Question: sustainable weight loss for emotional eating?
 

Im 34 years old, 5'5" and weigh 236 lbs. I have been trying to get control over my weight since i was a teen.

so many times that i will lose weight for a few months, until i go back to eating junk. i've tried so many different diets, and even tried just eating healthy and not obsessing about dieting. this worked for a few months, and my weight was pretty stable. but like always, my emotions start getting the best of me, and i go back to what is easy.

Am i just destined to be overweight? you can see my old posts, where i just post the same thing, and i havent found an answer that works.

i have to get a healthy weight, but i continue failing. what can i do? :cry:


health issues:

im pre diabetic, and having blood pressure issues.

woman issues: (dont read if you get grossed out easily lol).

about two years ago, my mother passed away. I went from rarely having a period, to bleeding, every. single. day. I am not kidding. i have gone to two gynos. Just yesterday they used a camera to check inside, and scraped off polyps that i had. i have had my gallbladder removed, and would gladly do that again instead. :dizzy: im kidding. but lets just say, i was yelling in pain. i never just remembering the feeling of them scrapping my insides makes me weak in the knees.

Gyno and my Primary doctor advised me to lose weight to get my hormones under control

First of all, I want to say something very important to you and I want you to hear these words: you are NOT alone. So many of us (myself included) can hear our own stories through your post.

My first piece of advise is to close your eyes, take a breath, and take a moment to acknowledge that you are a human being, and like all of us, you have made and will continue to make mistakes on your journey. However, this does not mean you are failing! Every single experience you have had with weight loss (just as with dating, or professional experiences) has taught you something new; the fact you are still struggling does not mean you are a "failure" - it simply means you haven't found what works for you (yet), but this doesn't mean you never will. No one is "destined" for anything - we create our own destinies.

The fact you recognize yourself as an emotional eater already puts you in a very amazing place: you understand there is a deeper root cause to your weight issues. May I ask if you've ever gone to therapy or sought out professional guidance in terms of what these root causes may be - or - have you yourself ever sat down and tried to determine why you turn to food whenever you feel these negative emotions?

I like to use what Dr. Mark Hyman refers to as "The Tack Theory": Imagine you have a tack stuck in your foot. What would you do to treat the pain? You wouldn't simply put band-aids over it or take aspirin for the rest of your life; you'd remove the tack itself.

What is your tack? Why is food something you turn to for comfort? This is a very important thing to think about, and (I believe) is much more important to your personal weight loss journey than thinking about which diet to try, how many calories to consume, or what to make for dinner each night.

Another thing to consider is what you can do instead of eating to help yourself feel comfortable and safe when you're going through these negative emotions: perhaps the next time you're feeling low, call a close friend and invite them out for coffee, or grab your favorite playlist and take a nice long walk outside in nature. Whatever activities bring you joy, use them, and remind yourself food is never your only option.

I hope this helps you, dear friend. Be kind to yourself and take this journey one day at a time!

you will never be alone, all of us will help you and become friend with you. Keep going!