Binge Emotional Eater
 

Ok, so I've realized that my problem is that I'm an emotional eater. When I'm bored, i eat...when I'm stressed, i eat...when I'm sad, i eat it...etc, etc. And when i do eat, it's always the wrong things and wrong amount. :( How do I deal with that? I need to lose about 55 lbs....one pound at a time!

I was/am exactly the same. For me it was all about trying to keep my mind off food when an emotional craving came up. I'd paint my nails, go for a walk or have a bath. A lot of times because I wasn't really hungry the feeling would pass. However on those days where it doesn't matter what you do you still 'need' to eat, I've switched to much healthier snacks. I don't really keep junk in the house, or at least not to the same extent that I used to. So now I turn to fruit or vegetables when I have a bad craving.

Good luck, and remember what you wrote, it is one pound at a time, and it will take some time, unfortunately, to get rid of it.

As an emotional eater, you grab food not when you are hungry, but when you are feeling some uncomfortable underlying emotion. When you feel that anxiety to start a binge, think about what you are really feeling at that moment. If you log your pre-binge feelings, you might end up noticing that you have a pattern. Maybe you always feel sadness, or loneliness. Once you can isolate the emotion, you can find a more effective way of dealing with the emotion than food.

My sentiments exactly.im new to the forum and I am amazed as to how many people have the same problem.

You're using eating as your coping mechanism. All you need to do is find a more constructive coping mechanism.

Make a list of every single thing you can think of that you enjoy. Are there any that would be easy for you to do in place of eating? Have three of four things ready for the next time you feel you need to eat...and instead of eating, do one of those things.

Thanks everyone! I will try these tips.