The crazy hunger!

salexander1980

How do you defeat stress eating!? I'm totally a comfort food eater and I want to stop!! I want to be healthy and in control but all I can thank about all day long is what is the next meal! While eating breakfast I'm trying to decide what to eat for lunch...I usually eat breakfast and the if there are doughnuts at work...I EAT THEM TOO!!! Come on!!!! I need help defeating this stupid food addiction! I can do this really good for a couple of days and then I eat everything I can get my hands on! I weigh 196lbs and I'm 5'9...all of this is fat because I have 0 muscle! Hugh freaking blob of fat! ugh!?

Nekoashi

Try to find healthier snacks that taste great and will satisfy your needs for a snack. Maybe try chewing some gum when you feel the urge to snack? I think I will be trying that since I never really wanna snack if I have minty fresh breath :P and as for stress, try to start working out or finding a way to relieve it without consuming anything You can do it!

rks6902

I have the same issue or maybe boredom eating too. I dislike my job and from the minute I walk in I want to sit at my desk and eat all day. The weekends are easier for me as I can find other much more interesting things to do that take my mind off of eating. I wish I had a solution for you. I have thought about chewing gum, drinking more water or more carrots, but nothing works.

bethany7687

You sound really frustrated. We're all here to encourage you. I started the Dukan diet 9 days again and haven't thought about food or eating since then, except the last day of phase 1 when I was looking forward to having veggies the next day!

Nekoashi

oh and make sure you're taking in enough calories. You don't want to make your body feel like its starving and give you a reason to feel stressed out and HAVE to snack

bethany7687

I wasnt finished!
Are you eating enough fat and protein to keep you satisfied until your next meal?
did you just start dieting?
Are you eating too many simple carb foods which are just causing your blood sugar to spike and drop?
Try drinking water when you get these cravings, often thirst comes on as hunger.
Hope that helps. You can do this, you really can.

Kim_SFB

yep, yep stress eater here too! My vices are chocolate, ice cream & Mt. Dew. I have been doing pretty good at not eating all the chocolate in the desk at work, gave away a cupcake someone baked for me ( if it was in my possession, I'd eat an extra 500 calories of fat & sugar), if it is not in front of me, I can't eat it. It's not easy, but we must remind ourselves, that while it feels good for the few minutes while eating said vice, it doesn't help with the stress. I try yoga and reminding myself that I will regret it immediately after. Food ( junk foods) is not the solution, but I don't know what your stress or your solution is. However, a small piece of dark chocolate doesn't hurt.

remmrich33

I have to tell you that it gets easier!! Please believe me... I've been doing myfitnesspal since the end of February and now I can't even eat the foods I used to eat if I tried. For one, my stomach has decreased in size so I get too full if I try to eat too much. Also, I have found healthy foods that I actually like that I can eat and then just sparingly eat the unhealthy ones. I know it's hard to believe but it really does get so much easier... the first few months are the hardest because you have to be sooo patient and the weight comes off so slowly but if you keep doing it, it WILL come off, it's impossible for you to stay the same weight if you are changing your eating habits. The biggest trick is to find healthy foods that fill you up and taste good. Good luck!

auntiebabs

A couple of ways to go...

1)
A series of small changes over time. If you've just started here don't worry about losing for your first week or two, just get in the habit of tracking what you eat. Then print it out and look to see where you make a few small changes, where it hurts the least
(I.e maybe a switch from butter to margarine is not a big deal, but maybe you LOOOOOVE your butter, and would rather switch out pork sausage for chicken sausage.... Butter to margarine not a big deal for me, but it'll be a cold day in hell before I swap out chocolate for carob.)

Every week or so add in another couple of small changes.
If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress. And we all have stress. If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort, sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.
You don't have to be perfect you just have to do better.

2)
Watch your sugar intake.
Sugar triggers your appetite. I find it really hard to stay within my calories if I eat too much sugar. I find it takes a good 2-3 weeks to get my system used to the new lower level of sugar. Watch out for sugar hidden in *real foods*

3)
Food is our friend not the enemy it is here to nourish and nurture us. Make a list of ALL the food you really love. Then go back and circle the healthiest options. Work those foods into your diet. Because it's something that you love you won't feel deprived. And hopefully it's a healthier option than you would have chosen before.

salexander1980

Thanks everyone! I'm back on track today and I have put some of your suggestion to practice lets start just a little slower with some realistic goals!