Emotional eater has lost her way

KLARM46

Hi MFP Community,
I am a 46 year old mom of a 12 year old. I am an independent consultant who loves to work. Somehow I have lost my way over the last 4 or 5 years. I have always been an emotional eater and have yoyo dieted since I first realized what a diet was. I taught aerobics for several years but with work commitments could not commit to a specific time. That led me to running. I completed 2 half marathons but still yo-yoed up and down from 120 to 150 lbs. Now I am at my all time high of 181 lbs at 5 foot 4 inches. I can't believe I have let this happen. I have tried every diet out there from Weight Watchers to Dukan. It isn't the diet, it is me. Do any of you out there have a similar story or struggle? Looking for any advice, input or suggestions.

autumnghost

Hey
Im only 20, and 5'2 but i'm now 201.6lbs, and in utter horror. I need to lose over 100lbs to be healthy, and thats going to be hard! Im at uni which is not easy for control, because you have the freedom to buy what you want, and as a result, everything seems to be junk food that is quick. I dont want this any more. I came to uni thinking I would lose weight, but I have gained a stone since arriving. It is not going to be easy, but I think we can get through this if we have people supporting us.

Cayjominara

You have support right here. Anytime. I believe in you and your innate ability to overcome this stage of life. Let's put the past where it belongs and start TODAY to make the rest of your days the most fulfilling you've ever had! You guys are right: it is hard. But if it were EASY everybody would be doing it. The good news is there IS a process. Countless people have followed the process and have achieved success. That's why we need to learn to TRUST the process. It works.

squirlyrn

Sounds like my story. I ate my way through a divorce and just now got in the mind set to lose some weight. I have over 80 lbs to lose. I went from an active nurse, to a desk nurse...which doesnt help! Im hoping to get used to this exercise thing too lol! I have never been this big in my life, not even pregnant!

focuseddiva

I can relate. I once had my weight under control and ran races, too. I let old habits slip in. Almost like a game -- daring myself to figure out how much I could "cheat" and still maintain. That just caused me to rationalize everything. Oh, 5 lbs gained isn't bad. Okay, 10 lbs isn't bad. Then I just got depressed about it and ate and ate (even though I still exercised). And here I am. I've been doing the same thing for several years and it's gotten me nowhere but fatter. So I started MFP 6 days ago to see if being honest and accountable. and coming to these boards, would be the change I needed to find my motivation again. We'll see. It's been less than a week so I'm not expecting much, but this week of eating has been better than any other week I've had in a long time. So that's a victory right there.

katebowie

I can relate too.
Im 5ft 4 and 171 pounds just about the heaviest ive been... none of my clothes fit and in every photo ive got a double chin. I just got engaged and there is no way i want to be a fat bride soo ive given myself a goal of 30 pounds in three months...
i too am an emotional eater i eat for confort, from boredom and just cos i like the tastE!!

I just restarted today too but thistime i feel as though something inside of me has clicked! no more half measures no more little treats and cheats and then giving up. if i want to see results im gonna have to do this properly sooo from today on Im tracking everything that goes in my mouth and im going to stay within 1200 cal a day!

wish me luck and if you would like to befirend me maybe we can share recipes and ideas and help one another

mungowungo

I definitely relate to the I'm really stressed out or depressed and grab for some comfort food to ease the pain. The only problem with this is if stress is a constant then you will be constantly over eating - hence the weight gain. Then you get to the stage where you just have no idea how much you really are eating and you gain more weight so you feel more depressed because you are getting fatter so you need something to soothe you so you eat more - it's a vicious cycle. And at least partly explains why I have sooo much weight to lose myself.

I've only been on this site for a few weeks but actually sitting down and logging the food consumed and being more mindful of what I have been consuming is really helpful. Yes granted I have had a couple of slip ups and ate half a bag of peanuts one day without even thinking about it before I said to myself - hey why am I eating these - yes they taste good but I'm not hungry so STOP eating them.


If you are stressed and emotional - think up something to do that calms you (rather than eating) or lets you vent - then do that instead - go for a walk, gardening, have a bath or go for a drive with your favourite music turned up as loud as you can take it - you can sing along too - just do something/ anything rather than drown your sorrows in eating. Then if you still feel like you want to eat then it's probably because you are hungry - then if you are hungry eat.

It also helps if you just sit down to eat - no TV - no distractions - just concentrate on what you are eating and enjoying every mouthful - no eating on the run and no mindless munching just for the sake of it.

You could also google mindful eating - also google how to overcome emotional eating - quite a few tips and strategies out there for free on the web.

Jessica11221

I can relate I have struggled with weight my whole life. The only times I have ever been skinny was because I struggled with bulemia in high school and college. I eat based on my emotions. When I got married 6 years ago I weighed 135lbs. I'm 5'4" . I have been either pregnant or breastfeeding for the past 5 years. I currently weigh 188 and have made every excuse for not losing weight. I just Always thought the weight would fall off after each pregnancy because I would be to busy to eat. Wishful thinking. After having my 3rd baby this June I have made a commitment to get my body back and for once doing it the healthy way.