I'm just wondering if there is anyone who can relate to this. Lately, I've been eating a lot of fast food; Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell & Subway (not the healthy subs), at least once a day for a while now. During a rough day at work I think about which place I will stop at and what I will get. I always eat my food in the car. On my ride home I drive by all these places. I think to myself, If I can just drive home without driving past these places I'll be OK. Once I get home I can not eat junk food anymore. My boyfriend is on a healthy kick and is a good influence on me eating-wise. Unfortunately, a lot of my emotional needs are not met by him. Basically, I am eating my feelings. He does not understand my problem and if I tell him what I'm doing he'll be really upset with me. I go to bed and then I wake up the next day feeling really guilty. Ugghh, I am soooo disgusted with myself!! Thanks for letting me vent!!

Oh geeze- that used to be the story of my life. I mean every part of what you just said was me. Here's what I did: I went to like 3 places in one night (on purpose) and ordered a TON of stuff. You see, I REALLY like fast food and I knew I had to go to extreams to stop eating it. I ate and ate and ate... until I was SO sick for 2 days. Sounds terrible, I know. But I don't crave it any more and I'm going on my 3rd month not eating it!

oh no! i think there is definitely something psychological about wanting to binge at the end of the day. all throughout middle school and high school, i used to fantasize about everything i wanted to eat on the bus ride home, then binge binge binge on all the things i thought about, even if i didn't crave them anymore.

can you eat a snack before leaving work, or keep some in your car? or maybe chew some gum? or maybe plan to go out to dinner with your boyfriend somewhere after work?

i'm coming up with all these ideas now, but never tried them lol. i still come home and binge and i'm pretty much in the same boat. maybe i'll try them!

I can really relate to this. For years, whenever I was stressed, bored, anxious, etc. (actually any emotions, because that included happy, excited, and so on), I would imagine what I was going to eat later. Sometimes it would be the only thing that would get me through the day, and it was how I lived through stress. If you can admit that you are eating your feelings then maybe you can work out those feelings before you eat, as a prevention. Even just noticing how you are feeling when you are daydreaming about food can really help--are you sad/upset/bored/tired? Are you restless, irritable or discontent? These feelings aren't really going to go anywhere if you eat them away. Just like you said, they are waiting in the form of guilt the next morning.

In this fast-paced country of ours, avoiding driving near fast food places is pretty hard. Instead of stopping somewhere, try mapping out your plan of action before you leave. Distraction seems to work for me, but ultimately it is those emotions that you aren't dealing with that will send you back to McDonald's.

I'm on the same boat lol I had been losing 7lbs a month was doing good up until I started going to school in december I started stressing out going bk to eating like my old self fast food chips cookies lol just monday I went to the gym for 2hrs then afterwards went to burger king!

Well, you are eating your emotions. Fast food is also made to be extremely addictive, and it is certainly never satiating.

If I were you, I'd acknowledge all the terrible things that fast food stands for : the food is the cheapest food in the world - all of the meat is coming from terrible factory farms, the vegetables(i.e. tomatos) are being raised by illegal immigrants (which means they are harshly exploited), and of course it is affecting you - it is damaging to your health, it is keeping you heavier than you want, and it is making you depressed.

I guess what I am trying to say is, look outside of yourself and your emotions. You will be able to find tons of reasons why no one should eat fast food. Maybe the rational reasons, combined with your self-determination to stop eating it, will be enough to keep on driving.

I would most definitely pack something to eat in the car on the ride home. Really. Maybe a peanut butter and jelly.... something really thick and satisfying, nothing will happen to it if you keep it in the car (or in your purse) for the day. Not something light like carrot sticks.....

I had a big problem with avoiding fastfood too, but I tried a few things that did help me. Until I moved in December, I lived in a bigger city while I worked on my master's. I lived a block off of a major street, so I drove past no less than 10 different fastfood places on my 20 block drive home from class every night. Because of my crazy schedule, I always let myself get over hungry during the day, so I was starving by the time I was on my way home and would end up seeking comfort in the fastfood. I tried making better decisions by making a compromise with myself. I started only eating at Subway (the healthy subs with no cheese and no sauces just turkey/chicken and veggies). That way I could still eat out whenever I was mentally/emotionally/ physically exhausted and not have to go home and cook. After a while of that, I decided to plan out my nightly meals before, so I always knew what I was eating and would be more motivated to stick to the game plan. Something else that helped me to outsmart the fastfood was never carrying money with me. If I didn't have money, I couldn't buy anything (muahahaha) . I had one credit card with me that I only used for emergencies, so I wasn't going to use it for fastfood. Also, I know I had way more trouble saying no when I had let myself get too hungry during the day. Since you're eating on your way home from work, try eating something healthy and fulfilling before you leave work, so you're less tempted. I hope this helps! You are definitely not alone.

I stopped myself from buying extra things by not bringing money with me. If you need gas money, then try to get a gas card you can only use in a pump but not as an atm card. It is a lot easier to sidestep the fast food if you do not carry money.

You ought to berate yourself a little to. You know, like create a mantra like: I will not stop at this Wendys because I would be cheating on my diet, lying to myself and all my friends. Just say that a dozen times as you drive by. When you drive by. congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Your problem is the empty space between things -- which happens when you are making transitions.

When you're in the car, alone, you're essentially nowhere. It's like being left alone inside your own head. You haven't arrived yet. (You say you do this after leaving work, but before getting home.) You're transitioning -- because you're moving on from one place to another.

And when you're alone, with your own thoughts, in this private place, all the things you are tamping down are leaking out (but you know that, don't you? from your post, it sounds like you do). You are getting uncomfortable & sad & anxious. You are trying to soothe yourself. Which is why you are turning to the food.

You need to work on handling that "alone, driving someplace" time. You can take another route. You can give someone a ride with you. You can listen to a meditation or self-help tape or other recording. You can sing with the radio. You can try breathing exercises. You can [fill in the blank with whatever].

Everyone has empty transitional times & you need to figure out what to do with yours. Just sitting with it is okay. Doing nothing. Just driving is fine.

OMG I am the exact same way. Just this last September my youngest son started preschool and for the first time in 6 years I get 2 1/2 hours three times a week to myself! Nobody else is there during that time except for myself and I'm not used to it. Most days I go through the drive through at McDonalds, Subway, Tim Hortons, Arby's, etc. And I eat in the car outside my ds's preschool waiting for him. If I come home I eat whatever crappy foods I can find in the house. And I usually take out $20 at the beginning of the week so DH can't see the take out on our bank statement. I'm a binger and have been for as long as I can remember and when I was thinner I was a purger as well. Have put on quite a bit of weight by not purging but still binging.

I'm thinking my best plan of action is to remove my debit card out of my wallet and leave it at home unless I need it. I will grab it if I go to the grocery store once a week and get gas on the way there or back...but that's it. If I have no money with me, I can't stop at these places. I don't know what else I can do to stop it.

Please OP, remember your not alone.

i can sooo relate to "size3" since i have a boyfriend too that is not really what i want but am so stuck in my current situation which makes me feel like im not really in control so the only control i have is my body and buy food at places like jack and mcdonalds fill me if that makes any sense but only momentarily then i feel disgusting and sad all over again... ♥

Wow! Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and for your tips! I'm going to try not bringing money with me, leaving healthy food in the car and singing to music on the radio.
Saef, you really hit the nail on the head with the empty transitional time. Also, I realized that its my last chance to soothe myself before going home to someone who is not comforting at all.

It may help to do some research on Fast foods. Super Size Me, Fast Food Nation, there are many books and documentaries on the subject that can give you a new perspective. A rule I made years ago (when I wasn't even dieting) was to never eat unless I was sitting at a table. That meant not eating at my desk, in my car, at the computer or in front of the TV. It meant that any take out food I bought, I put in the trunk of the car until I got home.

Fast food and restaurant meals are a very unhealthy habit to get into. I am not saying it cannot have a place in a person's food choices, it just shouldn't be very often. Try limiting yourself to 1-3 times a month. And study the calories of the items, there are many online sources. You may be able to find a few selections that can work as a part of your diet or eating plan.

I think that fast foods are addictive. I have the same problem and I love to eat fast food. I have been trying to be good and when I do go thru a drive thru I will get just the small sandwich like a small hamburger at Wendy's. I don't usually eat a McDonald's- I think their food is a lot more greasy (as if Wendy's isn't). I don't get fries or ice cream - just the small sandwich and a diet drink and that satisfies me. I did order some onion rings the other day at a local fast food restaurant and ate some, they made me sick.

i know exactly how you feel, and it seems like a lot of us out there do as well.
i have gone through periods where i've eaten nothing but fast food. i was so miserable, it was the one thing i looked forward to doing all day. it soothed me, as food usually does (i have a terrible relationship with food, its not just emotional eating with me). its a funny process for me, whether i'm eating fast food or binging in general. i plan it. i know full-well that it's probably not a good idea. but i do it anyway. and in the moment, i feel like crap for doing it, but i don't care. it makes me feel good. and i used to eat fast food only in the car. binging, always alone.
i think not bringing money is good idea, and i'm not sure what you're eating during the day, but eating something before you leave work might help as well...protein usually holds me over.
good luck hun, keep us updated!
also, is there anything that you could say to your boyfriend that might help him see where you're coming from? maybe he doesn't know that he's been lacking as a partner?