Episode 159 - The Emotional Eating Fix with Kimberly Severson
Originally aired on the Weight Loss Doesn’t Have to Suck podcast.
Are you struggling to navigate your emotions without turning to food for comfort? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with fellow coach Kimberly Severson to explore the deep connection between our emotions and our relationship with food. We dive into why we reach for that carton of ice cream after a hard day and, more importantly, how to break free from this cycle.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why emotions are actually gifts that add richness to our lives
The real reason behind emotional eating (and it's not what you think)
My simple "NOW" method for processing difficult emotions
How expanding your emotional vocabulary can transform your life
The beautiful truth about why we need both joy AND sadness
Practical tools to support yourself through uncomfortable feelings
Meet My Guest: Kimberly Severson
Kimberly Severson is a certified weight loss and mindset coach who helps women finally end the cycle of chronic dieting. Through her podcast "Weight Loss Doesn't Have to Suck," Kimberly teaches her clients to lose weight with self-trust, not restriction or deprivation, so they can fully enjoy their lives with food and feel amazing.
Connect with Kimberly:
Website: kimberlyseversoncoaching.com
Podcast: Weight Loss Doesn't Have to Suck
Key Takeaways from Our Conversation
1. Emotions Are Information, Not Problems
One of the biggest shifts in my own journey happened when I stopped seeing emotions like frustration and sadness as problems to solve and started viewing them as teachers. Every emotion carries valuable information about our needs, boundaries, and what matters most to us.
Frustration often teaches us:
We're trying to control something outside our influence
Our expectations may be unrealistic
Something important to us feels threatened
2. The Cost of Emotional Avoidance
When we consistently use food (or other distractions) to avoid uncomfortable emotions, we miss the lessons they're trying to teach us. We also limit our capacity for positive emotions—when we constrict our ability to feel sadness, we also diminish our ability to fully experience joy.
3. The N.O.W. Method for Processing Emotions
I shared my favorite tool for processing emotions in real-time:
N - Notice and Name
Pay attention to what you're feeling in your body
Get specific with your emotional vocabulary
Remember: noticing is enough if you can't name it immediately
O - Open and Observe
Drop into your body and acknowledge the emotion
Observe the physical sensations without trying to change them
Allow the emotion to exist without reacting
W - Watch and Wait
Watch yourself have this emotional experience
Remind yourself this feeling exists because of something you're thinking
Wait and allow the emotion to move through you naturally
4. Building Emotional Literacy
Most of us operate with only 5-6 emotional words, but expanding our vocabulary gives us better information to work with. Instead of just feeling "stressed," we might identify:
Time scarcity
Overwhelm
Performance anxiety
Decision fatigue
The more specific we can be, the better we can support ourselves.
My Favorite Story from This Episode
I shared a story about my daughter when she was four years old. She'd had a terrible day at preschool and came home devastated. After some time playing and processing, she looked up at me with wonder and announced, "I'm happy!"
What struck me was that with her four-year-old mind, she truly believed she was going to be sad forever. When the sadness lifted and happiness returned, she experienced the beautiful contrast that makes emotions so rich and meaningful.
This story illustrates a profound truth: No emotion lasts forever. We need the contrast of difficult emotions to truly appreciate and recognize the beautiful ones.
Why This Conversation Matters
This episode is especially close to my heart because emotional processing has been the gateway to everything else in my coaching work. When we learn to feel our emotions instead of avoiding them, we:
Make better decisions from a place of clarity
Build deeper, more authentic relationships
Develop genuine resilience
Access more creativity and joy
Break free from cycles of emotional eating, overspending, or other avoidance behaviors
Practical Steps to Get Started
If you're ready to begin your own journey of emotional processing, here are some gentle first steps:
Start with curiosity. When you notice an uncomfortable emotion, try saying "That's interesting" instead of immediately trying to fix or avoid it.
Ask supportive questions: "What do I need right now?" or "How can I support myself in this moment?"
Practice the 90-second rule. Remember that emotions naturally last about 90 seconds when we don't resist them. You can handle 90 seconds of discomfort.
Build body awareness. Learn to recognize emotions at a level 1-2 instead of waiting until they hit level 11.
Connect with This Topic
This conversation builds beautifully on many themes we explore here on Seasons of Joy:
Listen to the Full Episode
Ready to dive deeper into this conversation? Listen to the complete episode where Kimberly and I explore:
Our personal journeys with emotional eating
The cultural messages we received about emotions growing up
How to support others through their emotional experiences
The ripple effects of emotional processing on all areas of life
Share This Episode
If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who might benefit. You can:
Share on social media using #SeasonsOfJoy
Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform
Send the episode link to a friend who's navigating similar challenges
Continue the Conversation
I'd love to hear from you! How do you process difficult emotions? What tools have been most helpful in your journey? Connect with me:
Email: jill@seasons-coaching.com
Website: seasons-coaching.com
Social Media: IG @seasons_coaching and FB @seasons.life.coaching
The Seasons of Joy podcast is for women of faith navigating the middle season of life. Each episode offers practical tools, honest conversations, and hope for creating more joy, regardless of your current circumstances.
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About the Author: Jill Pack is a certified faith-based life + relationship coach and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She helps women of faith navigate their seasons of life with greater purpose and joy. For more resources or to work with Jill, visit www.seasons-coaching.com.
