Any advice for an emotional eater?

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  • paxbfl
    paxbfl Posts: 391 Member
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    I've been helped by eating "mini-meals". If your goal is 1500 calories, eat 5 meals of 300 calories each. So you'd eat breakfast at 9, lunch at noon, afternoon snack at 3, dinner at 6, and evening snack at 8. Each mini-meal should have a protein (preferably lean) and a complex carb (whole grain). Add a vegetable to at least two meals. I didn't eat fruit but if you do, it counts as your carb. Stay away from simple carbs including processed sugar, white bread, pasta.

    This accomplished two big things. First, it helps keep your blood sugar stable so you're not craving foods. Large meals or long delays between meals cause blood sugar changes. So does eating sugar or simple carbs. Also, when your blood sugar is stable your energy level will be more constant throughout the day. No more feeling like you need to nap after a big meal.

    Second, you're always less than 3 hours away from your next meal. So rather than snacking, you just think "Heck, I'm due to eat again in an hour - I can wait that long!"

    Give it a shot! I work at home so I'm often bored and tempted to eat, but this method has solved the problem for me.
  • alyssaapratt
    alyssaapratt Posts: 1
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    What has really helped me, is not buying the junk food that I'd normally turn to if I am upset, or feel like snacking.. Once I have finished grocery shopping for the week, I hand my debit card to my fiance and he keeps it unless I need gas or something really quick.. But it's been working and I can finally feel myself craving the better foods like fruits and veggies, because I no longer have an option to eat the bad stuff!
  • tinak33
    tinak33 Posts: 9,883 Member
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    I'm a snacker. Any time of the day.... After breakfast, after lunch, before dinner, after dinner, before bed, etc....
    I LOVE to snack.
    I decided to start stocking up on "good" snack food. I'm never going to stop snacking. I can learn to cut back, but I will never stop.

    So I have dried apricots, celery sticks, baby carrots, raw almonds, raisins, apples, etc... And my favorite that I use at night when I REALLY want a snacky treat, I have my 100 calorie bag of popcorn! :happy:
    There is NO way I can pop a bag of popcorn and not eat the ENTIRE thing. So I got the ones that are limited to 100 calories. :bigsmile:

    Also, if I'm actually feeling hungry, not just in the mood to snack, I think about how much water I have had. A lot of times, for me, my "hunger pains" are actually "dehydration pains". So I drink a bottle of water, wait 10 minutes and then see how I feel. It keeps me from going overboard, getting a stomach ache, and still not being satisfied because I probably only really needed some water... :blushing:
  • Crystaleyed
    Crystaleyed Posts: 229 Member
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    Hello.
    I know how you feel, especially with the stress thing, I'm seventeen so in the middle of applying for university and stuff so yeah ... I know how the stress thing feels. I think the important thing is to learn to forgive yourself, I have had so many bad days on here and I have gained back weight I have lost quite a few times, but as long as you stick at it and think of every day as a new start then I find things get a lot easier.
    Also, if you're feeling bored, I know you might have heard this a million times but keep your hands busy and do anything to distract yourself. But if you have to have something in your mouth make sure it's healthy.
    I hope that helps :)
  • xbloomerbrigade
    xbloomerbrigade Posts: 58 Member
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    I'm an emotional eater and there are some things that have worked for me (if they don't apply to you, cool, just suggestions.
    1. If you THINK you are hungry, drink a glass of water. Sometimes you're not actually hungry, you're thirsty and this will alleviate ''hunger''.
    2. If you are still hungry or find that you want to eat during times of stress, try finding something else you can focus your energy on. Whether it's taking a walk, painting, writing, scrapbooking, doing some meditation, whatever. Find something to replace the emotional eating.
    3. Additionally, I agree with previous posters...TRACK. Even if you are embarassed, even if you feel guilty, even if you go over your daily calorie goal. Just put it down.
    4. If you have a legit craving, give yourself a serving (measure out one serving) and give in to it. There has been work done that says 3 bites of a food will satisfy a legit craving. You'll have satisfied this craving and since you went with the actual serving you likely won't feel guilty. I find that things get out of control when you deny yourself the things you want or the things your body is telling you to eat. Then you end up eating even MORE calories than you would have in the first place if you had just let yourself have a little. This way you'll probably be able to stay on track and you'll not make yourself feel worse in the process.
    5. Start seeing if you can find healthier versions of things you crave that you can make yourself, this has helped me tremendously! I have found that making sure I eat at home and making my own versions of the foods that I like and crave saves me a lot of calories.

    Hope this helps!
  • sphomphak
    sphomphak Posts: 94 Member
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    great suggestions!!
  • Danalynn39
    Danalynn39 Posts: 38
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    I noticed that there was a suggestion of watching carbs. Did you also notice on the food tracker that the alotted carbs seems high or is it me? Should we be allowed so many carbs? What is a good measure? This is week one for me again. And I've done well on a high protein, low carb. Such as Herbalife and clean eating. Suggestions?
  • ts1717
    ts1717 Posts: 101 Member
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    If you are like me, the worst is at night....have a plan. Use smaller plates. Don'd drink any calories, ie drink water. An apple does wonders in solving the sugar cravings. Replace cookies with organic granola. And just go to bed.....the sleep does wonders.
  • LaurenOliver
    LaurenOliver Posts: 48
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    To me it sounds like finding ways to alleviate the stress and emotional states would help. I know find a hobby sounds cliche, but something to occupy your time, relaxes you, or identifying the stressors and figuring out a way to alter those so they aren't as stressful should help with the problems and therefore the urge to eat.
  • squeakyfish
    squeakyfish Posts: 109 Member
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    Log everything religiously. Before you eat anything, put it in MFP. Log, log, log. And log some more.

    That's the only way I've been able to maintain control. Log. And log some more.

    This.

    For the first time in my life, I'm in control, not the food. I just started a month ago, and it's like a weight has been lifted. I've also been doing some reading about emotional eating. Meditation and deep breathing are good alternatives to food, and the biggest one is finding other ways to self soothe (ie, a hobby, journaling, calling a friend, exercising, etc.)
  • KetoDebbie912
    KetoDebbie912 Posts: 105 Member
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    I would suggest reading the book "Shrink Yourself" by Dr. Rober Gould. It's about breaking free from emotional eating and has really helped me!
  • cole_ashleyy
    cole_ashleyy Posts: 104 Member
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    Journal

    Stop and journal to determine if it's a real craving/hunger or if it's your emotions bringing you to food... or at least stop and reflect on it. Journaling helps sometimes because then it also gives you an outlet for those emotions rather than turning to food which is more likely if you are just reflecting unless you find another distraction.
  • helenbeee
    helenbeee Posts: 130 Member
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    This post was like reading me. I know exactly what you are going through I am almost 3 weeks into my fourth attempt to get back into using MFP and my quest to lose weight. The first time was easy and I lost a noticeable amount of weight which I went on to sabotage. I gained all the weight back. What transpired was 2 more failed attempts announcing my return and then failing dismally each time sabotaged by myself. Then this christmas I lost my job, and emotionally ate and put on extra weight. It was at this point my husband stepped in and made me talk about about it. I realised if I didnt stop what I was doing I was heading for some serious health problems that I would have been the cause of.
    When was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror? I mean stood and looked at yourself naked in a full length mirror? That is what overrode my emotional eating. The first time is painful I cried for 3 days I couldnt believe what I had done to myself and felt sick to my stomach. I really felt hopeless, desperate and scared. I had tried unsuccessfully controlling the eating by banning foods but that didnt help the real problem which was the continuous eating and its relationship with my emotions.
    So I devised a plan if I felt the urge to snack through boredom, stress or emotional upset I had to go and stand in front of that mirror and look at myself in my underwear and ask do I want to stop now or add to this problem before me? If the answer was yes then I was allowed to eat if the answer was no which it was then I had to find something else to do other than eat.
    For me emotional eating is insidious because it uses tricks to clear the way for it to happen it anesthetizes the senses making you focus only on the act of eating. You never actually "see" what you are doing until its too late and then you are so scared by what you see you run to the only thing you know for comfort. Forcing yourself to face the consequences of your intended action is the only way to wake up from the stupor. Look at yourself everyday and really look at yourself study it all I guarantee that your control over the emotional eating will happen.
    Im 3 weeks in I dont reach for the snacks when Im bored tired or grumpy, mfp helps me manage what food I eat and exercise. It has been pretty painless and Im starting to see the effects of my efforts Im at the point of where I sabotage so I stand in fron to of the mirror and look at myself to remind myself of how much further I have to go before I can celebrate or relax.

    Just keep trying this might not be the time that works but the next one will be just keep getting back up and putting yourself back on track. You can beat it.

    Good Luck

    Helen :)
  • BuffyEat2Live
    BuffyEat2Live Posts: 327 Member
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    The only things that have helped me with my emotional eating issues are some good self help books and lots of time working on it.

    But I feel like I've finally conquered it for good.

    Unfortunately it just sort of happened, and I can't think of why I suddenly am not emotional about food anymore. It's just weird.

    But one of my favorite books on the subject is: Eating in the Light of the Moon by Dr. Anita Johnston.
  • crimsonkurls
    crimsonkurls Posts: 17 Member
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    [/quote] The planning part of it really helps tremendously when it comes to me. I think my 'emotional over eating' is because it is the one thing I can control. So, if I put my control to it the opposite way, by planning out my food for the next day, my over eating/indulging, does not control me.
    [/quote]


    I so identify with this! ^^^^ Sorry not so sure how to use the "quote" option yet :/ I struggled with eating issues as a teenager as well but in the opposite direction.I usually only ate once a day and dropped a ton of weight quickly.I have never had a healthy relationship with food.It is my savior or the devil.I am really working through this and have come a long way.I need to put a lot more thought into pre planning my days.I think this would help tremendously in keeping me on track.Thanks :)
  • crimsonkurls
    crimsonkurls Posts: 17 Member
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    Thank you for sharing so much of yourself with us. This whole community is truly amazing to me! I can totally identify with a lot of what you have said.I am SO ready this time.I told my husband to please bear with me over the next few weeks because I might be a bit emotional trying to work through all this without the help of food! It honestly feels like I'm a drug addict going through detox :smile: I can smile now looking back over the last few weeks because it is true,and I have made it through the roughest part. We just have to keep trying.The most successful and brilliant people in the world have failed more times than we can imagine.The reason they were so successful is because they didn't accept failing once.They failed and failed and failed forward until they made it!
  • rungirl1973
    rungirl1973 Posts: 2,559 Member
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    The only thing that works for me is keeping snack food out of the house. If I want chips or cookies, I have to go to the store. I hate going to the store, so I'm not going just for that. I do my grocery shopping when I'm not hungry, so I'm not tempted to load my cart with garbage.

    It still happens sometimes, but now it's usually popcorn or fruit...
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    Oh I could write forever on this...what has worked for me is,

    1.THIS IS FOR ME ONLY The only person that cares if I binge or turn to food to fill an emotional void is me.
    2. Write it out.
    3. Hold yourself accountable. If you do it log it.
    4. When emotional you have to get away from food and any food in the media. If you are driving around make sure you avoid going by food establishments.
    5. Walk away from the kitchen, write, take a bath, go to sleep.
    6. When you walk away despite the darkness you might be going through you have won.
    7. Reward yourself with something when you can walk in the darkness without turning to food. I got to buy perfume yesterday when I successfully ate by myself without a binge.
    8. You understand the process of addiction you HAVE to apply it to your relationship with food. Unfortunately, you cant abstain from food but you can abstain from emotional eating.
    9. If you fail get back on it immediately. Try to keep the fact you want to get healthy on your mind always. After my miscarriage I was still getting onto MFP despite not logging calories or anything just watching others succeed.
    10. You can do this. You are a worthy beautiful woman. Keep moving foward it's your only option in life.
  • BuffyEat2Live
    BuffyEat2Live Posts: 327 Member
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    Oh I could write forever on this...what has worked for me is,

    1.THIS IS FOR ME ONLY The only person that cares if I binge or turn to food to fill an emotional void is me.
    2. Write it out.
    3. Hold yourself accountable. If you do it log it.
    4. When emotional you have to get away from food and any food in the media. If you are driving around make sure you avoid going by food establishments.
    5. Walk away from the kitchen, write, take a bath, go to sleep.
    6. When you walk away despite the darkness you might be going through you have won.
    7. Reward yourself with something when you can walk in the darkness without turning to food. I got to buy perfume yesterday when I successfully ate by myself without a binge.
    8. You understand the process of addiction you HAVE to apply it to your relationship with food. Unfortunately, you cant abstain from food but you can abstain from emotional eating.
    9. If you fail get back on it immediately. Try to keep the fact you want to get healthy on your mind always. After my miscarriage I was still getting onto MFP despite not logging calories or anything just watching others succeed.
    10. You can do this. You are a worthy beautiful woman. Keep moving foward it's your only option in life.

    WOW great tips! I know that I'm not the OP, but this really inspired me today, so thanks. :flowerforyou:

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