Emotional eating has been my downfall and why I have gained and lost, only to regain and lose the same 20-25 pounds for the past few years. I was very proud of myself today because although I was home all day, I stuck to my daily food plan and did not cheat. This was my first week, and I did really good the last few days, but today is my 1st day off (I only work 4 days a week).
I wanted so much to cheat, and every time I get a negative feeling I'd hear myself out loud "Stop, stop stop" and then I start thinking of something funny or something else alltogether to get my mind off of the thought. I Start imagining myself free of this excess weight around my stomach... able to feel free again, and desireable one more time. I'm not ugly or anything, but the negative thinking has taking so much out of my self-esteem. I started on a healty eathing path this week and I'm actually down 2.5 pounds in less than 1 week (probably mostly water), but I am incorporating a lot of protein and very little fat in my diet. I know I am also losing fat.
So, my question to you... how do YOU fight those negative feelings when things go wrong somewhere... how do you keep on track mentally to not fall back into overeating?
Thank you for your support
Aidan
Last edited by AidanThirty; 09-09-2011 at 05:11 PM.
Sometimes I just get into "that mood" so I keep low cal food on hand to munch on while I figure out how to get myself into a better mind space. I have rice cakes with a smear of PB & J, or puffed rice cereal, or drink lots of Crystal Light. Anything low cal but satisfying.
I also tell myself that weight loss is not a sprint but a marathon, and one has to pace oneself and expect ups and downs along the way. Have done well with this kind of thinking.
You will get there if you take the long view. I keep an encouraging letter that I wrote to myself posted on my dresser mirror; I read it every morning and it keeps me motivated for the long haul. I have stickies in different places reminding me why I'm doing this. Main thing is not to ditch your healthy eating plan because you went off it here and there.
Excellent ideas. I don't really foresee any problems along the way because I just recently had an understanding of why I overeat and I have realized recently that I have been mistreating myself. I used to think that I was my own best friend, but I was wrong. I was not my own best friend, but I intend to be just that. Nothing is more worth it than my health both physical and mental (and overeating or binge eating is the way our brain sabotages our bodies). I am on my way.
Thank you for the letter idea. That is brilliant. I see your weight loss journey too. I'm very impressed. Keep up the good work.
Well, I can't post my image yet but I am down 4 pounds (part water, I'm sure) my first week (I still have 2 days to go for the week). So fat, not letting myself go hungry is working out just fine.
Last edited by AidanThirty; 09-10-2011 at 09:59 AM.
I find sometimes just dissecting WHY I am eating something when I'm feeling bad helps. I tend to not eat it or even eat less of it once I know and accept why I want to eat it.
It's a constant struggle though, a compulsion really, plus it's a need to be masochistic and WANT to feel bad and beat myself up about eating badly. Does it always stop me? No. Does it help? Yes :-)
I wait. If I suddenly, rather desperately have the desire to eat something...at first I don't even realize its because I'm upset/anxious/whatever.
So anytime I have an "OMG I NEED ____ RIGHT NOW" moment, I wait half an hour. By then I've usually figured out:
a) if I'm even actually hungry
b) why the sudden craving came on (more or less. I'm kinda a mystery)
c) if I'm going to ignore the craving or find a less awful food to satisfy me
Not going to lie, sometimes I give in. But the delay between impulse and decision really helps me out.
To get where I am, I didn't emotional eat, but I ate out of boredom. I don't know if my strategies can help you, but I certainly hope they do.
- Keep water handy. If I get the urge to eat, I drink water instead. It fills me up and helps me make sure I drink plenty of water during the day.
- Make ices! If I really really need to "eat" something I make sure to take my crystal lite mixes and make ice pops out of them. They're wayyyy too few calories to worry about throwing off my count.
- Give in. I don't mean "just eat" but sometimes you really really need the taste of something and avoiding it too long can lead to a binge. Have a little bit. If you want chips, grab four or five of them and don't eat anymore. If you want chocolate eat one fun size bar and that's it. Savor the taste of food rather than the sensation of simply eating it. Teaching yourself that you can only have a little bit helps with this.
Even after three years I am battling the emotional eating. I have tried my best to replace my old habit of eating with other things. In the beginning I used housecleaning. Then, I started shopping. Then, I started other things like reading, watching a double feature on TV, organizing a cupboard...lol, THREE FAT CHICKS is a huge detterant to overeating. How can I binge while reading thoughtful posts from all the ladies here???
I lost my mother last week. We had been estranged for many years and IMO, for very good reasons. She died prematurely due to the overeating and sedentary lifestyle that brought on heart disease and diabetes. She died after ten years of serious illness and with amputated hands and feet.
For me the effects of being sedentary, reclusive and overeating are so very real. I want better for myself, for my family.
In the last few weeks, my husband lost his job. Both of our car registrations became due, and we had an unexpected bill for 850. Meanwhile, it took almost a month for unemployment to get sorted out and for us to receive payment. I was STRESSED. I wanted nothing more than to shove myself full of cupcakes and tacos and french fries and and and.
But, at the end of the day what stopped me was this. I can't change our financial situation, or my husband's job, etc. I am not in control of a lot of things in my life right now. What I am in control of is what I am putting in my mouth. I can't control how out of control my emotions feel- but I can control not eating a dozen doughnuts. Focusing on what I could control has helped me immensely, and kept me binge free through a really difficult month (that is thankfully, over!)
This has REALLY helped me these past few weeks, especially ever since I lost my job, had to move back in with my parents (600 miles away) and have taken a new job back home with a 10K+ paycut: I made it all psychological.
While I AM eating enough to live (breakfast, lunch & dinner), I'm no longer living to eat. I chalked it up as the only thing I can control in my life right now. Before this, I was an emotional eater. That mentality is what pushes me. When I feel weak, I drink plenty of water and preoccupy myself with something that will take my mind off of food.
How to you fight Your own emotional eating?
