Comfort eater Needs help!

FitKate

So I am an emotional eater. I always have been. When I'm sad, stress, depressed, having problems with anxiety or any other extreme emotion I turn to food. This is terrible habbit. This weekend I was doing good until I stepped on the scale Sunday and I saw I had gained 4lbs in the month of jan. I was so bummed instead of going to the super bowl party and watching what I ate I blew my dieting from the week. I have the worst will power when it comes to sweets. I can not be hungry but if cheese cake or doughnuts are in the room I start making excuses. "Its just one piece". I need help getting over this crappy relationship I have with food and need help making good decisions.

So how do you guys handle your food cravings when you've had a bad day or are just so exhausted you don't feel like working out?
Has anyone else had this experience. I'm looking for help :ohwell:

BananaBee3

I'm on the same boat as you, unfortunately :ohwell:

What I find helps is keepingg busy...reading, going for a walk, talking on the phone, running errands, going to the gym :glasses:...as long as I stay focused throughout the day, I'm usually pretty good with the emotional eating.

Journaling helps too...we eat our emotions for a reason and dealing with them in another way is much more benficial

rainbowcandy2004

Right now I am using gum as my distraction. Seems like if I am chewing on something then my brain or whatever it is that makes me want to eat satifed.

FitKate

I'm on the same boat as you, unfortunately :ohwell:

What I find helps is keepingg busy...reading, going for a walk, talking on the phone, running errands, going to the gym :glasses:...as long as I stay focused throughout the day, I'm usually pretty good with the emotional eating.

Journaling helps too...we eat our emotions for a reason and dealing with them in another way is much more benficial

I love to journal so this was very helpful. I have a desk job and some times at work I find myself eating out of boredem. I had to stop carrying cash so I'm not always at the vending machine.

FitKate

Right now I am using gum as my distraction. Seems like if I am chewing on something then my brain or whatever it is that makes me want to eat satifed.

Do you know a gum that keeps it flavor a little longer than most? I tried orbit but after 5 mins I'm spitting it out because it has no taste and gets kinda gross.

gems4me

Good lord I could have wrote this very same post, last Wednesday, the 1st, I got on the scales and I had not lost any weight at all in the entire month of January. I was so mad, then I had to make a long drive that day, so since I was out on the road I stopped for a good meal at lunchtime. Then as the day wore on it started pouring down rain, I couldn't see period and my husband can no longer drive so there I was just wishing the day would end. So how did we take care of dinner, we went out to eat when we finally got home, it was such a long day and I have not gotten myself back into the normal eating mode yet. CRAP I not only have bad days, I have bad weeks.

I need help. Please don't anyone bother coming on here to criticize any of us, some of us really have a hard time doing what is right.

BeastieJane

So I'm kind of bulimic...and I'm definitely an emotional eater, too. My shrink helped me by suggesting that I think about why I'm eating, like before hand write down "I'm hungry" or "I'm eating right now because I am really depressed", whatever. And also to write when I'm feeling really emotional and as if I'm going to binge (not saying you do, saying I do)

FitKate

@gems4me I am here for support feel free to add me as a friend. I'm like you. I do well during the week and then by the weekend I totally fall off the wagon. I have a 6 month old and I'm exhausted all the time. He still doesn't have a set sleep cycle. I eat to stay awake and Its usually High SUGAR! Darn doughnuts should have never been invented.

TrailRunner61

Brush your teeth. Anything you put in your mouth will taste gross.
Drink a glass of water or calorie free anything, 16oz and drink it all at once.
Go for a walk.
If you crave chocolate, drink 8 oz of Silk light choc milk. 90 calories and its really chocolately! You can also drink diet hot choc. @25 calories.
Make a list of things you need to do and when you want to eat, head to the list, pick something and work on it.
DONT have bad stuff in your house. For me, that's the easiest thing to do. If it's not here I won't be tempted.
If someone brings in doughnuts, it's cruel! Ask them to put it where you wont see it.
My husband just ate a whole bag of cinnamon roll popcorn in front of me and asked me if I wanted a bag too. GRRRRR! I opted for 1/4 cup of roasted, salted soybeans. He was done with his popcorn before I was. I was mad at him at first but I got over it and had some soy in my body to help reduce hotflashes (ACK!) plus had a salty craving cured.
I read on here a few days ago that someone poured icky stuff on sweets so they wouldnt eat it. (Ex. , pouring mustard on cake so it's inedible) I don't really like to waste food but if I'm healthier without it, so be it.
Throw the 'bad' food out. I had a big bag of salted pistachios that I had been munching on and I found out that they are totally loaded with calories and I couldnt control my portion size, 15 nuts is one portion! I ended up dumping them in the trash. GONE!
Imagine that whatever it is you're wanting to eat will be added to the size of your.....(I look pregnant and I'm not, so I imagine adding to my tummy)
Add me as a friend! I'll try to help you! Good luck!

FitKate

So I'm kind of bulimic...and I'm definitely an emotional eater, too. My shrink helped me by suggesting that I think about why I'm eating, like before hand write down "I'm hungry" or "I'm eating right now because I am really depressed", whatever. And also to write when I'm feeling really emotional and as if I'm going to binge (not saying you do, saying I do)

I'm sorry to hear you have struggled with this. If you need support please add me as a friend and I will be happy talk with you through messaging. Its hard being an emotional eater and a lot of people don't get it. Thank you for your post.

MaximalLife

There is no problem so big that a plate of fried potatoes won't cure...:bigsmile:

I had to address this as a part of my goal motivation program.
Any action that moves me away from my goals is now an act that causes me distress. I needed a feeling of pain to burn my soul every time I thought of using food as a comfort in times of stress.
We either have that drive or need to find a way to ignite it.

To light that fire, be honest, and answer for yourself:
Why do I want to be healthy and fit? Discover the real answer, and attach great pleasure to that as you set your goals.
Feel and experience that joy when you think of being healthy and fit.

And then ask yourself why do you NOT want to be fat?
Connect with that reason burning pain that you can really feel every time you think about being fat.

This is the key to internal motivation.
Few people can actually do this which is why most people fail in their efforts over and over.
Take the time to do this, and you'll touch off a powder keg of determination and drive.
Sure, you may have challenges; we all do, but you'll keep punching and reach your goals.

All Is Possible!

fightin2bFit

I'm so glad I am not the only one in this boat. I have always been an emotional eater and when stress or depression takes over I seem to always just say "screw it". I work hard to stay on track but it is def not an easy task, as you all know. I think keeping busy and making sure I have healthy snacks to munch on helps. Having supportive people I can turn to also helps a lot but I still have those times where I "lose" control. I hope that by consistently working to recognize my emotional eating vs eating when I'm hungry and having a supportive group of people to turn to I can rebuild my relationship with food.

tinacc1

I hear ya! I've been "eating my feelings" for years. I'm tired of feeling like crap because I have terrible willpower. I've been doing quite well this past month, although, I don't think I'm down this week. I find that eating a baked sweet potato every day is really helping with the sweet cravings, and the fibre keeps you full for a long time. Gum makes me sooooo hungry! Just give yourself a pat on the back for each day that you're able to stay strong. You can do this. We ALL can. We have each other for support.:flowerforyou:

kattaw

My goodness, have I been there. To be honest, I'm still sort of coping with this. Over the last year or so, though, I've found a few things that help. I definitely try to find activities that keep me busy, and, more importantly, keep my hands busy; it's hard to eat if your hands are occupied. I've taken up knitting so that I can work on a lovely scarf while watching a movie rather than working on that bag of popcorn. Reading also achieves this end, so long as it's a good, old-fashioned, paper and ink book that requires both hands to hold it open, rather than a single-hand e-book.

I've also found a good tea that I really enjoy. Sometimes a cup of warm tea is enough to soothe any cravings or urges that may have sprung up with my emotions.

And brush your teeth. I'll do the whole shebang - brush my teeth, use mouthwash, and floss. Who wants to undo all that hard work?

I know none of these suggestions get to the root problem of emotional eating, but for me, forcing myself into distractions rather than snacking has made a world of difference. It took some time, but no longer am I forcing myself, this is my new habit. After a stressful day, I no longer come home and think, "holy hell, I just need some god damn chocolate," so much as, "why haven't I bought a tea kettle yet? I will have to make one cup of tea at a time uuuugh." The association between emotions and food has been lessened.

FitKate

How do you guys say no to your favorite comfort food? Some times its so hard. I know I'm not able to do one bite and walk away. One bite leads to a whole bowl of icecream or half a pizza! I need skills in will power. I know I can do this.

cadams0715

I have always been an emotional eater. When I'm happy, sad, depressed or whatever, I use food. At the time I don't care what I'm eating but later I'm always mad at my self. I have finally cured myself somewhat by trying to take it minute by minute. I ask myself if I'm really hungry and if the answer is no, I try to make myself wait five minutes and ask myself again. I keep just trying to push the time away until the feeling is gone or until it is time for me to eat something healthy. I have also discovered going to the gym has helped when I felt like binge eating. Then I'm proud of myself rather than mad at myself

TiffanyL71

I would like to suggest to everyone that has posted a book called "Made to Crave" by Lisa Terkeurst. I went from a healthy, active person to a very unhappy overweight woman due to the fact that I'm an emotional eater just like all of you. But then a very good friend of mine invited me to attend a local churches Health Challenge with them. Through the help of the health challenge I learned that the very first thing you need to do is address what's making you turn to food. For me it was a lot of anger and guilt and shame from a life full of abuse and anger. An ugly divorce and loss of a child. I addressed those issue through counseling. But I also turned to food because I was stressed out. We live in a stressful culture. We work long hours for crap pay and our lives are busy beyond anything we ever could imagine when we were young and dumb. This is where the book Made to Crave became a tremendous help. You see I'm a christian but I wasn't turning to God for my comfort and strength I was turning to food. I've since learned to ask God for help when I need it instead of grabbing a bag of chips for 20mins of pleasure. I use scripture to help me get through moments of weakness when I'm craving food due to a hard day at work. This works for me. God accomplishes all things for me and I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. He is my healer, my strength and my stronghold. And I'm not ashamed to share this with you. I'm not trying to tell you that the only way to achieve success over emotional eating is doing what I've done. What i'm doing is sharing with you how God has helped me successfully kick my emotional eating habit. I highly recommend God as your personal savior and helper in this and all matters but I also recommend figuring out what it is that triggers your emotional eating behavior and face it or ask for help resolving it. There are great books and people trained in this area. Find another tool that works for you in a short pinch like the 2 min. rule. When tempted to eat give yourself 2 min. and more often then not you'll find the temptation has passed.

FitKate

Thank you to everyone who posted on my topic and not being harsh. This really is a hard thing to cope with some times. I'm glad to see others who have been there and I will take all the suggestions into consideration when I take things day by day.

BOC57

I think a huge part of the weight loss/ lifestyle change process is really taking a look at just the type of thing you are talking about. We all have long standing patterns of dealing with difficult emotions and situations. I know for me, food is one coping mechanism. But just as important as finding concrete behaviors to replace the eating is replacing the thought process that leads to the behavior. So be mindful of your thoughts when you start getting the urge to eat or when you approach the scale. Potato2 mentioned journaling and I think that's an excellent idea.....try using it as a tool to record what you are doing right so that when the numbers on the scale are disappointing you've got non scale successes to reinforce the good work you've done.

I'm one of the those people that struggle with sweets also. For me it means not bringing it into the house, or having my husband put his sweets up high in a cabinet that I cannot easily reach. If they are in sight, they are in my mouth! How are you doing with logging your food? I find when I'm actively logging I'm less likely to just pop something into my mouth if I know I have to account for it.

The important thing is to make a plan, and if the plan doesn't work, try it again or try something different. Don't let negative thinking derail you further. You can do this.

Jamiegirl2009

Hey its ok I think we all have our moments.

You can and will do this. How about start a journal orrrrrrr you can write a letter and once you are done. BURN IT!!!

try different things to get your mind off of Comfort food. Hey maybe even try finding NEW healthy comfort food. there are a million recipes I have discovered out there.

Be strong you can do this.

Pebble321

Another book you might like to look at is "Eating Less" by Gillian Riley.
She has some really interesting things to say emotional/addictive/binge eating and some concrete strategies to try.
One thing I found interesting is that she doesn't suggest distracting yourself by doing something else, which is what I always try to do. She is more about facing the desire to eat head on and learning strategies to NOT eat when its for the wrong reasons.
Check it out, I bought it on Kindle for my iPhone.

KareninCanada

I love "Made to Crave"


One tool that has helped me a lot is keeping a stash of nice teas in the house, plus vanilla soy milk and stevia. Oh, and dark chocolate almond milk.

Super-dark good quality chocolate helps, too - if you're having a sweet craving, give your body the best quality you can afford, but in a small portion, like the little individually wrapped singles. Don't waste the calories on cheap junk like halloween treats, second-rate chocolate, cheap ice cream, store-bought cake... it's not worth it. Get the good stuff, eat it, enjoy it, and just make it a part of your plan for success.


And then the other thing that has helped is making a complete mind and heart change. I stopped letting myself find release in crunching or comfort in sweetness. All it was doing was hurting me, even though it helped in the moment. Recognizing that, releasing it, and purposing to find comfort and release in other ways made a dramatic difference.

Finally, accountability. Maybe logging it in and open diary that your friends can check on will be useful for you, or joining a real-life meeting for accountability, or if you think you need more support even looking into something like Overeaters Anonymous.


Good luck to you - you can overcome it.

FitKate

I would like to suggest to everyone that has posted a book called "Made to Crave" by Lisa Terkeurst. I went from a healthy, active person to a very unhappy overweight woman due to the fact that I'm an emotional eater just like all of you. ................

Thank you for this post!

wessymomma10

Oh my goodness me too!!! It seems that I have taught myself that after eating a meal I need something sweet, and I'm trying to break that. Carmel Rice cakes have been my go to the past few days because of how few calories there are and they are sweet enough to take care of the urge.

FitKate

Oh my goodness me too!!! It seems that I have taught myself that after eating a meal I need something sweet, and I'm trying to break that. Carmel Rice cakes have been my go to the past few days because of how few calories there are and they are sweet enough to take care of the urge.

Thank you girl for the post! It helps having friends in the same position as me!

Ceebee37

I think it's ok to have a bad day now and then, honestly, it's impossible to stay on track 100%.
You need to look at why you feel the way you do,and deal with the emotions behind it first and foremost, then it will get easier.
If you are stressed, stop for a minute and ask why are you stressed? What happened to make you feel this way? Can you fix it at the time? Take a deep breath, count to 10, close your eyes, and do some deep breathing, go for a walk if you can, talk to someone!!
If you are sad, angry ask yourself why, figure it out, then deal with it by talking to someone, or the person that may make you sad etc.
If you ahve support you will get through this, chat on here, ring a friend, partner etc.
I don't know if this helps, but exercise is the best stress relief in the world!!
Take Care!

FitKate

@ceebee37 - Thank you this was very helpful.

ashley67203

I make sure to not buy the good food I want but keep pseudo-substitutes around to help satisfy the cravings when they come. I keep a bag of dark chocolate kisses handy for sweet, pickles for salty and high-fiber cereal for crunchy. My worst time for snacking is late at night. I find if I don't have anything good in my kitchen I can't overdo it. I will stand there and stare at the healthy junk in my pantry for ten minutes, kicking myself the entire time for not having anything decent, but in the morning I'm thankful.

Work is way harder. I have high-stress job where I sit at this huge desk with an elevated bar that everyone in the office uses as a cookie, chip and donut buffet. It's horrible. I bring a huge lunchbox full of healthy snacks and I eat them all day to keep my hunger down so I don't slip up and indulge too often. It does happen, though, especially when I let the stress of the job get to me and I just cave. Yesterday during the Super Bowl I was all mad about having to work and ended up diving into the assortment of wings that sat a foot from my face all night.

gems4me

I've read all the replies and thanks everyone, I especially liked the teeth brushing and mouthwash tip. FitKate tell me how to add you as a friend and I will do so. Goodnight for now. Tomorrow's a new day!

FitKate

I've read all the replies and thanks everyone, I especially liked the teeth brushing and mouthwash tip. FitKate tell me how to add you as a friend and I will do so. Goodnight for now. Tomorrow's a new day!

I sent you a friend request! It should be in your mailbox. Check your home page and click on the alert Hope this helps.

scotland82

One thing that really helps me is imagining how i want my body to look when i have reached my goal, by the time you think about how great your going to look and feel, the moment has passed! i fell in lovewith an aussie when i was backpacking and ended up staying together (this is our 4th year)and i now live in a very small country town in rural western australia. i grew up in scotland and find it really hard to be away from all of my family and friends, and i always turn to food to make me feel better. Someone once told me that we comfort eat to push down our feelings with the food, so now when i feel homesick to avoid the temptation of bingeing, il ring my mum or best friend at home and just tell them i miss them, then my feelings go away and i feel better just talking to them :-) but my biggest motivator is imaging how good i want to look, so just picture that and imagine you look that good, you wont want to lose that feeling over a donut!