Emotional eating or binge eating?

loribethrice

My mom was anorexic in her late teens and early 20s and is very focused on how my sister and I look. It upsets her if we're overweight. My nana (dad's mom) was also very critical of what we looked like. She measured and weighed us monthly and wrote it down in a notebook when my sister and I were kids. my sister just eats what she wants and is bigger and doesn't seem to care, but my mom has made her cry a few times as an adult by criticizing what she looks like in clothes.

I have been looking into OA meetings. I have found one here in Pittsburgh that meets on Thursday nights that I want to go to. I am just trying to lose the weight right now that I gained since April which is obviously taking much longer to come off than the few weeks it took me to gain it.

Roaringgael

I like OA because it gives me that focus on my emotional needs. If "pulling myself" together had been an option I wouldn't have got to where I ended up. I have a friend who has the same story as loribethrice, her grandmother is over 90 and still obsessed with physical appearance. Sad to think she went all her life obsessing about the superficialness (her Nan) of physical appearance. At my age - 56, body size is all about mobility and health. Of course I look better, and of course I feel better, now I have to maintain the changes. I wouldn't doubt the hardship of an over critical mother and grandmother, they can ruin your emotional health if you let them. Building healthy boundaries between ourselves and family/ loved ones is often necessary.

loribethrice

Roaringgael wrote: »

I like OA because it gives me that focus on my emotional needs. If "pulling myself" together had been an option I wouldn't have got to where I ended up. I have a friend who has the same story as loribethrice, her grandmother is over 90 and still obsessed with physical appearance. Sad to think she went all her life obsessing about the superficialness (her Nan) of physical appearance. At my age - 56, body size is all about mobility and health. Of course I look better, and of course I feel better, now I have to maintain the changes. I wouldn't doubt the hardship of an over critical mother and grandmother, they can ruin your emotional health if you let them. Building healthy boundaries between ourselves and family/ loved ones is often necessary.

I loved my nana and I love my mom, but sometimes I will say that it's hard. I can't see anything but bad when I look at me and if anything on me changes for the worst then my mom will tell me. I have issues with my skin on my face that have gotten worse with the more weight I lose and she comments on that all the time. She always says that I would be so beautiful if my face would clear up. And I've paid like $2000 to get treatments for it, but rosacea, acne, and seborrheic dermatitis just don't give in as easily as I wish they would. I wish I could look at my body and realize that I have gone from 204lbs down to the 140s, but all I see is how fat I am and how my stomach won't flatten out. I have all this disgusting excess skin that I want removed, but it's so expensive.

tamtam71768

I recently moved from Texas to Kentucky and have noticed that I have been binge eating ever since. At first I thought it was emotionally triggered but now I think it might be a control issue (after reading previous posts). It's getting so bad I've thought about bulimia so I can continue to eat and not gain weight, but I hate the thought of vomiting. I don't have insurance so can't get professional help. Could use some friends to discuss this with that won't judge me.

Roaringgael

Its important for me to get support from others who understand. I can't fix anyones problems but I can say, yes I've felt that way. Yes things can change. Its important not to under-estimate our hormones when considering the way we eat either.
Most women struggle with self-image and looking back from where I am now at 56 I can honestly say, very few other people were actually judging me by my appearance, it was my own opinions of me that were making me unhappy. Other people are too self occupied to notice us really.

Roaringgael

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/overstressed-and-overeating

I thought this article had some interesting ideas. I am not supporting the actual programme at all just thought there was some food for thought.

rebekahzinn1

tamtam71768 wrote: »

I recently moved from Texas to Kentucky and have noticed that I have been binge eating ever since. At first I thought it was emotionally triggered but now I think it might be a control issue (after reading previous posts). It's getting so bad I've thought about bulimia so I can continue to eat and not gain weight, but I hate the thought of vomiting. I don't have insurance so can't get professional help. Could use some friends to discuss this with that won't judge me.

You're in good company here. Please don't make yourself vomit. It has many health consequences, physical and emotional. Binging and bulimia are both mental health disorders, and I hope you are able to find some support from friends or groups like Overeaters Anonymous, Emily Project, etc. that don't require insurance.

loribethrice

tamtam71768 wrote: »

I recently moved from Texas to Kentucky and have noticed that I have been binge eating ever since. At first I thought it was emotionally triggered but now I think it might be a control issue (after reading previous posts). It's getting so bad I've thought about bulimia so I can continue to eat and not gain weight, but I hate the thought of vomiting. I don't have insurance so can't get professional help. Could use some friends to discuss this with that won't judge me.

I've considered the same, but ever since my GERD got bad I haven't been able to throw up. It's been almost a decade now. I started chewing tons of gum with sorbitol (the sugar free stuff) to induce diarrhea and that works sometimes. It's a bad road though.

loribethrice

Roaringgael wrote: »

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/overstressed-and-overeating

I thought this article had some interesting ideas. I am not supporting the actual programme at all just thought there was some food for thought.

I will read this. Thank you!

jenniblue6

SO I have been guilty of binge eating but than changed habits.
Emotional/binge eating is diagnosed as an anxiety state of mind. If you can change the mind than you can control the eating.
A benefit before changing your diet would be to get a blood test done. have it measure your levels then after one month get a second blood draw. It will help improve all level, physical and mental.

stephaniavg88

Good Night . is great i find this web page is amazin to know how many calories i eat a day so i can avoid things i normally think they are healthy but they are not. i have been loosing and gaining weight all my life, and when i was living in United States i did reach my lowest point. My weight was 245 pounds and i am a tiny girl so i actually looked very , very big. i have been working on my weight for 4 years almost and now i am 145 pound, but is difficult for me cause i an emotional eater since i am a kid cause i trauma experience i had when i was 7 year old. unfortunately i was molested , and food has been my way of deal with life. never had any professional help all was by my self so avoid food is very hard for me i need to have a very stable life to control my eating habits. Sorry for my english my native language is spanish : )

Roaringgael

stephaniavg88 wrote: »

Good Night . is great i find this web page is amazin to know how many calories i eat a day so i can avoid things i normally think they are healthy but they are not. i have been loosing and gaining weight all my life, and when i was living in United States i did reach my lowest point. My weight was 245 pounds and i am a tiny girl so i actually looked very , very big. i have been working on my weight for 4 years almost and now i am 145 pound, but is difficult for me cause i an emotional eater since i am a kid cause i trauma experience i had when i was 7 year old. unfortunately i was molested , and food has been my way of deal with life. never had any professional help all was by my self so avoid food is very hard for me i need to have a very stable life to control my eating habits. Sorry for my english my native language is spanish : )

I used food to manage my feelings to stephaniavg88, I had a similar childhood experience to you, so I do understand. Your English is much much better than my Spanish (non-existent ha ha)