[MelKnee]

I overeat -
when I have a job to do that I don't want to do, such as mopping the floor.
when I'm bored.
after my dad calls.
when I feel like I am failing at being a mother.

[GenreGirl]

One of my biggest triggers is eating when I'm tired rather than taking a nap or going to bed. Like many other women, I learned early to avoid taking care of myself in favor or something or someone else. It is/has been/will be a hard road ahead teaching myself to care for & listen to my body instead of ignoring it.

I also eat from habit &/or depression. Keeping a food & exercise journal helps me stay on track & aware of what exactly is going into my body & what I'm doing to further my physical & emotional health.

On top of that I have blood sugar problems & I'm learning the hard way that I must follow 'the plan' or pay the price- in gained weight, lack of energy, etc.

We're making progress, everyone! One step, one pound at a time we're closer to our goals. Keep up the good work.

[love1384]

I have found out for me that boredom equates to food. To occupy my team i eat, out having nothing to do. Weird right, instead of using that "boredom" on treadmill I rather bake a cake. Or search the web for recipie to bake something or coook something. I hate sit around so eating becomes an activity in itself.

[HDStreetBob]

This is so awesome! It is really giving me a lot of thought-


Now what can we DO to replace these actions and shift from food to another reward, entertainment, form of control etc??

Any suggestions?

I am thinking for the control I will try re-arranging the furniture....

[kateful]

Originally Posted by HDStreetBob

This is so awesome! It is really giving me a lot of thought-


Now what can we DO to replace these actions and shift from food to another reward, entertainment, form of control etc??

Any suggestions?

I am thinking for the control I will try re-arranging the furniture....

Other than administering severe and frequent beatings, I can't think of anything. (That was really my first thought). Maybe I should start taking a boxing class.

[phantastica]

One thing that works for me is that I've made a list of a bunch of things I want to get done, and if I get an urge to eat something I choose to do something from that list instead. This includes everything from mending clothes to paying bills, organizing things, donating boxes of junk to the Salvation Army, chopping vegetables. This hasn't worked for me in the past, but this time I've internalized something that tells me, "Hey, this is it - all I can ever do is right in front of me. Do it now and do it well."

Or, one can always come to 3FC to read and respond to posts.

[HDStreetBob]

Originally Posted by kateful

Other than administering severe and frequent beatings, I can't think of anything. (That was really my first thought). Maybe I should start taking a boxing class.

HA HA HA HA HA!!! That actually would be fun!
A punching bag in the garage?? *GRIN*

Phantastica- That is really a good idea- my house is such a disaster that I could get so much done that way!

[joyofsix]

This thread has really made me think. It occurs to me I eat to mother myself. When I've worked hard and deserve a reward or want to treat myself I think of food. I do for myself what my mother used to do. A special piece of chocolate or a coke, just for me. I obviously need to make a list of alternatives like a bubble bath or something.

[anirtak]

Lately I have been talking to you ladies instead of eating. Getting my chat on! No honestly, I have take more interest in food. Does that make sense? Instead of eating crap I make healthy food that tastes great. I spend MORE time considering what I put in and because of that extra effort I am more unwilling to compromise. I enjoy cooking anyway but this is a new adventure in eating healthy. My love for cooking and food have been a great reward system for me so far because I am now directing my affection for food to foods that are good for me. With that said, I wouldn't mind beating someone or something up either, since that may solve more deep seated control issues.

[little grasshopper]

well, seeing as how DF and I took a nose dive off the wagon Friday night, I might not be the best person to share...but here goes. We cheated. We did it willingly, planned it and enjoyed the first thirty minutes of it. BUT we confined to that time space and food. We knew we were right back on board the next meal. And it was an extreme situation. Usually I drink a lot of water. Have some herbal tea. Go for a walk, and I agree with anirtak - I cook much high quality food now that tastes much better. I'm trying to find new comfort foods or better yet. Find comfort activities and and reward activities, instead of FOODS.

[HDStreetBob]

I think this thread may be the best resource I have for changing my habits to good ones.



I am thinking of trying to clean out one drawer or cabinet a day when I feel the urge to eat.

[MariaOfColumbia]

Originally Posted by HDStreetBob

Awesome Maria! How did you resolve the need to hide from the attention of men?

I’m just braced for it this time. If it happens, I’ll just ignore it. I’m one of those “shy” people who doesn’t even like to be looked at, let alone admired! However, I’ve come to realize that the men who offer compliments or make admiring glances really don’t mean any harm. It’s just their nature. I’m the odd one, in that I can’t stand it. I can, however, control my reaction and refuse to let it be an excuse to hurt myself.

Originally Posted by HDStreetBob

What do you do rather than eat?

LOL! I still eat! I just count the calories so that I don’t unknowingly bust my budget. I keep busy with all the other little projects that crop up in life. Also, having to take a stomach acid supplement with everything I eat puts a damper on casual snacking. If I eat something fatty or high protein and DON’T take the supplement, I pay for it with indigestion and/or excessive burping in an hour or so.

Originally Posted by lilybelle

MariaofColumbia, I could have written your post. I think my main reason for over-eating was that I wasn't getting the proper nutrition that my body was needing. It was craving something nutritious and I was feeding it everything else. My blood sugar would plummet and I'd think that I needed more to eat. It was a vicious cycle. Now that I am eating healthy and much less food, I don't have this happening anymore.

My case is a tad different, lilybelle. My parents were health food nuts from the time I was small. I’ve always eaten a healthy diet. However, because of my low stomach acid, which impedes digestion of fats and protein, I was only really getting the carbs in sufficient quantity. So, despite my healthy diet, I might as well have been living on junk food, and so was continually hungry, and overate on *healthy* food. My body was desperate for the right fats and proteins!

I say it’s genetic, because my father has always had a “touchy” stomach as did his father before him. And one of my daughters has the condition even worse than I do. At 19 she’s having to take more acid supplements than I am at 43. And now my father is finally enjoying his meals without worrying about pain to follow. I

I’m just glad I happened on a book that explained about “hypochloridia”, the condition I have. I’d always tried antacids before to prevent indigestion, and they never worked. Adding acid works great, though. Who’d have thunk it?

And, before anyone scolds me, I have mentioned this to my doctor, who just stared blankly and shrugged it off when I told her I’d cured my indigestion with stomach acid supplements. It’s like it was so far off her normal medical mental map she couldn’t even think about it. Good grief.

[HDStreetBob]

My husband will be back from duty (Navy) tomorrow night and while I am THRILLED he is returning I am also bummed out because I have to go back into wife mode and cook meals for him in addition to taking care of the 4 kids- this will be the first big challenge to staying OP.

He also will try to tell me how to do my diet better and then I will have to resist the urge to sabotage my own diet. He means well- it is just that this is something I must do my way for me and he gets offended if I try to explain things like that to him.

By looking at my behavior over the last few weeks I realize that I am eating to buck what I percieve as him being controlling which is in fact his way of supporting me.

So I need to prepare mentally- I no longer want to destroy my body. Maybe if I take a walk every time I feel the urge to eat...

I need help! Yikes!

[phantastica]

Originally Posted by HDStreetBob

He also will try to tell me how to do my diet better and then I will have to resist the urge to sabotage my own diet. He means well- it is just that this is something I must do my way for me and he gets offended if I try to explain things like that to him.

I've had people try to tell me how to lose weight, too. I can only look at them and say, "I have to do what I know works for me. There are a million diets out there, and one might work for you and a different one might work for me. It's my job to figure out how to make this work."

[kateful]

Don't tell him you are trying to lose weight. Just tell him you are feeding the family healthier foods. After reading Glory's story here, I bought the superfoods book. My husband bought a bunch of fruit right after that and was telling me which ones were Superfoods. I didn't tell him that. He'd been filching my book and reading it on his own, which is EXTREMELY out of character for him. Try it.