Stress Eaters: What's your coping method?

kiraleilani

I'm one of those typical stress/emotional eaters. I've been getting a better grip on it lately, using self-talk as a means to stop the binging. "Do you really feel hungry? No. What is it that you're feeling?" Dorky I know, but saying out loud to myself that I'm not hungry sometimes helps me to stop in my tracks. I learned in psych class that people eat to force their negative emotions down.

What coping skill do you use to stop emotional/stress binging?

barmatushka

I love your picture, you look like like a pin up girl from back when.
I read somewhere, that the thought of eating only last up to 20 minutes, so the fact that it will be gone in 20 min, helps me somehow, sort of a end point..:)

kiraleilani

I love your picture, you look like like a pin up girl from back when.
I read somewhere, that the thought of eating only last up to 20 minutes, so the fact that it will be gone in 20 min, helps me somehow, sort of a end point..:)

Thanks! That's good to know. So if I can get through just 20 minutes, the craving will be over! I'll keep that in mind during my self talk

And thanks for the compliment!

AnswerintheSky

I know about stress eating and boredom eating and the-fridge-is-right-there eating and...

For stress I like to have a list of the things that help to de-stress me (other than food).

My list includes:
- listening to music
- spending time with my cat
- taking a hot bath or shower
- talking to a good friend
- playing racquetball
- tidying / organizing a room that is bothering me
- getting to bed by 10:00 pm (oops!)

Drinking a glass of water will sometimes take away the urge to eat, too! I've heard it said many times that thirst is often mistaken for hunger.

kindasortachewy

I read once, If you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, you're not hungry. It stuck with me.

runawayescape

I read once, If you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, you're not hungry. It stuck with me.

This only I use celery cause I don't really like it so a few bites make me reconsider if my hunger is true.

Dauntlessness

Lets call it what it is, Binging is self sabotage. I am struggling with it more than I have for years. I've had some major stresses and I cant seem to get out of this funk. I added some new songs to my ipod and I'm hoping it will inspire me at the gym today. I am a exercise to eat girl and its just not right.

Something someone said to me the other day did register with me.
About 5 years ago I quit smoking. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Just like with the cravings to smoke, the craving will rise but the craving will more likely decrease if you give it time. The same goes for mindless eating. If you still want a specific food hours later, at least you will making the choice from a wide-minded place rather than an impulse decision. You are in control of your choices when you do that.