Morning Kell and Raven,
Sure I can identify with what you are saying. ANY sort of change is scary. This extra weight is a marvelous excuse for a lot of things... "he didn't like me because I am fat", I can't go on this trip because I am too fat", "they didn't hire me because I am too fat.".. etc. It is a terrific security blanket. Protects us from all the things in the world that we don't want to deal with. We take away that security, we are faced with a whole new set of scary problems. Skinny people have problems too. Just because we lose weight, we cannot expect our lives to be perfect. Losing weight is not going to fix everything that is wrong.
When we stop stuffing down our emotions with food, we have to find new ways of dealing with them. A few ways I deal with the emotions are:
Exercise _ yes it works. I am addicted to the endorphin rush.
Hobbies - Cross stitch, gardening, playing on the computer, reading a book.
Pampering - hot baths, doing your finger and toenails
Social Activities - calling a friend, chatting online, going to a church funtion, volunteering. Being around people helps you take the focus off of yourself for awhile. Have you ever been out with a bunch of fun people and realize you forgot to eat? I know I have.. and I don't even notice it because I am having fun.
When I grab for something to eat outside of mealtime.. I stop and think. Put on the brakes. What am I eating? Why am I eating this? For example, if I grab something unhealthy.. stop and think. Am I hungry? If you really truly are hungry, an apple, or some veggie will stop the growling stomach. If you think , no I am hungry for chips. That isn't hunger.. that is a craving. Some people have a rubber band on their wrist to "snap" them back into their senses when they are dealing with emotional cravings.
I don't think there is any one thing that will work all the time, but having an awareness of the problem is the first step in making the change. I am a firm believer that the majority of successful weight loss starts in between the ears.