primal emotional eating?

squishycow7

It's sort of chicken & the egg for me here- am I feeling depressed/the need to binge because my diet has been sloppy, or has my diet been sloppy because I'm depressed?

I've been emo and blah and superlame for a few weeks now. My diet has been gross and I FEEL gross. My legs and back ache like I've been working out, but I haven't done ANY purposeful exercise since ...I don't know... last Tuesday? So it's been a week. And that was cardio! I don't even know the last time I did my weights!! When I'm depressed, I'll eat anything you shove in front of me... like the bagel I was given this morning. *sigh*

So please kick me in the pants.

Anyone else an emotional eater? How does this tie into your Paleo/Primal motives?
Sidenote- I seem to turn to nuts if I want to mindlessly stuff my face, and those calories add up fast

nil8r

Do you know what your trigger foods are? The things that make you spiral into a series of non-primal eating patterns? For me, I know that wheat is my enemy. I crave it, but it doesn't love me back. If I'm not careful it's a vicious cycle.

I'm not a professional, but I do think there's a diet/emotional state connection.

The best way I've found to get past the mindless cravings is to become my own psychoanalyst. Here's a scenario that happens to me from time to time...

Craving: I want a candy bar NOW!
Me: Why am I craving sweets?
Craving: N-O-W with caramel!
Me: I didn't sleep well, and sugar would give me an energy boost (for a little while). Do I have a primal/paleo option?
Craving: Snickers! Milky Way! Caramel Macciatto!
Me: (planning ahead w/ groceries in the house) Yes - I'll have a small square of dark chocolate and some cherries (or other fruit). I'll also make sure I go to bed earlier tonight.

If it's salty, I measure out a small portion of nuts and add crunchy vegetables instead of chips. If nuts remove any willpower or control, then try an alternative source of protein for snacks. Measure out the portions and put the rest out of sight.

My suggestion is to tackle this one meal at a time and focus on the positive changes you are making.

tabbychiro

You might find this post at The Clothes Make the Girl helpful/interesting
http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/10/31/hunger-vs-emotional-appetite/

squishycow7

You might find this post at The Clothes Make the Girl helpful/interesting
http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/10/31/hunger-vs-emotional-appetite/

Thanks for the link,it was indeed what I needed to hear

GalaxyDuck

Mel from The Clothes Make the Girl (linked above) is a huge Whole30 fan and I can see why, if you find this a real issue for you, you may want to look into doing a Whole30 yourself. It's basically doing a really strict 30 days of paleo eating (or 45 or 60 days, depending on how bad your cravings and triggers are). I never used to think my own cravings were an issue until I tried it on my own. For me the hardest part (since I was already eating pretty much 95% paleo) was cutting out alcohol for 30 days. But oh what a difference it made!

Here's a link to an overview:
http://whole9life.com/2012/01/whole-30-v2012/

Their book, It Starts With Food, does a really good job at explaining the how's and why's of it all, with a big section on the psychological responses we have to food and how it all depends on how our hormones are being regulated through the foods we eat.

http://www.amazon.com/It-Starts-Food-Discover-Unexpected/dp/1936608898/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340798799&sr=8-1&keywords=it+starts+with+food

squishycow7

thanks macphean!!! I did (try to) do a Whole30 once.. but then my dad came to visit halfway through (he lives across the country) so I allowed myself to be spoiled. So it was more like a Whole16 or so!! And the plan was to jump back in as soon as he left, but.... *insert every possible excuse here*

But I did see that book for sale at the bookshop near me just yesterday, and I was SO close to buying it. I may very well go back, because I was totally inspired and on board with the whole thing until I let myself get lazy.

GalaxyDuck

The thing about doing a Whole30 is that you really have to be strict for the ENTIRE 30 days, no cheats, no excuses and no slip ups. No "well just this 1 day I will put milk in my coffee" halfway through, or allowing yourself to make an excuse for a special occasion. That will not only derail the progress you've made in repairing your hormonal regulation, but also has a negative impact on any emotional/psychological issues you may be trying to work through.

I highly recommend the book. Lots of info, but not too much science that it is overwhelming. A lot of tough love. And I highly recommend doing a full 30 days without any cheats so you can really see what a difference it makes. Most people don't even start to notice the good stuff until week 3, so you didn't even get over the hump! This is a great link describing what you can expect to feel during the 30 days and why you should really push through it!
http://whole9life.com/2012/06/the-whole30-timeline/

Best of luck!