[mara11jade]

I'm not *horrible* with this - but I've got a lot to learn.


Tips?

[junebug41]

It's tricky isn't it?

I'm not an emotional eater, but I eat for the sheer entertainment of it. Every once in a while I will catch myself eating to quell anxiousness and what I find most helpful is to call myself out on it/admit it and find another outlet. If you can realize what you're doing before too much damage is done, that's a step in the right direction IMHO.

You also need to find another outlet for whatever the reason is that makes you do this. If you're stressed out, anxious, etc... working out our writing down your feelings can be very helpful.

Good luck!

[beescwee]

It's so difficult, isn't it. If I want to do it I either meet up with a friend that I would never overeat/eat unhealthily in front of, or sometimes just go to sleep! Sometimes taking a wee half hour nap can mean you can start the day again and rethink things. Maybe that's a bit of an odd one, but it works for me!

I think the most important thing is that if it does happen, you have to dust yourself off and not let it get in the way. That's one of the hardest things for me. I've ruined every diet I've ever been on because I've had a binge and decided I'm not going to be able to do it. I'm determined to not let that happen this time!!!

[bethanygm]

I was in therapy for a year for emotional overeating (binging). The ONLY only only way to deal with it and avoid it is to actually let yourself feel whatever emotion you are trying to "stuff down". My husband is leaving on deployment soon and I was overwhelmed with the desire to do some emotional eating. I let myself eat, because I didn't WANT to feel sad and awful, but then after a day or so of that, I finally let myself just feel it. I ended up feeling really sad for the entire day and then I was OK the next. I just had to suck it up and get through it.

If you feel anxious or sad or anything, you need to ask yourself where the feeling might be coming from and face it... and just sit with it and feel it. It sucks really bad, honestly, but the more you make yourself do it, the better you will get at coping with different emotions without the food. Emotional eating is the main way I sabotage my diets.