Emotional eating

Sashslay

Hey guys,

How do you deal with not eating your emotions? I thought I'd gotten good at controlling it until I found out some information that's really upset me and now I don't know if I want to drown in a Big Mac or not eat at all.

(I live for Big Macs )

Penthesilea514

I think that is why exercise helps me- not because it burns calories (small added bonus) but because I work out my feelings instead of eating them. It distracts me and makes me feel accomplished.

Now, I am a full-on CICO person, so I will still eat a Big Mac if I really want to (I am not a Big Mac person actually so I don't really eat these, but tacos? yes please ). But if I want a burger, I will make a turkey burger at home where I can control ingredients and calories. If I want ice cream (shark week >.<), I will grab a pint of Halo Top and accommodate it in my calories. I love my ON Gold Standard Rich Chocolate protein powder, so if I want chocolate it is actually a good option for me. Just try and be creative to find other foods you like (if you don't want to actually eat a Big Mac) or find other outlets (like exercise, calling a friend, cleaning, professional help if needed, etc) to deal with your emotions. It takes a bit of trial and error to find what works for you, but you can do it. Good luck.

Bradley_J84

Omg! Stay away from scarf n barf! I'm hunting you down now! And I don't say stay away cause we're all trying to lose weight! I'm more concerned with your digestive system

amandaslims

I used to turn to food all the time for emotional support, but I turned to exercise and eating healthy. It's hard especially when something tragic happens. I know. If you crave something sweet, get Halo Top ice cream. If you want something savory and quick, look at the menu of the restaurant online before you go and look what the calorie content is of everything and choose what will fit into your calorie goal of the day. You don't want to deprive yourself of foods you like or you will fall back into bad habits. If you want to eat a hamburger, just make sure if fits into your daily calorie goal. I go to Taco Bell and get a regular soft taco (180 calories each) if I feel like eating fast food.

kommodevaran

To just stop all that - demonizing foods I like and trying to control my emotions - helped me a lot, by easing the tension, and thus loosening the connection between food and emotions. Now I eat for pleasure and enjoyment, not to avoid feeling my emotions or pass time.

sballkid036

I can relate to emotional eating. It's pleasurable because food does not reject you but it's only momentarily happiness. And the amount of guilt and shame after bingeing is not worth the taste anymore. I just moved into my first place by myself and I've found it's easier to say no to the temptation of eating my emotions because I don't allow any of my trigger foods (chocolate, ice cream, chips) in my pantry or fridge. It hasn't been easy to adjust to new habits to deal with stress and loneliness in this move but I'm making progress. Instead of eating, I now run, hike, journal, color, and dance. Food is not the enemy-it is our fuel. If you are concerned with your eating habits due to emotions, I suggest going to a dietitian or counselor to help you in your path to a new life. They are the professionals(not a cop-out but just being honest).

EmbeeKay

Sometimes the right food can truly help. I know that's going against the grain here, but it can. For example, the other day was extremely stressful (dog running away for a couple hours, neighbor screaming at me, animal control showing up). By the time I got my kiddos down for the afternoon, my heart rate had been elevated for hours. I grabbed my emergency pint of Halo Top. By the time it was gone, I felt so much better! Then I managed to squeeze in a 15 minute workout before the baby woke up and I felt pretty much right as rain.

So my advice is, definitely don't binge (because that truly never helps) but if you can fit a Big Mac into your day's calories (or maybe even a smaller burger and fries), do it. Maybe even eat at maintenance for a day. Be gentle to yourself. Food does impact hormone/stress levels. Best wishes.

Kullerva

If being hungry isn't the problem, food isn't the solution.

There are lots of ways to nourish your emotions. Read your favorite book. Go for a walk on a beautiful day. Watch a great movie (popcorn optional). Make something.

I agree with EmbeeKay that you're better off eating a little of what you want than binging on a bunch of crap you don't want. When the urge for Cheerios comes upon me, I eat one (premeasured) serving at a time, which usually prevents the binge.

Sashslay

Update!

I resisted the urge to binge, fitted some popcorn into my calories and all was well thanks for the support guys!