Calling All Big Losers!

AuntieMC

Many overweight people eat for reasons other than hunger, such as stress, unhappiness, anger, boredom. If you have lost a lot of weight, and are currently maintaining your new weight, could you share any techniques you used to overcome eating for emotional reasons?

Kempossible

Good topic. Going to bump for later. I would love to read some responses for encouragement.

supplemama

The horrible emotion I felt in January 2012 at the doctor's office when I realized I had eaten my way into ill health has proven to be stronger than any other emotion I've since felt that might have triggered me into overeating.

I take that back...the sickening feeling I felt when I tallied up all the money I'd have to spend taking care of my fat-induced illness was stronger.

I NEVER want to feel those things again. When I feel emotional eating urges rearing up, I think about that. Then I find something else to do besides stuff my face.

Best tip: eat every 2-3 hours...if you know you are not really hungry, that makes it easier.

jeanine89

I dont keep the treats in the house. When i get really up set like a month ago my boyfriend broke up with me during finals week, old me would come home and drown myself in a bag of salty chips. New me hahaha I will be stronger then before healthier then before. When I really get stress now I find something anything to pull my mind back to the good place. I'll walk everyday longer and longer to release good stress teducing hormones. I find a project go and get yourself puzzels. Crafts, ect. If your hands are busy making something they are not grabing treats. Good luck you all are amazing people i owe all my weight loss to my friends on this site love you all!

RLeighP

I'm on the right path again, after gaining back some weight while I was pregnant a few years ago. I had originally lost 115 lbs.

I am an emotional eater. I do have days when I have the urge to snack, but keeping tea around, flavored tea bags, helps! It gives me something to consume, that's flavorful but no calories.

Trying to find something else to obsess over helped me too. I did become obsessed with exercise, not the point where I was doing too much, but I used it to battle stress rather than turning to food.

NCchar130

Delayed gratification. I can have it, just not right now, especially if I know I want to eat because I'm upset or something. Gorging on a couple orders of large fries at McDonalds isn't going to fix whatever is stressing me out. It might be acceptable to eat some fries, as I have decided not to forbid ANY food, but I will have a small order...later. Or a large order, if it fits into my day calorie-wise. But not until I'm done spazzing out.

I guess the way I try to think about it now (as I have had anorexia as well as binge-eating disorder at different times in my life) is that I HAVE to eat. Everyone has to eat. However, I don't have to eat ALL the food RIGHT NOW. So weird how messed up my head has been about food.

So if I'm tempted to binge on something specific, I delay that gratification. No fries today, but I can have them on Wednesday. I could just eat a little, but I know I won't if I'm craving it and feeling like I won't be able to stop. But if I really am hungry and not just emotional, I eat, just something other than that food. I refuse to swing the other way and just not eat at all. Eating is good! It's ok! And it's ok to just eat enough and not eat everything in sight!

I don't know if any of that made sense, but that's kind of where I am.

ETA: I'm specifically talking about emotional binges above, not being hungry and thinking something sounds particularly good, just to clarify :flowerforyou:

AuntieMC

bump

AuntieMC

bump again!

concordancia

Like others, I don't keep comfort foods in the house.

Also, when I realize that it is emotional, I try to turn to moderate exercise to give me some alone time to deal with it, or something new or challenging if I need a distraction.

AuntieMC

Anyone else?