Eat when happy or eat when sad? (repost)

BigLifter10
BigLifter10 Posts: 1,153 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
TOPIC: Good Mood vs Bad Mood - When do you go for food?



(I am posting this here as I posted it earlier today - about 4 hrs ago, but no replies - maybe it needed to be in a more visible forum).


September 16, 2014 10:37 AM

I have been thinking about this for a few months. Trying to find my pattern, and I think I have. I got my workout in this morning and had to run to the store to pick up a card right after. I ate half a Quest bar on my way there, but felt like I was in a really good post-workout mood. The thing that is weird to me, I tend to want to eat "fun" stuff when I feel good. My friend says I'm weird because women will typically eat 'crap food' when they are bummed out. When I am having a day that is not so great, I tend to eat less because I'm just not up for it. I'm pretty good overall about limiting my 'mood' eating - but really can't help but notice that it runs pretty consistently that I want to eat 'fun' stuff when I'm happy. I thought it was interesting and wondering if anyone else feels that way as well.

My 'go-to' happy foods tend to be pizza or cake. I haven't had either today....but it is on my mind! Now the real test begins....will I have it or won't I? :laugh:

Replies

  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    I tend to want to eat delicious, high-calorie foods when I'm happy...or sad...or bored...or mad. Any emotion, really. I'm ready to eat at all times, even right after a meal.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I tend to eat too little when I am sad or mad. I eat more when I'm happy, which is unfortunate, since I tend to be a pretty happy person overall.

    I don't eat more junk (which I'm guessing is what you meant by "fun food"), just more food in general. And I love to entertain. With food and drink, naturally. Food is such a big part of my life.
  • Rosieposiepetal
    Rosieposiepetal Posts: 20 Member
    I love food, my downfall. My eating is worse when tired or sad. x
  • krmsotherhalf68
    krmsotherhalf68 Posts: 122 Member
    Me three, LindseyLovestoLift! Growing up in an Italo-American household with a Mom who was an awesome cook and baker, my siblings and I learned to eat no matter what the occasion (celebratory, when we were in mourning) and as a means to hide our true emotions. Not a good combo!

    I crave sweets or carbs....they're my downfall. That's why I try to plan ahead of time what I'm eating and stick to it. So far, so good.
  • tibby531
    tibby531 Posts: 717 Member
    I've never been an "or" person. I'm an emotional eater; I eat ALL the emotions! :tongue:
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
    tired, lonely or bored
  • BigLifter10
    BigLifter10 Posts: 1,153 Member
    I tend to eat too little when I am sad or mad. I eat more when I'm happy, which is unfortunate, since I tend to be a pretty happy person overall.

    I don't eat more junk (which I'm guessing is what you meant by "fun food"), just more food in general. And I love to entertain. With food and drink, naturally. Food is such a big part of my life.


    Interesting that you zeroed in on the "fun" food comment. That is interesting and it makes me think more into this....thinking way back when I was very young....whenever the family would do something "fun" we would have all sorts of fun stuff to look forward to...such as pizza, bars, cake for a celebration or road trip, or anything like that. Hmmm....Oh man, I hope this isn't a quest to re-live my early years! ha ha ha ha! Crud...wonder what I'm thinking I am getting from that fun food. Oy. Yes, food is a HUGE part in life....I'm thankful we no longer require being hunter/gatherers, but it sure would have made things simple!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    The only emotion that affected my eating was grief. I didn't eat.
  • EsmeMsJacksonifyanastee213
    EsmeMsJacksonifyanastee213 Posts: 27
    I tend to eat more and gain weight when I'm happy, my appetite is in full force and I have a sweet tooth..
    when I am going through problems or am down or sad, I lose weight, I don't get hungry and I forget to eat
    food doesn't taste as good.

    this is a bummer because being happy is a good thing but it sabotages me when I am trying to get in shape .. it's annoying!
    :grumble:
  • GothyFaery
    GothyFaery Posts: 762 Member
    I normally don't want to eat when I'm sad or mad. After a while though, I get really sick from not eating and then I shove a million carbs down my throat so I don't pass out. So it's really not a good thing.

    When I'm happy I want cake!
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    I always want to eat, doesn't matter what mood I'm in.
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
    I tend to eat when I'm tired and/or bored. I've realized that and always ask myself now. Tired? Okay, nap. Bored? Okay, get off your behind and do something. Hungry? Okay, eat.
  • Val8less
    Val8less Posts: 107 Member
    I do alittle bit of both!....MY family celebrates with eating...and I have a hard time going to family functions and NOT eating...
    I know I'm an emotional eater..so it depends on the occasion...and where I'm at emotionally....

    It's just something I'm working on now...I need to figure out if I'm REALLY hungry...or just Social EATING!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I tend to eat too little when I am sad or mad. I eat more when I'm happy, which is unfortunate, since I tend to be a pretty happy person overall.

    I don't eat more junk (which I'm guessing is what you meant by "fun food"), just more food in general. And I love to entertain. With food and drink, naturally. Food is such a big part of my life.


    Interesting that you zeroed in on the "fun" food comment. That is interesting and it makes me think more into this....thinking way back when I was very young....whenever the family would do something "fun" we would have all sorts of fun stuff to look forward to...such as pizza, bars, cake for a celebration or road trip, or anything like that. Hmmm....Oh man, I hope this isn't a quest to re-live my early years! ha ha ha ha! Crud...wonder what I'm thinking I am getting from that fun food. Oy. Yes, food is a HUGE part in life....I'm thankful we no longer require being hunter/gatherers, but it sure would have made things simple!

    I am a hunter. But I plant and grow my own vegetables and fruit these days so not much gathering. Although there are some fruits I still gather from the wild.
  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
    eat when i have earned it and hungry.
    for emotional issues i use the medical profession.
    man card played.
  • alska
    alska Posts: 300 Member
    neither. i eat when i'm hungry.
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    I eat when I am bored. Bored doesn't always mean I have nothing to do, bored at work when there is stuff I don't want to do triggers me also. I'm working on it.
  • Karissa_Clohan
    Karissa_Clohan Posts: 126 Member
    When I first started dieting, it seemed incredibly easy not to over eat. If I got too "hungry" (bored), I would go smoke. Usually by the time I was finished smoking, the need to shovel chips into my face was gone. Any emotions that I was use to eating were then replaced by the onset of cancer. Healthy, right? Every now and again, I'd slip up and snack mindlessly - but I mostly could control it.

    The worst of my emotional eating came when I quit smoking. I was so irritable and had a really hard time adjusting. I didn't have food to entertain me, and now I didn't have cigarettes either. Then there was the problem of not knowing what to do with my hands anymore, I was REALLY hooked on the hand-to-mouth movement. So, I started eating sunflower seeds in the shell like they were going out of style. It was a good substitute, but now I've redeveloped my original bad habit - I eat when I'm bored again. Normally, I would smoke when I was under-stimulated. Now, my cravings to smoke have turned into a misplaced "hunger".

    Right back at square 1, but dealing with the problem the correct way this time.

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