Hi Texas Mom -- I dealt with emotional eating issues as well, and the way that I -- well, I won't say "stopped," but rather "redirected" them was to have all my meals and snacks pre-prepared, so if I was going to reach for something, I'd be set up already with something healthy. I had my 3 meals planned and prepared (or ready, in the case of breakfast,) as well as my mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks. I think eating small meals frequently has been key to my success -- it helps ward off blood sugar- and hunger-related vulnerabilities. If I was wanting to eat something off plan for the wrong reasons and was having trouble with it -- like at work with bagels and cream cheese (I adore bagels & cc) or brownies or cake or whatever (there's something there 3 out of 5 days a week, in addition to all the candy in everybody's cubes) I'd just MAKE myself drink a huge glass of water and take a walk around the office to clear my head. I just had to remind myself all the time that I was trying to not be fat anymore. I honestly would forget in the beginning and instinctively begin to go for it, then I'd remind myself of Beverly's (boibaby's) signature, "Never trade what you want most for what you want at the moment." It became my mantra, and really helped me so much. I would just concentrate on giving myself positive feedback in my mind when I reached for cottage cheese when others were having chips, or I was having an apple and a protein drink when they were having cookies. You can do it, but not by accident. I think you have to be just so PURPOSEFUL, particularly in the beginning. You're doing one of the hardest things to do: changing a habit. It's hard and it sure doesn't happen overnight....but it's completely possible. If you look at anyone who's lost any weight, know the following: they're not any better than you, or smarter than you, and they aren't naturally predisposed to more discipline or strength than you. And they were fat at one time, maybe obese, maybe morbidly obese. So what separates them from you? Choices. They made more positive choices than negative choices, and those conscious decisions to treat themselves lovingly and with care added up over a long time, to ultimately tip the scales in weight loss. Think about it. More positive than negative. None of us is perfect. None of us has not struggled or fallen flat on our faces and then been filled with self-loathing or disgust or shame. Or all of the above. But what separates the Losers from the Non-losers is repetition, and -- and this is just my own opinion here -- a huge amount of courage in believing again and again that weight loss is possible after all.
You can do it. You have it in you. You may not own the last moment, but you own this one. Shape it the way you want it to be. Build your own weight loss legacy and shape your own destiny. Be purposeful, plan, organize your food so you can more easily make the right choices -- ****, remove the choice from the equation altogether for now by knowing in advance what you're going to eat. Then, when you have some more time, experience, and positive history under your belt, you can give yourself some more leeway. I send you love and faith. If ever you need anything, feel free to post for help from this wonderful group, or PM me if you want. I know you can do it!!!