Very hungry emotions...again

ReenieHJ

Here I go again, trying to get a handle on filling voids and emotions in my life. It happened right after the Christmas season last year when Covid started stressing us all out. It stuck with me for 6 weeks, gaining 25 lbs. Then I shook my head clear and got back to it. Now it's back and I'm having a hard time again. It started about 3 weeks ago, and with all my current stress of life and it's events, I find food to be my ultimate goal of every waking minute.
I *know* all the stuff I should be doing and eating but man, it's simply not helping ATM.
Argh. I hate it when the flesh is weak and wanting. I swear the only thing that'd help right now is taping my mouth and tying my hands together.

cmriverside

I get it.

Fall/autumn is usually the time I want to eat more anyway, but the stress of this past seven months is definitely taking a toll on my ability to stop the anxious thoughts, and food is one way to do that. I try to take walks, that helps a lot.

Hang on.

At some point this will ease up. I hold on to that hope.

beulah81

Hugs! As @cmriverside said, walking helps. Replacing negative thoughts with positive helps me a lot. Do not worry about what the cravings will be like tomorrow/season. Focus on your goal today. Intend to follow the means to hit that goal. You've got this!

NovusDies

I think you have to keep reminding yourself that stress eating is actually adding to your stress not alleviating any of it. Our brains are not wired to find the best solution to stress but to fall on habits that we build. If we follow up stress with eating that is habit not relief. We can try to convince ourselves that it helps but you can see in your own words that it does not.

psychod787

I'm current available for hire as a "put the cookie down or get the hose again" live in coach..... I'll prorate my pay because of the current economic times!

AnnPT77

Does day length possibly have anything to do with it? I tend to get cravier as the daylight shortens, and the temps start to drop. I bought one of those SAD lights to try, but so far have been to unmotivated to figure out how to use i, when I need it. 😆 (Yes, I recognize that that's dysfunctional and kind of pathetic, but I still think it's funny, too.)

So, seriously, consider SAD (seasonal affective disorder), even as a mild contributor, as possibly relevant. That might give you some new interventions to try. Beyond that, the other normal stress-management stuff: Adequate sleep, meditation, music, minor self-indulgent relaxing activities (aromatherapy bubble bath?), prayer if you do that, etc.

GrizzledSquirrel

@psychod787 will you also make @ReenieHJ put the cookie in the basket?

psychod787

GrizzledSquirrel wrote: »

@psychod787 will you also make @ReenieHJ put the cookie in the basket?

heh heh heh.....

kshama2001

For me the key to combating anxiety is action. This normally is some sort of cardiovascular activity. For election stress, I've been volunteering. Today, I sent 4,500 texts to help GOTV and am too exhausted to have my normal level of anxiety.

ReenieHJ

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Does day length possibly have anything to do with it? I tend to get cravier as the daylight shortens, and the temps start to drop. I bought one of those SAD lights to try, but so far have been to unmotivated to figure out how to use i, when I need it. 😆 (Yes, I recognize that that's dysfunctional and kind of pathetic, but I still think it's funny, too.)

So, seriously, consider SAD (seasonal affective disorder), even as a mild contributor, as possibly relevant. That might give you some new interventions to try. Beyond that, the other normal stress-management stuff: Adequate sleep, meditation, music, minor self-indulgent relaxing activities (aromatherapy bubble bath?), prayer if you do that, etc.

Ann, it's a whole lot of events happening all at once. And eating to fill the void has always been my go-to dopamine.
I take VD3, I take anti-anxiety/depression meds, I have a light(need to find it though). Trouble is my mindset. I have got to find a way to change that once again and stay strong.
Every day I get up telling myself this is the day I get back to it. And an hour later, it's gone.
Covid didn't help and local cases springing up in our schools have me on edge because dh works at one of them. The election hasn't helped and dreading the end results. Knowing the holidays are all going to $U@k doesn't help and worrying about my own adult children dealing with their issues. Watching my sister lose her dh of 54 years certainly isn't the best mindset changer.
So all those things combined. I've always used food to escape and need to create a different plan. I don't seem to have the strength/will/desire to do that at the moment. It's like my brain can only handle so much at a time. And cookies are much easier than change.

I seriously do need to have someone hovering over me, ready to beat me away from the kitchen with a club, or hose, or whatever'd work.

ReenieHJ

kshama2001 wrote: »

For me the key to combating anxiety is action. This normally is some sort of cardiovascular activity. For election stress, I've been volunteering. Today, I sent 4,500 texts to help GOTV and am too exhausted to have my normal level of anxiety.

So *you're* the one that sends all those political texts!!

NovusDies

ReenieHJ wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Does day length possibly have anything to do with it? I tend to get cravier as the daylight shortens, and the temps start to drop. I bought one of those SAD lights to try, but so far have been to unmotivated to figure out how to use i, when I need it. 😆 (Yes, I recognize that that's dysfunctional and kind of pathetic, but I still think it's funny, too.)

So, seriously, consider SAD (seasonal affective disorder), even as a mild contributor, as possibly relevant. That might give you some new interventions to try. Beyond that, the other normal stress-management stuff: Adequate sleep, meditation, music, minor self-indulgent relaxing activities (aromatherapy bubble bath?), prayer if you do that, etc.

Ann, it's a whole lot of events happening all at once. And eating to fill the void has always been my go-to dopamine.
I take VD3, I take anti-anxiety/depression meds, I have a light(need to find it though). Trouble is my mindset. I have got to find a way to change that once again and stay strong.
Every day I get up telling myself this is the day I get back to it. And an hour later, it's gone.
Covid didn't help and local cases springing up in our schools have me on edge because dh works at one of them. The election hasn't helped and dreading the end results. Knowing the holidays are all going to $U@k doesn't help and worrying about my own adult children dealing with their issues. Watching my sister lose her dh of 54 years certainly isn't the best mindset changer.
So all those things combined. I've always used food to escape and need to create a different plan. I don't seem to have the strength/will/desire to do that at the moment. It's like my brain can only handle so much at a time. And cookies are much easier than change.

I seriously do need to have someone hovering over me, ready to beat me away from the kitchen with a club, or hose, or whatever'd work.

If you cannot tackle something big do you believe you can tackle something small? You mention changing your mindset but that seems like a big ask at the moment.

Sometimes it is easier to think of a problem as something that is in physical motion. If your car was moving at 60 mph and your brakes were out and you needed to stop, you would not immediately open the door and try to use your foot. Even if your foot could handle it, you lack the physical strength. You would look for another way to slow it down or divert it so that it did not cause you or anyone harm.

So let's say that today may end in a surplus of eating. Is there anything you can do to make it less of a surplus? Can you bend any of your behaviors like consuming more of whatever normally controls your hunger? Can you impose on yourself some type of mild restriction like cutting something out or a small time window restriction?

The idea is to find a win even if it is not total victory. Doing anything positive is still a step in the right direction and it is something that you can hopefully build on and slow the car down. Sometimes we get stuck in defining a win as the ideal outcome but that is more all or nothing thinking.

Maybe none of that will help but I thought I would give it a shot. I sincerely hope things turn a corner for you soon.