice. And at the very end, you’ll find clear instructions on how to get the next modules (all free).
Here’s what’s ahead:
Module 1 – Awareness
(This one!) Understand your emotional eating patterns and what triggers them.
Module 2 – Mindset Shift
Learn Kind Self-Talk and Build Self-Trust Around Food (+ Free Eating Tracker Included!)
Module 3 – Mind-Body Skills
Connect body and mind with mindful snacking, meditation, and deep breathing.
Module 4 – Practical Eating Habits
Discover meals that keep you full, energised, and in control - with a handy mobile-friendly guide for snacks and simple meals.
Module 5 – Confident Eating in Any Situation
Handle social outings with ease, feel freedom around your food choices, and explore mindful, guilt-free experiments.
MODULE 1
RECOGNISING EMOTIONAL EATING PATTERNS
In Module 1, we’ll explore why emotional eating happens, how to recognise your personal triggers, and what’s actually going on in your body when you reach for that “comfort” snack.
In my opinion, this is where confidence begins - not through restriction, but through understanding and compassion toward yourself.
EMOTIONAL EATING AFTER 50:
UNDERSTANDING THE HABIT, NOT THE GUILT
Why do you reach for food when you’re not hungry?
Emotional eating isn’t a flaw. It’s a learned habit - one your mind and body picked up as a way to soothe, comfort, distract, or momentarily lift your mood.
Maybe it’s chocolate after a stressful phone call…
A packet of crisps when boredom hits…
A biscuit because “it’s been a day.”
You’re far from alone.
Research shows emotional eating is common among women in midlife, especially during times of stress, loneliness, or hormonal changes.
The key first step is noticing your own patterns. Pay attention to the moments, emotions, or triggers that lead you to eat when you’re not physically hungry. This habit often comes from past experiences and learned coping mechanisms, and simply recognising it is the foundation for change.
The goal here is not to judge yourself - it’s to finally understand the pattern.
Emotional vs. Physical Hunger — A Quick Guide
A quick guide to tell the difference:
Emotional Hunger
Comes on suddenly
Craves specific comfort foods
Feels urgent or “must eat now”
Comes from emotions: stressed, bored, sad, happy
Leads to guilt afterwards
Physical Hunger
Builds up slowly
Open to various food options
Can wait a bit if needed
Comes from an empty or rumbling stomach
Feels satisfying and guilt-free
Ask yourself:
👉 “Am I physically hungry - or am I feeling something else?”
This tiny pause builds self-awareness fast.
WHAT'S REALLY BEHIND YOUR CRAVINGS
(THE BRAIN-BODY CONNECTION)
There’s a real reason comfort foods feel comforting - and it has nothing to do with “weak willpower.” Your brain is wired to seek quick rewards, and foods high in sugar or refined carbs deliver a fast burst of dopamine, your brain’s natural “feel-good” chemical.
When you eat something sweet or indulgent, dopamine spikes. You feel calmer, soothed, or just a little better. It works - but only for a moment.
Then comes the crash:
Feeling tired or sluggish
Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
Heightened irritability or mood swings
Craving more of the same foods
This cycle of quick highs and crashes is exactly why emotional eating can feel so hard to resist - your brain remembers the reward and keeps asking for it.
But here’s the empowering part: once you understand why the craving shows up, you stop seeing it as a personal flaw. You start recognising it as a predictable brain-body response - one you can gently interrupt.
Awareness gives you the upper hand. Instead of fighting cravings with guilt, you learn to respond with clarity. And when you do that consistently, cravings gradually lose their hold, and you begin choosing rewards that truly support your body and your emotional wellbeing.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN-
CHILDHOOD REWARDS AND LEARNED BEHAVIOURS
Emotional eating rarely starts in adulthood. Most of us learned these patterns early - often in caring homes where no one realised the long-term impact.
Think back:
You fell down and cried - someone gave you a biscuit to cheer you up.
You were upset - a snack helped you calm down.
You celebrated birthdays or holidays - food was love and joy.
Without noticing, we learned:
Food = comfort
Food = reward
Food = love
Advertising and Media Influence
Modern marketing strengthens this emotional connection even further. Advertisers intentionally link food with feelings most of us crave: happiness, confidence, belonging, success, family closeness.
A chocolate bar becomes a “treat you deserve.”
Crisps become part of a fun evening.
Ice cream becomes the answer to a difficult day.
And here’s something important:
Mature adults are a prime target.
Brands know that women over 50 often juggle stress, caregiving roles, hormonal changes, and emotional load - all of which can make comfort-food messaging even more persuasive. When you’re tired or overwhelmed, your brain is naturally more responsive to these cues.
Once you see how these tactics work (colour psychology, emotional storytelling, nostalgia, repetition), you stop reacting automatically.
That tiny moment of awareness gives you space to choose what you truly want - not what a marketing campaign nudges you toward.
A SIMPLE HACK TO PAUSE CRAVINGS (10-MINUTE RESET)
Here’s one of my favourite tools - simple but incredibly effective:
When the craving hits: wait 10 minutes and drink a glass of water.
During these 10 minutes you:
Give your emotions space to settle.
Allow your brain to catch up with your body.
Often realise the craving passes or softens.
Then ask yourself:
👉 “Do I still want this - or was I just looking for comfort?”
And if you still choose the snack?
You’ll eat it consciously - not on autopilot. That’s progress.
SPOT YOUR TRIGGERS - WEEKLY TRACKING EXERCISE
(This is your ONE core exercise for Module 1.)
All you need is a notebook.
Each time you snack when not hungry, write:
1️⃣ Time of day
2️⃣ What was I feeling?
3️⃣ What triggered this urge?
4️⃣ How did I feel while eating?
5️⃣ How did I feel afterwards?
At the end of the week, look for patterns:
Certain emotions
Certain times
Certain situations
This exercise builds the strongest awareness muscle you’ll ever develop for food freedom. - and you’ll get the free worksheet below to guide you step by step.
A Gentle Trauma Note
Sometimes emotional eating is tied to deeper pain. If journaling brings up heavy emotions, that’s a sign you may benefit from speaking with someone trained to support you.
Support Resources:
UK: Beat Eating Disorders – 0808 801 0677
USA: ANAD – 1 888-375-7767
You’re doing important work, and recognising when you need help is a sign of strength.
_____
Module 1 is your foundation - awareness sets you up for mindset, skills, habits, and ultimately freedom with food. To make it even easier to put these steps into practice, it’s time to download your worksheet and get started.
DOWNLOAD YOUR MODULE 1 WORKSHEET
Your worksheet makes everything in Module 1 simple and actionable.
It includes:
Awareness of Hunger
Pause Hack
Spot Your Trigger Prompts to Reflect
You’ve done beautifully working through Module 1. Awareness is such a powerful first step, and in my opinion, it sets everything else in motion. If you’re ready to keep going, I’ve made the next steps really easy.
HOW TO UNLOCK THE NEXT MODULE AND
KEEP YOUR PROGRESS GOING
You’ve completed Module 1 - truly well done.
If you’d like to keep building your confidence around food, all you need to do is subscribe. Modules 2–5 will be sent straight to your inbox.
How it works:
Once you click the button and subscribe to my newsletter:
You’ll receive instant access to Module 2 in your inbox
The remaining Modules 3–5 will arrive over the next two weeks
You’re in control:
You can unsubscribe anytime - no pressure, no strings.
Who gets access:
Only those who click the button and confirm their subscription will receive the next modules.
Already a subscriber? If you don’t see your login email, just CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME and let me know you want access to the mini-course - I’ll get you in right away. 💛
Other Resources You Might Like
Weight Control With Kindness
Smart strategies for managing habits, hormones, and cravings - gently and sustainably.
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WildFit with Eric Edmeades
This is a premium program available through Your Senior Journey Premium Courses & Programs, designed to help you reset your relationship with food and boost your energy. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE
(This is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you enrol - at no extra cost to you.)
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Birgit is a compassionate guide specialising in supporting senior women through life's transitions. Alongside her dedication to this cause, she finds joy in teaching piano, nurturing her garden, cherishing family moments, and enjoying walks. These activities fuel her creativity and bring depth and richness to her life.
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