Ideas to stop emotional eating around my husband?

leannecrystal

I have only been married for a year, and fear that our marriage will end before our second anniversary. We just had a baby and have serious financial problems. Marital problems aside, every time I am in the company of my husband I cannot stop eating. I eat to the point I feel ill. I am looking for constructive ways to curb this habit so I can reach my weight loss goals. I really need some support, I want to be healthy for my daughter. Thank you!

petstorekitty

They say the first year is the hardest. Even harder with a baby added in.

Sounds like you might be stressed about things and eating to deal with the stress.

Does your husband eat a lot too? I know it's hard in relationships sometimes because guys can eat so much more than women.
Dealing with the underlying issues will probably be the best solution. Wanting to relieve one's stress by eating doesn't happen for no reason and nothing can get fixed without communication.

but in the short term, maybe try to check yourself when your snacking, try to find "healthier" things to snack on or other things to do with your hands.
I'm often sipping water to just to deal with the fact that I want to be consuming something.

gameon15

Hey there,

I'm sorry to hear that you're having such a rough time. I can only speak to my own experience with learning lessons around emotional eating...

I have found that I eat the most when I'm really depressed, anxious, angry, etc. - and I'm not finding ways to deal with it or even just get it out.

Eating - addiction to food, alcohol, etc. - is about running, not wanting to deal with things, or feel what you don't want to feel. Enjoying something sweet or salty,, carbs, etc. - it's about focusing our attention to something comforting so that we don't have to live in that moment.

I have fallen off the wagon many times - but when I'm not turning to food to make me feel better, I'm using ways to deal with emotions...journal writing, talking to a friend, art work, go see a counselor (I have an appointment next week...)

Sometimes I'm able to use pure will-power to not indulge in calories, but usually it's when I'm finding a way to get my emotions out.

Have you been talking to anyone about your marriage? Are you & your husband talking?

Feel free to add me as a friend if you want some added support

EccentricDad

I have only been married for a year, and fear that our marriage will end before our second anniversary. We just had a baby and have serious financial problems. Marital problems aside, every time I am in the company of my husband I cannot stop eating. I eat to the point I feel ill. I am looking for constructive ways to curb this habit so I can reach my weight loss goals. I really need some support, I want to be healthy for my daughter. Thank you!

First you need to be sure that you are feeling anxiety and not just excitement. Adrenaline can appear in both forms and it's hard to determine which is which.

Second, if you determine it is anxiety, maybe you should discuss your insecurity with your husband and tell him how much he means to you and how bad you feel that you aren't able to contribute more.

Third, accept that you are doing everything you can, and he loves you for how much that you are already contributing. It's your own thoughts/beliefs/morals that's causing you to feel bad, not his.

Lastly, until you are at a stable place, remove all "snack foods" from the house until you have this under control. Yes, this punishes him too, but maybe he'll take you seriously if he sees how bad it is.