Hello from NC!

I know that we all have different reasons that we are overweight but I wanted to ask who is struggling with emotinal eating? Eating out of lonliness,saddness, boredom, confusion? These are some issues that I am facing and I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how they deal with rough moments without turning to food?

I was not always an emotional eater. There was a time when I had a healthy relationship with food but it seems as though when things really got rough, I turned to food to numb those feelings of pain or just for company or comfort.

I really realize now that I am a food addict! I can admit that and I want to make a full recovery to loose this weight, inspire others and be able to enjoy food in a healthy way again.

Does anyone have any insight that could benifit myself and others?

Thank You!

ME!!!!
Iīm an emotional eater. Iīve been trying to understand and discover what are the feelings that make me turn to food and Iīve discovered itīs specially boredom and stress, Iīm studying for my BAR exam and when I feel I have so much left or thereīs something I dont understand I start eating.
I havenīt found a way to control it 100%. Exercising, thinking why I want to be healthier, dancing and going out sometimes help, but not always. Hope it works 4 u and know that uīre not the only one, that thereīs others in the same situation.

Hi!

I'm struggling with this too! I eat after dinner out of boredom and habit. And if I'm feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, that's a trigger too.

It sure is frustrating!

I've been trying cognitive behavior therapy and it's doing some good--when I use it! Basically it's questioning my negative, unhelpful thoughts. There's a good book called the Beck Diet Solution that uses it. But any of the cognitive behavior books show how to question thoughts and come up with better solutions. Of course I have to use the system for it to work --there's always a catch!

And deep breathing/meditation has helped.

Good luck to us all!

Former emotional eater here. I did it for YEARS. What works for me is:

• Eat breakfast - I can't stress this enough
• Eat every 2.5 - 3 hours - I can't stress this enough either. Keeping my blood sugar level is a huge component of eliminating emotional eating for me.
• Eat cleaner - the more empty calories I eat, the more susceptible I am to emotional eating. If I have eaten whole foods that are rich in nutrition, I am much less likely to binge when I am stressed, bored, tired, etc.
• Keep healthy foods within reach and unhealthy foods out of the house. One important facet of emotional eating for me was proximity. I usually grabbed something that I could eat immediately. Even microwaving took to long. If you begin to eat carrot sticks and fruit, you are much more likely to stop yourself after a healthy portion rather than finish off an entire carton of ice cream for instance.

You're definitely not alone in this, there's no emotion that doesn't send me for a bag of crisps - be it boredom, happiness, anger, you name it and I'll eat! I'm trying to conquer it at the moment and it seems to be going ok but it's early days yet.

So am I. I am going through a divorce right now. And I am trying so hard not to just sit on my butt and eat!!

I feel for you on that one, I'd just lost 3 stone when my last relationship ended. Sadly I found it all plus an extra 2 stones in the few months after that and have never shifted it.

I envy those people who lose weight when they are miserable!

It is a struggle. One motivator is that he has a young girlfriend!

I thinbk you'll find this is one of the most common reasons people have a weight issue.

Thank You All! All of your feedback and advice has been so great. I think that more than anything we need the support of people who understand our plight and struggle. It really is a battle between our minds and what our body wants to do. I love the advice about eating whole foods that have great nutritional value often. I did a whole food fast once before and this is so true that you can reach for a salad but it does not have the same numbing effect as a Crispy Creme! We can and will do this together!!

Be Blessed!