Wow today I could not get into the gym because the treadmills were all taken. So I went back up to my apartment and proceeded to eat half a bag of pita chips and 1/2 cup of hummus. I am not sure if I did bad as far as points are concerned but I know it sure opened my eyes when I stopped myself half way through and saw the problem of soothing my frustration with food.
I am reading a "Million Little Pieces" and yes I know a lot of it is lies but......I am trying to be objective as I see myself very close to many of the feelings he has but of course mine are directed at food not drugs. I have to fill it up and keep doing it until I am ok and soothed.
Anyone else out there? I think I have made strides however in the fact that I am able now to recognize it. I have also been reading "Overcoming Overeating".
I've had to work hard at this, even writing down my triggers for over eating then writing lists of alternative activities that I can do instead of eating. I went through terrible homesickness in my first year in England, and ate my way through it, I was certainly fat before I moved here, make no mistake, but my methods of handling the disconnectedness and loneliness I felt certainly didn't help.
I have managed my weight loss a bit like a work project. I did a SWOT analysis when I started (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), and have tried to be a bit sort of detached from it. Which has worked for me.
The whole problem with using food as an anaesthetic, is that it *works* When I eat for reasons other than hunger, all I am thinking about is the food, how it tastes, how it feels, all other thoughts and feelings are put aside. It's taken me a while to learn that there are other ways to get through difficult times.
Count me in on the emotional eating train! It is still something I have to battle every single second of every single minute of every single day. Some days it is easier than others. The past 3 years, I was eating my way through stress, to the point where I can even guess the amount of calories I was putting into my body on a daily basis. is my major downfall. I definately know my triggers, and I have tried to set up a "fail-safe" environment at home, so if I feel the need, there isn't anything in the house to tempt me.
Darlene - That is very cool that you were able to recognize what you were doing and stop in the middle. That is definitely the first step in stopping the unconscious eating.
From what you said happened, maybe one of your triggers is when you are feeling your control over your life thwarted (I know it definitely is for me). You had all the best of intentions to exercise and then weren't able to complete it through no fault of your own. I know that for me so much of my food issues revolve around control. Even though it can hurt me (depending on what I choose), I can always control what I eat and therefore fight back against the forces that make my life feel out of control.
Yup...add me to the list too. I try to be more aware of when I eat other than for hunger...but I am finding myself saying..."why am I eating? O.k. aware that it is not for hunger" and still do it anyway
I just finished reading A Million Little Peices myself, and found so many parallels. I found it interesting that the gave up one addiction for another, ie: Coffee and food too!
There's a wonderful book for emotional eaters called Life is Hard, Food is Easy, by Linda Spangle. I recommend it! The first step in disrupting a pattern is recognizing it.
Food the Soother
is my major downfall. I definately know my triggers, and I have tried to set up a "fail-safe" environment at home, so if I feel the need, there isn't anything in the house to tempt me.
