Comfort eating

rvkirk
rvkirk Posts: 37
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I know that I don't need to eat chocolate but I really want to. I have a mock exam in a few hours with my boss and am really nervous and panicked. Usually I deal with this by eating chocolate. I know this is comfort eating and don't really need to do it but I really want too. Have avoided it so far as I want to get out of the habit of emotional eating but it's so hard. Keep thinking I could eat it and then go to the gym after work and excercise my calories.

How do other people cope with emotional eating?

Replies

  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Emotional eating is almost always a psychological response that was nurtured early in life. Whether it is because of some traumatic even that was soothed with food (I.E. a close relative died, and your family commiserated around food and meals), or some physical event happened and you subconsciously turned to food and weight because it was one area of life your mind felt it could control (many abused children feel out of control and need to control something, many times it's weight, other times it's alcohol..), these are just examples, but they are cover a large majority reasons of why people emotionally eat.

    In order to solve emotional eating issues, you need to recognize the root cause, that doesn't mean you have to resolve the actual issues that feed the response, but you do need to remove the response from your subconscious and bring it to your conscious mind. Many need therapy to do this, but some only need to think about the issues and how they make them feel.

    I'm not saying this is why you feel an emotional attachment to comfort food, but it's a good bet. I'm betting that if you recognize the emotions when you see certain foods, you will feel less attachment to it. It's a long process, not something you will solve immediately, and maybe never fully, but it becomes far easier to resist the "comfort" aspect of food if you know the reasoning behind it.

    regards,

    Banks
  • nancykay
    nancykay Posts: 12 Member
    I try to drink, make that guzzle, my water so I get sooo full on it I don't think as much about eating, otherwise, I just eat. My prob is working nights and being tired. I want to eat to stay awake. Have you tried Cocoa Roas Almonds (has a dark chocolate flavor) I buy them at Walmart. They're prepackaged in 100 calorie pkgs, EMERALD brand. They're really good and help me with my sweet craving.
    NancyK
  • lonypony
    lonypony Posts: 130 Member
    You know what I would do. Eat the chocolate - but only if you know you can stop at one square/portion/bite. Then you will be able to sleep, cos at the moment you are not only worried about the exam, but all you can think of is the chocolate. Then when you are in the exam, all you can think about is the chocolate. If you can stop at one bite - do it. Savour it, suck it, enjoy it. Then after your exam, go the the gym or exercise as your reward for doing well at the exam. Maybe its not the right answer, but if you can definately stop at that one bite .....
  • freeflower3
    freeflower3 Posts: 39 Member
    I learned to go to God for stress management. I learned that the suffering I feel by avoiding the chocolate is a sacrifice I make for God.

    I learned that actually FEELING the stress/anxiety of what I was trying to escape from toughens me.

    I am in control of the chocolate, not the other way around.

    I can feel the pain of the emotions that I am no longer covering up with food.

    Best wishes!
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
    I have just dealt with it by avoiding comfort type foods. I really don't indulge in the chocolate and now I'm used to not eating it. Just make sure you're not hungry and maybe drink tea or some other soothing warm drink.
  • burner
    burner Posts: 72 Member
    change your habit - so instead of chocolate do as someone else said - guzzle water - or eat a piece of fruit ....

    it's a learned habit - so just learn a new one! :)
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