Is anyone struggling with emotinal eating? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Hot Tamale · 12-09-2007, 01:35 PM

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!

Rafaella · 12-09-2007, 03:33 PM

ME!!!!
I´m an emotional eater. I´ve been trying to understand and discover what are the feelings that make me turn to food and I´ve discovered it´s specially boredom and stress, I´m studying for my BAR exam and when I feel I have so much left or there´s something I dont understand I start eating.
I haven´t 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 u´re not the only one, that there´s others in the same situation.

offthecouch · 12-09-2007, 03:37 PM

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!

CountingDown · 12-09-2007, 04:01 PM

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.

dawnie89 · 12-09-2007, 04:31 PM

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.

italiancalgirl · 12-09-2007, 04:34 PM

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!!

dawnie89 · 12-09-2007, 04:43 PM

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!

italiancalgirl · 12-09-2007, 04:54 PM

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

witchyonadiet · 12-09-2007, 05:43 PM

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

Hot Tamale · 12-09-2007, 08:47 PM

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!