What makes you to OVEREAT?

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  • ashleykells
    ashleykells Posts: 5 Member
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    Totally stress. After my little ones go down for a nap, and I'm starving because I put off my lunch to care for them, it's so much easier to melt cheese on some chips than to put together a yummy chicken and apple salad. All I want to do is sit in front of a tv show and indulge in my favorite foods.
  • wknmom
    wknmom Posts: 73 Member
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    I. Just. Need. To. Stop. Eating!!! So sick of being overweight!!. Life is stressful, and I can't see that changing, so somehow I have to figure out how to deal with that without eating all the time!
  • lucentabella
    lucentabella Posts: 114 Member
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    Any kind of celebratory meal gets me. My big overeating triggers are alcohol, stress, and pms cravings. Sometimes my will power calls in sick.
  • BOC57
    BOC57 Posts: 44 Member
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    I'm definitely a "comfort" eater. I eat to change my brain chemistry which tends to be low on serotonin anyway. So evening is a really difficult time because I tend to eat to calm the agitation I feel when I'm tired but it's too early to bed. I also suffer with sugar cravings, not surprising since it is so addictive.
  • Roaringgael
    Roaringgael Posts: 339 Member
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    For me - I feel emotionally empty and a bit sad when I am in all sorts of situations and I don't overeat.
    So thats what I am hiding.
    Over-eating is or was an act of self-love/ comfort gone mad.
  • bdoermann
    bdoermann Posts: 11 Member
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    stress, sadness and delicious food!
  • brillanta
    brillanta Posts: 56 Member
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    yes to all. There is always an excuse!
  • Joanne1568
    Joanne1568 Posts: 12 Member
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    I eat because of an array of reasons, one is just nothing to do... my other issue is cooking, i pick and taste. One other big thing is I work nights and lack sleep and I catch myself eating to stay awake for one reason or another. Big holiday food events at our house. I wish you didn't to eat but since you do i will have to work on willpower and making myself really focus on me and my goals. Hard stuff coming.
  • kimmerd37
    kimmerd37 Posts: 24 Member
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    I overeat for many reasons. The first and foremost reason is I love sweets. I have cut out my sweets completely. I also eat when I am bored.
  • Catlover165
    Catlover165 Posts: 19 Member
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    stress... boredom.. but the worst is when I'm down depressed, I get the seasonal blues and I find myself eating to feel better.
  • homicide686
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    A really good idea that helps me when I want to eat out of boredom is putting in what you're going to eat before you eat it. When you see all the pointless calories on your screen, it's easier to resist to me.
  • Sleepunderapalmtree
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    I am definitely a stress-eater. I am 26 and I work in a bakery (gasp!). I have been in the bakery for about 6 years now. Often, food workers of any sort will say that they no longer desire a food after being around it so much, for me the more I am around it, the more I want it. There are ALWAYS cookies laying around to nibble on and I do so mostly after lunch or when it's a particularly stressful time with customers.

    I always read that the first step to control is often removing the junk food from your life. This is impossible because I can't just quit my job as a cake decorator. At home there is very minimal junk, my fiancé and I just don't buy it on the regular and when I am at home I feel about 99% less stressed than when I am at work so I barely even care to have dinner when I'm at home.

    I should also mention that I do pack my own lunch but it never feels sufficient. I am a vegetarian so I always try to incorporate protein in the form of dairy or soy, but still I crave sweets right after lunch or when I want to strangle someone who is being unfairly rude to me.

    I'm not sure how to combat my problem. Winter makes it a hundred times worse as I am usually face with the winter blues, it seems to get worse as the years go on. It's going to be -7 on Monday and I am dreading going outside, to me the cold is a form of extreme discomfort. So, moving and quitting my job are not even options right now, so I'm just going to keep on trying.

    Has anyone here sought professional counseling for help with eating or the winter blues? I have been strongly considering it. I could also use some fitness friends, I recently made a new account because it seems my old one went stale as far as my friends list was concerned.
  • ladydub1816
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    I feel like I have the worst self control in the world. I over-eat when I'm happy, because being raised in the south, I associate good food with good times. And I over-eat when I'm sad, because I want to reach that happiness.
    lol. I've gotta find that happy medium. >.<
  • DaughterofMaat
    DaughterofMaat Posts: 7 Member
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    I typically overeat when I'm bored, when I've had a bad day, or if I'm craving chocolate (you know... that time of the month.... ugh!)

    I made a tile on my windows phone that says "You're not hungry, you're bored" to remind me of my tendency to eat when I need to find something to do.

    I also try to keep only healthy, vegan snacks in the house (we're vegans), so that if I do find myself in the kitchen, the only choices I have are healthy and won't put me over my calorie goal too much.

    But I find when I workout, I don't have this problem as often. :)
  • queencatwana
    queencatwana Posts: 10 Member
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    I feel like I get antsy when I don't have something to munch on. Even when I know I'm not hungry, I just want a bowl of popcorn in my lap to pick at while I watch a movie, or some stir fry to eat etc.
    I also worry about when I will eat next/what will it be? Will I eat too much or feel to sleepy from accidently skipping protein? Definitely think about food all the time, talk about it at night, dream that I am eating a whole cheesecake!
    At least MFP is a good outlet for me to get me food anxiety off my chest, I can write down what I plan on eating and try really hard to stick to it.
    Sometimes I just walk into the kitchen and grab a bunch of food, chips and salsa, chocolate, pickles. Then before I know it, 500+ cals down the drain! At that point I just give in and try to restart tomorrow. Bad cycle that I really need to break, but how? Distracting myself?
    Every so often I say NO to myself and put back the food but it takes a LOT of effort. If I am tired/sad/worried/bored or generally low energy I think it is just easier to eat instead of fighting the urges to pig out.
    After that, when I gain weight, I eat even more because I feel like it is pointless to try to eat well! It is a terrible cycle and I think I just need to find the strength to discipline myself and say No, I am full.
    Anyone else have any tips to find my inner disciplinarian?
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
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    I am definitely a stress-eater. I am 26 and I work in a bakery (gasp!). I have been in the bakery for about 6 years now. Often, food workers of any sort will say that they no longer desire a food after being around it so much, for me the more I am around it, the more I want it. There are ALWAYS cookies laying around to nibble on and I do so mostly after lunch or when it's a particularly stressful time with customers.

    I relate to this. I used to work in a cheese factory and it went up and down. There were times I could not stomach the stuff outside of work and there were times I was all over the staff bin. The difference? Stress. Stress made me go to the staff bin :-) My way around it was to detour when exiting the factory. It was worse in the chips factory, though no staff bin there thankfully :-)

    Stress makes me want to eat. Open packages on the table of junk make meat I cannot stop until the bag is empty when there is a bag of anything (nuts, chips etc etc) on the table. I am fine when it is the cupboard and out of sight (and mind) My number one rule: do not open it!

    A big stress factor is when I have to perform' for instance a presentation, new project something where I am not certain of myself. A form of hiding myself I guess. Over time I noticed it is not so much the food that is the issue for me; it is keeping my hands busy. A physical need to do something. As if my hands need to be in motion for my brain to work properly. My solution there has been to take up knitting. Seriously then my hands are busy and I could not for the life of me eat stuff at the same time and not destroy my work. At work where that is not possible the stressball has been a lifesaver. Tidying up, walking to get a cup of tea, bringing papers to somebody else. Just generally any movement seems to work for me.
    So now every time I feel stress taking over and me wanting to eat something I try to grab something in my hands.

    By no means have I broken my stress/emotional eating habit. It has broken my work related stress habit by about 75% I'd say. The emotional stress that comes from other parts of life (relationships etc) I haven't been as successful. Seems that part of it is much deeper roorted :-( working on that one.
  • jocop2003
    jocop2003 Posts: 468 Member
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    I overeat when......
    Im sad
    Im angry
    Im happy
    Im lonely
    Im bored
    Im stressed
    Im at a party
    Im at a family get together
    I want to make myself feel better
    Ive accomplished something, overeating is like a "treat"

    So yeah....I think thats pretty much it!


    This sums up me as well
  • GeekyKellie
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    It's almost always stress, loneliness, or fear. I just started going back to college part-time this week after a long break (beginning with math classes...oh boy), and I'm beginning a new full-time job in a few weeks. I know the emotional eating is going to be so hard for me, but I don't want it to keep me from reaching my goals. That's why I joined myfitnesspal and this group.

    Gotta find some other way to deal with this math anxiety! One that doesn't involve mashed potatoes, chocolate, and/or Chinese takeout. I'll take all the help I can get.
  • kiwiberry85
    kiwiberry85 Posts: 4 Member
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    When I am stressed OR when I am out of groceries I will eat at fast food or indulge in quick stops and get cupcakes. It's pitiful and I want to change.
  • MissDLynnR
    MissDLynnR Posts: 91 Member
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    For me its stress, family issues (when someone hurts my feelings bad food makes me feel better) and most importantly time!!
    Never enough time to get things done much less cook better for myself.