Emotional Eating while stressed
 

Tomorrow I am restarting the SBD Phase 1. Today I bought Beachy groceries. I started off my day OK, then ended it badly.

I had 1 slice WW toast for breakfast with lite laughing cow, coffee

Then a large Greek salad for lunch with EVOO

Later this afternoon we got a call that my grandfather who is in a nursing home fell and may have broken his hip. He is 82 and they are transporting him to the local hospital. As soon as everyone left, I immediately turned to food. I had cannolini, some Mars bar, and a Thinsations pack. I didn't even stop to think what I was doing, I just shoveled food into my mouth.

Emotional eating has been a problem for me for quite some time. In the past (2004) I went from 170 to 127lbs on the SBD (I will post photos). After a terrible depression and medication I continued emotionally eat and regain all of my lost weight. I wish I had some form of willpower, control and the power to say No I will not turn to food............

You have to have alternatives for eating to relieve you stress. I suggest you make a list of things you like to do - read a book, take a bubble bath, talk to friends, take a walk, etc. After I made my list, I cut them apart and put them in a jar. When I feel the need to eat for emotional reasons, I take one out and do that instead. I don't think there is a thing called willpower. There are choices. You can chose to do what supports your weight loss efforts or you can take the road that doesn't. Only you can make the decision. Eating doesn't really solve anything, it makes it worse because it adds a load of guilt to it.

I hope everything is okay with your grandfather.

just a thought....ww toast is not allowed on SBD P1.

I've never really had a real problem with emotional eating, but a friend of mine did. I asked her what she did to overcome it and she sent me the following link:

http://www.slice.ca/Advice/Sliceblog...2&postID=12545

I hope this provides you with a bit of helpful advice. I really like the idea of making foods that feel like cheating, but isn't. Healthy pizza, ww spaghetti, the PB cup, etc. They all tackle that craving and don't make you feel like crap afterwards.

I am an emotional eater too, and since we recently moved here I've been lonely which involved me packing on some serious weight in the last year. I've been on SBD for over three weeks now, it's really helped me to have a very structured meal plan, to know exactly when and what I am going to eat. I write down everything I consume and I don't cheat because I don't want to have to write it down, if that makes sense. I just had to decide that I am accountable and I HAVE to write down whatever goes in my mouth. In times of stress I now have a Diet Coke or a sugar free hard candy. They are actually really satisfying now! :hug:

:hug: Brockbabe. What's your grandpa's name? I'll keep him in my prayers.

I totally understand what you're saying about emotional eating, and P1 is a prime time to fall victim to it. I've found that the big key is setting things up so you are FORCED to think about what you are doing. Here are some things that work for me:

• Get anything I'm likely to turn to for emotional reasons out of the house. DH says he knew I was serious about SBD when I tossed a half-eaten carton of ice cream in the trash. :club:
• Make it hard to get to the things that are still in the house. I freeze the portions of SBD-safe baked goods that I haven't eaten (i.e. more than one serving's worth). That way, I have to defrost them before I can eat them, and that gives me time to think about it beforehand.
• Make a rule with yourself that buys you time. I've used several--one of the most successful is to drink an 8 oz glass of water before you eat anything. Tell yourself if you're still hungry after the glass of water, you'll let yourself eat. I also tell myself that if I'm hungry, I can have some veggies. If I want them, I know I'm really hungry. If my brain says, "no, I just want some crackers/cookies/etc." I know it's just head hunger or emotional eating and I deal with it in a more healthy way.
• Write about how you are feeling or call someone (or post here!) to get the emotions out.
• Put a list of reasons you want to lose the weight (or a photo of how you want to look, if you're more visual-oriented) on the fridge to help remind you.

Best of all, schedule P1 for a time when it'll be easiest for you to stick to the plan. In other words, don't schedule P1 for the middle of Thanksgiving or for the week your in-laws are coming to visit (unless they are lovely and supportive!).

Dust yourself off, set up some habits that will help support your work, toss out the things you crave, and start anew on P1, hon. Here's some :dust: to help. :hug:

Brockbabe, I can be an emotional eater too. But for various reasons. If I'm having a great time and have a sense of euphoria, I'm like, screw it, give me a fried chicken sandwich from Bojangles or a sub on bread. Or if I'm depressed, I will crave sugary things.

I hope your grandfather gets better and that everything is alright. Try to make something SBD legal to have on hand in case you do get bad cravings for emotional reasons. I make chocolate custard with splenda... it's actually healthy for you if you don't count the splenda (there are undecided opinions about the effects of Splenda.) It's got eggs, (protein, vitamin e), fat free milk (protein, calcium, good carbs), and hershey's pure cocoa (good source of antioxidants).

Thank you

His name is Leo

Last night after the X Rays and tests it was confirmed that he did indeed break his hip...

I'm going into teaching and if I am going to let everything bother me and be an emotional eater I will come to be very big... I need to get a handle on it...

I started fresh today.... I had scrambled eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast, FF NSA plain yogurt for a snack, a large romaine salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, 4 oz tuna and 1TBSP mayo

Snack was a part skim cheese string

Dinner will be talapia and more veggies

Then a sweet treat

I did SBD from 2004-2006 losing 43lbs, but I am since a little rusty and need refreshers on some things....

Thanks for all the guidance and support