How do you deal with emotional eating?

theyoginurse
theyoginurse Posts: 82 Member
edited November 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
I am an emotional eater. How do you deal with cravings and emotional eating? I am new to MFP and hope this will help me eat a more balanced way- with no food off limits. “Good” verse “Bad” used to be big trigger for me. And stress. As a nurse, I especially have a lot of stress at work. Any advice would be much appreciated!

Replies

  • melissan84
    melissan84 Posts: 487 Member
    It’s hard! I’m a nurse too and it has been tough not to emotionally eat during stress. Add me as a friend n we could we motivate each other.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Be kind to yourself. I let myself have daily treats, whilst maintaining a diet according to the food pyramid.

    I buy chocolate bars in small servings (no big bags of M&Ms, for example) in around 1000 kilojoule size bars I can look forward to having after dinner before bed.

    I eat potato chips in the small snack bags if I've got extra calories. I know I wouldn't bother weighing them myself if I bought a big bag of loose chips, so I don't put myself through the temptation.
  • counting_kilojoules
    counting_kilojoules Posts: 170 Member
    Emotional eating isn't something that happens all the time for me. It's something that only happens when I'm really struggling so I don't know if this will be terribly helpful, This is what I do though. I try to make time for my hobbies, the ones I find most soothing. If I'm having a lot of trouble not eating then I try to make it the hobbies that get me out of the house doing a bit of exercise (and away from the food) or using my hands (makes it hard to eat.) Taking a bath can be good (if you find it relaxing and if you don't take food in there with you.)

    Good Luck!
  • krazy1sbk
    krazy1sbk Posts: 128 Member
    Poorly! But really, something that helps me sometimes is giving myself something to do first - it's not that I can't eat X, but I have to do [chore/other activity] first. Once I finish doing that (last weekend it was vacuuming), I get distracted from what I wanted to eat in the first place.

    Note - this is mostly stress-eating and not other kinds of emotional eating - the activity itself helps me not be as stressed so don't pick something stressful as your first activity.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Here's a few things I've learned from my eating therapy group and personal experience.
    - root cause. Find new ways of self care and take care of the emotions. This might be a hot shower, a long walk, a punching bag....
    - delay gratification even by one minute (count to ten) allows the frontal lobes to engage and you can LOGICALLY decide if it's time to eat or not
    - imagine a stop sign in your mind, put out your hand and say "STOP" out loud. This might help you even stop mid-stream
    - when I am angry I like to chew. I think it's a subconscious desire to bite someone. But I'm civilized living in a civilized society. So I chew on beef jerky instead. I keep hard, crunchy low calorie foods around on days I just need to gnaw on something.
    - I met a recovering smoker (before the patch) who chewed on those plastic stir sticks. Worked for him.
    - The top shelf. The same idea as delaying gratification just long enough to think about it.
    - Log everything. This takes up time and helps you stop and think about what you are doing.
    - Have a glass of water between every bite.
    - Keep the hands busy. This keeps me from boredom eating. Knitting and crochet are good for this. You can't get messy food all over your handiwork.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I love to eat. Therefore, I eat emotionally. That does not mean that I have an eating disorder. I don't believe I do. I just enjoy eating, my brain gets an endorphin bump when I eat sugary foods, and that is translated to such descriptions as "enjoy" and "love".
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Find another way to deal with stress. Meditation, prayer, exercise, breathing exercises, prayer, phone a friend, yoga, whatever works. Relieve the stress, relieve stress eating.
  • hughjazz74
    hughjazz74 Posts: 64 Member
    I feel ya, I'm so the same. I've tried different methods to combat over the years but the only thing that's worked for me is Intermittent Fasting. It's a mind game for me...knowing that if I hold out just a few more hours, it will be so worth it and I can indulge a bit. Good luck! Wish I could somehow just turn off the brain sometimes :)
  • jendayih
    jendayih Posts: 8 Member
    I struggle with emotional eating as well. It led to things that I'm not proud of. Sneaking food, buying food in secret. It got so bad I was using our family funds to buy food to feed my habit. The shame when my husband found out broke me. That's when I really acknowledged I had a problem. I don't know if you're religious or not, but my husband bought be a book by Dr. Michael Brown called, "Breaking the Stronghold of Food." It's a Christian look at food addiction/ overeating. That helped me along with many of the suggestions some of people are giving you! Identify the stress first. Is it your job? Family? Friends? Try to deal with that. Any unresolved conflict in your life, try to deal with it and get it off your chest. I'm a stay-at-home mom with two toddlers, stressful! I don't buy trigger foods often, and my husband is gracious enough to put them out of my reach if we do (I'm super short, 5"0 and we have tall kitchen cabinets, hubby is 6"5) and rarely ever buy them. I plan out my snacks. I find that I'm more prone to stress eat when I don't have meals, even snacks planned out. Popcorn is my go to. I even put things like tortilla chips, popcorn, apple slices, banana with peanut butter in zip-lock bags or plastic containers for easy eating. If I'm spending time trying to figure out what to eat, my brain often goes to, "Eat anything, everything!" mode. Drinking lemon water has made a huge difference in my cravings. Whenever I have a sweet craving, I drink a glass of lemon or lime water. I don't know what it is about the lemon in it, but it really holds back my cravings for a while. And I'm drinking more water, which is a plus! Speaking to yourself is also a good way to deal with stress eating. Seriously, tell yourself out loud, "Do I really need this? What will happen if I eat this? How far will this set me back? If I eat this, will I regret it? What can I do instead of eating?"
  • asviles
    asviles Posts: 56 Member
    My step dad said everything in moderation, including moderation.

    Sometimes a boy just needs to eat and there ain't nothing wrong with that. Just make sure you balance it.

    I'll bust my butt exercising when I know I'm gonna need some popeyes that night, maybe even skip lunch to hit my goals and still cure my craving.

    I often come about 200 calories under by the end of the day, so it's really nice to know that if I need it I have some wiggle room for that snack right before bed.

    Ignore all the stories about the pre-bed snack messing up your metabolism. As long as the calories in match the calories out, it don't much matter how you got there.

    On the flip side, if it becomes a chronic issue and you find yourself routinely going over, you may want to find some healthier outlets for your stress and only stress eat when you really mean it. I really like the idea mentioned above where you have your snacks prepackaged and small rather than the family sized bag of doritos so you find yourself picking up a tadpole rather than pulling on the gator's tail.
  • ttreit
    ttreit Posts: 59 Member
    I'm trying Intermittent Fasting where I have an 8 hour window of time (noon - 8pm for me) where I eat. My emotional eating tends to come late at night, so by setting up a routine where I simply don't eat late at night my brain/emotions have fewer ways to justify the eating because my answer is "well it's past 8pm so no I'm not eating."
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    I ride a bicycle. It is a great way to deal with stress and it burns so many calories that a little emotional eating goes unnoticed.
  • JoLightensUp
    JoLightensUp Posts: 140 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I think you've come a long way already. And several good tips have come up. I would just like to suggest scheduling and eating meals in a somewhat regular pattern - so that you create "a new normal" in your mind and your day - "there is a time to eat, and the rest of the time is for other activities".

    This also works for me. My days can turn into a snackathon if I'm not careful. It helps if I stick to three meals and three snacks each day, so there's eating time and not-eating time. I can see how intermittent fasting helps some people as it also makes that clear distinction.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
    edited November 2017
    Wow where do I start. I am there with you and I would find myself after one of them days making something to eat usually at night time. I am not hungry nor do I need to eat, but there I am making something to eat while talking to myself about how I should not be doing this, yet my hands keep going and the next ting you know the foods is down in my belly.

    Putting on the 50lbs was over the past 25 years. I would always say OK once I reach ??? weight I will start to diet and lose weight. That weight came and went and I did nothing. I have been an on again off again weight loss person. I have hired trainers and had success only to fall off and gain it back.

    Earlier this year in August I was out with family walking. We had been at it for about 45 minutes and it was not to hot outside. I stopped to use a porta potty to pee and after I started to walk again I felt something was not right. By the time i was able to get out anything the lights went out. When I came to I was staring up at the tree and sky and wondering what just happened. Well, my face broke my fall on the pavement and two of my front teeth were broken and one tooth had gone thru my bottom lip. The ER doc tells me it was Vasal Vagal Syncope or basically my body pull the blood plug on my brain. Oh and I hit my head hard enough that I had a head concussion. Nothing scarier then to not be able to remember some words and phrases that you know you should remember.

    I think that is one reason why this time is different for me. I need to do something to improve my health before something worse happens. It is time to stop making excuses and making myself accountable. The only person that can help me is ME. Since Oct 1st I have been hitting the gym regularly and i have been doing strength training and cardio. I have been documenting and weighing all my foods and I still have to do better there. I need to eat more veggies. I have learned processed foods of any kind of filled with sodium. Trying to stay under 2300MG of sodium is a challenge for me.

    Sorry this is a long post, but I hope that it can help someone. I wish I had a buddy to go to the gym with, but I dont and that is OK. I can do this for me.
  • theyoginurse
    theyoginurse Posts: 82 Member
    I want to thank you all so much for your support on this thread. The suggestions and comments have helped me not binge for two days! Tonight I used a combination of many of them like delayed gratification, and really stopping myself like @Dazzler21 I have to make a new obsession about the change. @asviles I am following your dad’s wisdom- everything in moderation. I never used to allow myself to eat what I wanted because I always was on such a strict diet. MFP is opening me up again. I feel happy and excited. I can do this!

    @pogiguy05 thank God you’re okay! What stuck out the most was: “The only person that can help me is ME.” This is very true. I love how the community can really help and inspire me to change. But even God can’t change me if I won’t let Him. Willingness is key. Even willingness to try different things and fail.

    You know what helps me in the gym without a partner: Music. I just put on my earphones and I’m in the zone! Try that. Also, watching YouTubes used to really help me get through my workouts. I haven’t been to the gym in a long time. Waiting to get my eating to normal without binge/emotional eating. I’ve been depressed because of my weight gain (up and down) and where I work. Instead of eating because of it, I am going to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
    Well one thing I would like to add and maybe this is just me. When I go to the gym regularly and I am putting in 100% effort and I am seeing results, I am much less likely to fail at eating. My mentality to it is why do i kill myself in the gym and then defeat myself with bad eating. I am just not going to do it.

    "Waiting to get my eating to normal without binge/emotional eating." Now I do not want to come off as mean or anything, but when I read this I had a great feeling of the same thing I would do. make excuses to put it off and that day never comes.

    I am very guilty of the same thing dont get me wrong. Look at that person in the mirror and tell yourself I love you and we can do this together.

    I can and I am my own worse enemy. I have had my past issues with depression and please do not let the darkness get you.
  • theyoginurse
    theyoginurse Posts: 82 Member
    You’re right @pogiguy05 I am putting it off because I am tired, and not comfortable in my skin to step foot in a gym. I have trouble even looking at myself in the mirror right now. Once toned and fit, I am no longer the person I worked hard for. I will keep feeding myself self-love and one day I will have the courage to go into the gym again. The exercise used to increase my appetite which is why I wanted to ease into it. Guess I’m afraid of past failures. I’m trying hard to see this as a new day. I’m glad to connect with you on here! I hope to see and support one another to succeed.
  • pogiguy05
    pogiguy05 Posts: 1,583 Member
    theyoginurse wrote: »
    You’re right @pogiguy05 I am putting it off because I am tired, and not comfortable in my skin to step foot in a gym. I have trouble even looking at myself in the mirror right now. Once toned and fit, I am no longer the person I worked hard for. I will keep feeding myself self-love and one day I will have the courage to go into the gym again. The exercise used to increase my appetite which is why I wanted to ease into it. Guess I’m afraid of past failures. I’m trying hard to see this as a new day. I’m glad to connect with you on here! I hope to see and support one another to succeed.

    Have you ever considered anything like a workout video? I have the P90 and P90X videos and it really does not matter I think what exercise video you use. Simply start out in the privacy of your own home and as they say in Beach Body PUSH PLAY

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