I don’t get time to post much anymore but I just need to share a victory with someone else who will understand. My husband is my cheerleader but he has never been an emotional eater and just doesn’t understand how hard it is to overcome emotional eating.

My victory over emotional eating came last week. The mother of a very good friend of mine passed away and the funeral was last week. After the funeral my husband and I went out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant in the town the funeral was in. I didn’t do to bad only had 4 chips with beans and salsa, ate a fajita salad and I didn’t let myself overeat which in the past I would have continued mindless eating (including the whole basket of chips) to help heal the sorrow I was feeling.

We ended up going in separate vehicles to the funeral so of course I had to drive home by myself. I kept thinking about my friend and her mother (who I will miss immensely-she was a wonderful woman) and discovered that every time I thought about them I immediately wanted chocolate candy or ice cream or éclairs (all of which are my downfalls). I kept telling myself I didn’t need them that I just had dinner.

The town the funeral was in is about 35-40 minutes from home and about half way home I realized what was happening. I realized that I was trying to “drown” my sorrow in food. It was a wonderful revelation to me that I was conscious of what was happening. I think this might be a first for me in realizing that I can control what goes in my mouth even when my emotions are out of control.

To end this I have to say I didn’t have chocolate candy, ice cream or éclairs that day. I didn’t mindlessly overeat at dinner. And that I am capable of overcoming my emotional eating problem. WOW!!

So sorry to hear about your loss. Hugs to you. And Congrats on the insite to the emotional eating. It is amazing when you can make that conection and then stay strong and commited to this WOE. Take care.

I'm so sorry, Sheba's Mom, about your friend's mom's passing. It must be really hard for you to grieve and comfort your friend at the same time.

But good for you on figuring out that extremely powerful connection between food and emotions--it's something else, isn't it? Now that you've seen it in a big situation, keep looking for it in smaller ones, and I bet you'll see it more clearly. I found when I first had your revelation, that I'd get hungry for something and it was only after I'd ridden out the compulsion that the feelings came. If I ate, I never felt the feelings at all! No wonder I was eating all the time...it saved me a lot of present pain...but it lead to lots of future pain, eh?

Congrats on learning something so important about you and your power over food!

Thanks Little Chick and Beachgal!! It was rather amazing when I realized what was happening and that I could control it.