Compulsive/Emotional Eating Strategies

BrilliantSugar

Sorry if you clicked on this expecting a whole list of strategies!

This is more me asking for some tips on how you cope, I was just wondering if any of you lovely MFP people have any thoughts on how to you've managed your eating habits?

I go through cycles where I can go days over eating, like having double or more of the RDA calories through binge eating. It really affects my life and sometimes I find it hard to focus on work, my social life or even getting dressed and leavng the house. It has got a lot better in recent months however when I fall back into a cycle it hits me all over again. There's a few things that I especially find hard to manage...

I live in a house share where our food borders on the communal, so at night I have any amount of bad foods to binge on. Knowing that they're there clicks off something in my brain after everybody has gone to bed. I can't expect my friends to not hvae food in the kitchen so how do I stop myself? I mean I can make perfectly rational plans but then I go into auto pilot and my brain just can't seem to make me care about the negative consequences until it's too late.

The other thing is, sometimes when I do my grocery shop I plan on buying in bulk to stop me from spending too much money buying food on a day by day basis. But then I'd just eat everything in one go anyway. I can't seem to find the control, even though I'm really trying to be sensible and plan.

I actually get really, and unfairly, bitter when I hear about people I live with talking about dieting and losing weight, like I project my failure on them, and I don't want to be angry with my friends over my own issues.

So, how do you break the cycle and actually make it a long term lifestyle of healthy eating? What has worked for you when stopping yourself from emotional eating? Post your strategies here....

(Sorry bout the long rant of a post!)

boffy42

i identify with you totally its a massive part of my life binge eating. i have weighed over 23 stone and wore size 30 clothes. food is/was /sometimes is a big issue for me to. i find it a great comfort and company even. food my best friend. specially sweet calorific cakes,biscuits. for me it fills a great gap in my life.

but over the last 4 years i have lost around 10 stone. going to the gym and cutting out my huge treats and huge meals. suddenly i was met with so much more respect from everyone. i looked the best i have ever been. could buy lovely clothes and in my face i looked 20 yeras younger.

i have put on 3 stones recently and i will lose it again and some more.

when asked what made you lose wieght on such a level i simply said vanity.

i love looking younger and i love my figure. i have a great shape that was hidden under layers of fat. i can buy clothes that enhance my figure instead of tents that mask my shame.

i hope that this helps you in some way. sometimes you just have to wake up and want to lose wieght and only you can do that.
good luck!

Meloonie

Just my opinion but if your profile pic is actually you, I would say that you dont need to lose any more weight and that maybe you need to seek out some help for the binge cycle.

I have always been an emotional eater but now I try to think about whether I'm actually hungry or whether I looking for an excuse to eat or trying to fill an emotional gap. I try to deal with the actual emotion rather than stuffing it down with food!

Keeping a thought diary can help -write down the thought you are having and think about whether its helpful, is it real? is it important? will it feel this important in 6 months? Small exercises like this help to recoginse unhelpful thoughts and help you to learn to deal with them.

Good luck x

BeautyFromPain

BUMP

BrilliantSugar

Just my opinion but if your profile pic is actually you, I would say that you dont need to lose any more weight and that maybe you need to seek out some help for the binge cycle.

I have always been an emotional eater but now I try to think about whether I'm actually hungry or whether I looking for an excuse to eat or trying to fill an emotional gap. I try to deal with the actual emotion rather than stuffing it down with food!

Keeping a thought diary can help -write down the thought you are having and think about whether its helpful, is it real? is it important? will it feel this important in 6 months? Small exercises like this help to recoginse unhelpful thoughts and help you to learn to deal with them.

Good luck x

Thanks for the advice, I know I should do a thought diary, it's just when I'm in that eating mode I find it really hard to engage any logic, but I guess that's something I have to learn.
My profile pic is really old, my legs in no way resemble that anymore!

SilviCor

I have also spent many evenings with a pint of ice cream, and have turned to food for comfort when I have felt sad and lonely. But I find that, as I am losing weight, the desire to drown my sorrows in food has diminished on its own. I find that a lot of it is also hormonal and that by eating healthy, my hormones have stabilized and so I have fewer cravings and binges. I also make sure to have a cheat meal every week where I eat my favourite food (it reduces my urges to binge).

I have learned to find happiness elsewhere than in food by spending more time with friends, getting out of the house, and being more active (which although is hard at first, always makes me feel better once I'm done). And I always look to the future and imagine what my life will be like once I reach my goal (I'll have more confidence, I'll get to where cute clothes, I'll go out more, I'll be ready to meet that special someone, etc.) And the future looks bright!

Although I understand that you cannot expect your roomates to stop buying junk food, you can ask for their help to keep the junk food out of sight in order to reduce your temptations. And perhaps start a journal and write down what you're feeling before you binge. This will eventually show you a pattern, so that you'll know you triggers for the next time around.

The fact that you're here and posting and looking for help is already a start in the right direction! Good luck!

BrilliantSugar

And thanks for all the replies guys, appreciate it! I think what I find is I don't enjoy over indulging in food, it's just a thing that I do to the extreme, it's just an unhealthy relationship with food. I'd like to find the balance somewhere!

zoodalia

I too really struggle with binge-eating and I started well on MFP and lost 14 pounds and then put it all back on and then some, due to getting into a rut after a few knocks of confidence recently. Now I seem to find excuses to binge most days e.g. 'I'm upset today', 'it's a Sunday, no one diets on a Sunday', 'it's Kerry's birthday', 'fresh start tomorrow'. Really keen to get back on track and to get back to a comfortable weight. I've never wanted to be skinny but at 5'5.5 I'd love to be around 135 pounds.

I'm interested to hear anyone's coping strategies too!:)

BrilliantSugar

I too really struggle with binge-eating and I started well on MFP and lost 14 pounds and then put it all back on and then some, due to getting into a rut after a few knocks of confidence recently. Now I seem to find excuses to binge most days e.g. 'I'm upset today', 'it's a Sunday, no one diets on a Sunday', 'it's Kerry's birthday', 'fresh start tomorrow'. Really keen to get back on track and to get back to a comfortable weight. I've never wanted to be skinny but at 5'5.5 I'd love to be around 135 pounds.

I'm interested to hear anyone's coping strategies too!:)

It's the confidence knocks that really take it out of you, because once you start then your esteem drops and it's like a domino effect, keeping you down. I know it's easier said than done but I think blind faith that if you can just manage one day to break the cycle things will seem immensely better. I know, when you're in the middle of it, it's hard to get the perspective, and it seems like 'f**k it, I'm already fat/overweight/eating too much/whatever, this won't make a difference' but find the trust somewhere that your decision before the binge is the real one. Not the easiest to try and tell yourself I know!

gidgeclev

Try a low carb diet - it will suppress appetite and stop you craving sugar, bread etc. I have the same problem and if I eating anything that a shouldn't it sets up an uncontrollable urge to eat. Don't beat yourself up about lack of willpower, it's more likely to be an insulin resistance. Low carb for the rest of your life is unfortunately the only way to do it

BrilliantSugar

Try a low carb diet - it will suppress appetite and stop you craving sugar, bread etc. I have the same problem and if I eating anything that a shouldn't it sets up an uncontrollable urge to eat. Don't beat yourself up about lack of willpower, it's more likely to be an insulin resistance. Low carb for the rest of your life is unfortunately the only way to do it

Oh, this sounds interesting, I was afraid that doing a low carb would make me more inclined to binge but you're def right about certain things leading to an uncontrollable urge to eat. Have you found that this really works for you?

SarahxCheesecake

Sorry if you clicked on this expecting a whole list of strategies!

This is more me asking for some tips on how you cope, I was just wondering if any of you lovely MFP people have any thoughts on how to you've managed your eating habits?

I go through cycles where I can go days over eating, like having double or more of the RDA calories through binge eating. It really affects my life and sometimes I find it hard to focus on work, my social life or even getting dressed and leavng the house. It has got a lot better in recent months however when I fall back into a cycle it hits me all over again. There's a few things that I especially find hard to manage...

I live in a house share where our food borders on the communal, so at night I have any amount of bad foods to binge on. Knowing that they're there clicks off something in my brain after everybody has gone to bed. I can't expect my friends to not hvae food in the kitchen so how do I stop myself? I mean I can make perfectly rational plans but then I go into auto pilot and my brain just can't seem to make me care about the negative consequences until it's too late.

The other thing is, sometimes when I do my grocery shop I plan on buying in bulk to stop me from spending too much money buying food on a day by day basis. But then I'd just eat everything in one go anyway. I can't seem to find the control, even though I'm really trying to be sensible and plan.

I actually get really, and unfairly, bitter when I hear about people I live with talking about dieting and losing weight, like I project my failure on them, and I don't want to be angry with my friends over my own issues.

So, how do you break the cycle and actually make it a long term lifestyle of healthy eating? What has worked for you when stopping yourself from emotional eating? Post your strategies here....

(Sorry bout the long rant of a post!)

Cracking post...

avafrisbee

I have had the same problem. Part of my problem is my thyroid. Got it checked, am on medication now, and that has helped a lot to control certain emotions (depression, anxiety, etc.) That didn't seem to be my only problem though. Now I generally try and get through it with will power. Before I "indulge" in anything I drink a big glass of water as fast as I can. If it doesn't stop the craving I will at least eat less. I also replace items with more healthy options. Not good but you can spare yourself a couple of calories. Want ice cream? I eat Lemon sorbet instead 100ml has 87 calories. Need chocolate? choose dark chocolate instead. If it's sweets I'm craving I brush my teeth and usually that stops the craving. If it's salty savory foods I get 10 smoked flavored almonds for about 60 calories. This works for me. I stay under my calorie goal most days. This strategy doesn't work for my husband though because 10 almonds turns into the whole bag. He has portion control issues. In the end we can all give tips and advice but we really need to try things out and see what works for me as an individual.

gidgeclev

Has low carb helped me? Yes. I weighed 13 stone in August 2009 and I now weigh 10stone 5Lbs. It's been a long journey with a few ups and downs and more than a few plateaus but low carb is the only way that has been successful and stopped me bingeing uncontrollably. I realise now that the overeating was truly out of my control while I was eating carbs and no amount of will power would work. It's like an addiction. I am now following the Lighter Life Lite plan (UK based) to finally get down to my goal weight of being just under 10 stone.