Emotional Eating

cr4491

What do you do to keep yourself from over eating? Eating when you're not hungry, eating when you're bored, and my personal weakness, eating when you're stressed! My nutrition for today wasn't too shabby until I started thinking about all the stress at work I'll have to face tomorrow. It hit me like a punch in the face, and there I went to the pantry and downed a whole bunch of cookies. I keep thinking "Oh I don't care" and then eat what I want. It's not until AFTERWARD that I feel horrible! If you have/had a similar problem, how do you keep yourself in control?

adams068

I have the same problem. and I dont know how to control it..... hints the reason i signed up for this. but if you can find the will... go to the batting cages, if youre stressed about work that could be fun or sometimes i just turn the radio up really loud in my car and say i dont really care

m012192

i have the samee problem.
what I do is go online, and search some thin girls that I want to look like and tell myself I can't snack b/c i want that same belly! or i just go take a nap or go for a drive WITHOUT a wallet, so I don't get tempted to go to a fastfood place.. lol

kittytrix

I have a punching bag outside that most times does the trick, but not always. I do have to say, though, that after hitting it for about 20 minutes, usually don't want to binge eat anymore. If I had a really stressful day, it can be hard.

a1schwei

i try to go for a run...or walk the dog...or munch on healthy snacks...it is HARD though...boredom and stress are my downfalls and both are dominating my life right now...if anyone has a magic cure i'd LOVE to hear it and try it

Jenks

I AM A STRESS EATER, and I acknowledge that. Some times it gets the better of me, but when you catch yourself in the moment, the moment before you say I don't care and shove 1000 calories in your face that you know will just lead to feeling dirty. Catch yourself in that moment and put whatever is in your hands/mouth down and change the behavior. Walk out the door, go for a walk, jump on your treadmill (if you have one), take the kids to the park....whatever you have to do to move and get away from the food and something that will help you relieve the tension.

The last time I was SUPER STRESSED, my 5 yr old walked in the door with a bag of cheetos, before I knew it I had swallowed a handful and was fully prepared to hijack the whole bag from him, I caught myself with that second handful, put my shoes on and went to the gym. Burned 652 calories on the elliptical that day. Sadly I find my very stressful days, provide a better burn.

CrazyEd89

With me its dealing with the stress. I tend to over eat without being self aware of it.

The easiest solution is deal with the stress don't let it run your life. The whole issue why I got this way is I never had the tools to deal with the stress effectively. If its work related, talk to HR and see if they have an employee assistance program if not there are work life councilors around some areas. Be proactive about you mental health as well as your physical health.

Try to avoid the things that trigger the eating until you have an idea exactly what it is that triggered it. In my case its the feeling of being stuck.

To deal with the eating when it happens. choose the healthier snack. It may not be a control all but it will bring the situation back under control. Then take a walk get out of the environment.. change of scenery. If your bored. Go to a movie or a park..

RDTaylor13

I admit I have had the stress eating, and it's usually nothing healthy. but if I can catch it before it happens, hitting something (preferably a punching bag) for about 20 min, usually helps, as does going for a walk with my wallet, or a 20-30 min medium paced bike ride. Those may not work for you. but they might be a good start to find your "de-stress button"

kaitlyn12osu

I did a huge binge of emotional eating today, but I have been losing weight for about a year now, and the best things that I do is stay busy and keep healthy foods that I like around. I always cut up fruit and veggies and put them in clear tupperware, too and snack on those. Any other advice out be great though

auttyfrmca

I'm an emotional and boredom eater! I will stand in my kitchen and just stand there thinking about what I could do...oh eat sounds good. I have to get out of the kithcen at night. When I'm upset about how I'm eating it makes me emotional and I eat more!

susanleasings

The ONLY thing that works for me is making sure i don't have cookies, chips, etc in the house! I now hit the prouce isle and buy fresh strawberries, blueberries, bananas, mangos, cherries, etc. Celery is a great crunchy snack.......paired with low fat cream cheese.....beautiful!!!
I pulled a Jillian - emptied my cabinets of anything unhealthy and then hit the grocery store to buy fresh foods! I pack my lunch for work with a couple of healthy snacks as well to avoid the vending machines.
I have only lost about 20 pounds since December 2009 - but it has been the right way! Once you get your mind and body trained to avoid the sugar packed foods, it gets so much easier! Your body is used to what its been getting.....it will crave what eased your mind before because it worked temporarily.......now its time to find something healthy to ease your mind! Exercise - journaling - calling a friend - blogging on MFP, etc.
Hope this helps!

Tbfree

Hi, I can relate as well. Here are a few things to do to avoid eating when not hungry. However, I don't always do them. If I did, I would have this problem licked!!
1. since it is usually at night: Go To Bed!
2. eat sunflower seeds - its a snacktivity! and low in calories (I'm actually doing this right now!)
3. save calories for the night so I can snack
4. avoid eating with the TV on
5. journal writing
6. talk with someone
7. chew gum
8. brush your teeth
9. I just downloaded a Relaxing sounds app on my iphone with the intention of using it the next time I feel a binge coming on. I havent used it yet, but I'll let you know if it works.

goatskinlegs

Hell I did that today! But the best way I can think of is have a hobby or something you do that's is all consuming or entertaining. I garden, play guitar, or bike ride. All of which are good calorie burners, and all you'll want afterward is a huge glass of water, lol! Just find something that you like to do and focus on that

Azadi

I am in Overeaters Anonymous, which gives us lots of tools to deal with our emotions and not turn to the food.

Call someone and talk out the feelings. Get a buddy who understands your food issues, and call them before you binge, even if only to tell them you are going to binge... sometimes saying it out loud is enough to stop you.

Write. Instead of picking up the food, pull out a journal or notebook, write about your feelings, or about something else, write an email, write a poem or a story.

Read. Pick up a book, something that you enjoy, that inspires you, that makes you feel good.

Meditate or pray. If you believe in a Higher Power, make use of that. God wants you to be well, and God is there for you to turn to instead of the food. If you don't have a relationship with a Higher Power (which is fine) meditation can be a very powerful tool. It can help you to relax and turn within rather than turning to the food.

Help someone else. Find some way to be of service to someone, anyone. Make someone else smile. Come here and help someone else who is having trouble with food issues. You'd be amazed hoe powerful service is.

I hope some of this helps you. You've already done something fantastic by reaching out here. Sharing here on MFP is a great alternative to turning to the food for comfort.

liz1404

I put on music and dance.

MrsBattousai

Yup! Me as well!

I try to write about my feeling if I feel the binge coming on. I try not to eat the unheathly food in the house because I will turn to them when stressed etc. Also if you to binge don't beat your self up, I found that if I binge and feel bad I eat more and more. Find out what your Triggers and aviod them. For me it is doing one thing for two long like on my computer or watching tv. So change things up I try to not do something for more then half hour at a time because then I get to comfortable and my mind wonders.
Find what works for you stick with it and Good luck!

Tbfree

Yup! Me as well!

I try to write about my feeling if I feel the binge coming on. I try not to eat the unheathly food in the house because I will turn to them when stressed etc. Also if you to binge don't beat your self up, I found that if I binge and feel bad I eat more and more. Find out what your Triggers and aviod them. For me it is doing one thing for two long like on my computer or watching tv. So change things up I try to not do something for more then half hour at a time because then I get to comfortable and my mind wonders.
Find what works for you stick with it and Good luck!

I guess this thread died but I see you are also on the other one. Hope you had a good day today. I'm still struggling with recovering from last night. I hope I can get it together before I put back the little I just lost!!

Azadi

Just read back a couple of replies before mine... not to criticize anyone, but I would question whether the idea of "snacktivity" is a good thing.

Granted, my case is not "normal" or "typical" given that I have a specific eating disorder. I wouldn't think to impose my program of recovery on anyone else since everyone's food needs, physically, mentally, and emotionally are different. For me however, and for most people I've encountered who are in recovery from compulsive eating behaviors, one of the most important dimensions of recovery is realizing that eating is not an activity... that is, it is not "something to do." Once you start to think of food as an activity option, you are more likely to turn to it when bored. Even if the snack is healthy and low in calories, the attitude, for us, us unhealthy. Especially for those of us who have a problem with bingeing, the problem with a binge is not the type of food eaten, but the way in which it is eaten... compulsively. Automatically. Unthinkingly. And in large quantity. I mean, you can binge on anything... iceberg lettuce, celery... doesn't matter the calorie count. It's the behavior.

For me and my program, this is a large part of why I do not snack at all. I can't trust myself with snacking, because the implication of the word is activity-like, something to do, something without a set time or quantity, like a meal. Again, the implication that I read in the word is not a definition, and again, my program is not for anyone but me. I'm just sharing from my experience.

dumb_blondes_rock

come on here and look at the before and after sucess stories, knowing that if you can curb your snaking desires, you too can one day have your sucess pic up
other than that....celery is good if you have the 'i need to munch on something" cravings at night, and it also has something in it that makes you sleepy (learned that from the show you are what you eat)

tplumbtree

Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels. This is what I keep telling myself. I have let food control every part of my life for far too long and I always ate when I was stressed, mad, depressed or happy. It didn't matter what the reason was. I am a emotional overeater and binge eater. I started going to therapy and it has helped some but it's websites like these that offer the support that have helped me the most. I find something to do or get out of the house even if it's just for a few minutes. Behavior modification has been the key for me.