Emotional eating - how do you deal?

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  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
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    I either go on reddit and look at cute baby animal pics, or I'll read the rantings of other redditors. For some reason that makes me feel better. OR I will go clean the bathroom or the kitchen. Or I will play a videogame or a computer game. ANYTHING to get me focused on something other than food.

    OR you could just play with the cute kitten named Peanut! I know you from the catforum!
  • Lalimama
    Lalimama Posts: 19
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    I either go on reddit and look at cute baby animal pics, or I'll read the rantings of other redditors. For some reason that makes me feel better. OR I will go clean the bathroom or the kitchen. Or I will play a videogame or a computer game. ANYTHING to get me focused on something other than food.

    If I were home I'd be fine but my main problem is during work hours and I'm in enough trouble there already LMAO!! Perhaps I need to quit work :laugh: Never heard of Reddit but I will check it out :smile:
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    I either go on reddit and look at cute baby animal pics, or I'll read the rantings of other redditors. For some reason that makes me feel better. OR I will go clean the bathroom or the kitchen. Or I will play a videogame or a computer game. ANYTHING to get me focused on something other than food.

    OR you could just play with the cute kitten named Peanut! I know you from the catforum!

    Small world! I give him many a play session during the day. He's a lazy player though. I get more of a workout playing than he does. lol.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    I either go on reddit and look at cute baby animal pics, or I'll read the rantings of other redditors. For some reason that makes me feel better. OR I will go clean the bathroom or the kitchen. Or I will play a videogame or a computer game. ANYTHING to get me focused on something other than food.

    If I were home I'd be fine but my main problem is during work hours and I'm in enough trouble there already LMAO!! Perhaps I need to quit work :laugh: Never heard of Reddit but I will check it out :smile:

    Reddit is a time-hole, so try not to get sucked in too deep. Also avoid certain subreddits like space****s and WTF. Those are bad places to go.
  • jenncampbell01
    jenncampbell01 Posts: 9
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    Look up the calories, fat, carbs, sodium, or whatever it is you are measuring of your McDonald's favorites.It tends to put it in a different light. When you think..Instead of thinking how tasty, you will think how costly it is.
  • ClaireM8
    ClaireM8 Posts: 26
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    Yeah, I struggle with this at work too - it doesn't help that everyone is always generously bringing in cookies and chocolate (etc) to share. I have found that REALLY fresh carrots make a nice sweet craving snack. Can you manage a short walk at work (to the photocopier and back) - sometimes a little "distraction" helps. Music and slow breaths to help you calm down. Also, weirdly, I read recently that having indoor plants at work reduces stress symptoms (although not if you let it die...) I have sent you a friend request, as I would like to hear how you're getting on.
  • thomasxaviersayles
    thomasxaviersayles Posts: 47
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    Food feels good, tastes good and the sugar elevates us, we deceive ourselves into thinking we are happy because the food we eat feels good but this is not the truth. We feed our emotions and our spirit with food and that never works, it is how we gained weight or any other addiction. If it is any help to you, start believing something different that is the truth and it will assist you in making a good decision when the temptation of processed fast food comes your way.
  • Lalimama
    Lalimama Posts: 19
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    Thanks Claire - accepted :) I will put some of those ideas into action and may even try the plant though I am a useless gardener LOL. Since I posted this I have found a couple of like-minded individuals and we leave the office and go for at least a half hour walk at lunch. I am finding that we are blowing off steam and getting fitter too (though people have noticed and are trying to sabotage us which SUCKS!) so I am finding it easier to avoid the temptation to drown the stress in calories!
  • Lalimama
    Lalimama Posts: 19
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    Food feels good, tastes good and the sugar elevates us, we deceive ourselves into thinking we are happy because the food we eat feels good but this is not the truth. We feed our emotions and our spirit with food and that never works, it is how we gained weight or any other addiction. If it is any help to you, start believing something different that is the truth and it will assist you in making a good decision when the temptation of processed fast food comes your way.


    Yeah some people smoke, drink or take drugs..,. I eat! And of course my "drug" is cheap and readily available but I have decided that a lot of people are desperate to see me fail (from the comments they have made since they have noticed I am not eating as unhealthily this past week) and I am not giving in to it this time. My new drug will be making better choices, seeing the weight come off and watching them feel miserable that they can't bring me down any longer :laugh:
  • Restybaby2012
    Restybaby2012 Posts: 568 Member
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    Mostly I just distract myself. The other night....feeling totally stressed out, hating the world, in so much pain I couldnt see or think straight...I literally wanted to punch somebody in the throat and it didnt matter who. I came home from work, swiped a cig from the fiance'...changed into my jammies (this was after work which is 3pm for me) grabbed 2 bottles of water ...wrapped in a minkie and sat at the desk threatening to kill anyone that came near me, thought about me, asked about me or prayed for me.................................................................

    .............................turned my new pc and downloaded a bunch of cat pictures and snarky sayings to convey how I feel. By the time my honey (fiance') had made me a salad for supper and served me..........the need to binge was gone and hasnt returned.

    PLEASE take care of you....dont binge and dont give up.......you ARE stronger than ANYTHING causing this feeling within you

    catresolutionmoretimeontreadmill-1.jpg
  • Restybaby2012
    Restybaby2012 Posts: 568 Member
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    ........oh and I didnt smoke the cig......I just held it affectionately, even lovingly (I quit about a year ago)
  • llama12345
    llama12345 Posts: 17
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    I step on the scale and stare at that number until I feel the urge to eat subside. It seems to help trigger the fact that I'm not really hungry at all and it forces me to remember that eating whatever whenever is how I got into this situation. Then I drink an entire water bottle and eat an apple. I feel a lot better about myself after the whole process so it seems to work for me :)
  • Lalimama
    Lalimama Posts: 19
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    ........oh and I didnt smoke the cig......I just held it affectionately, even lovingly (I quit about a year ago)

    I still sneak the odd cig here and there as I have never truly been a proper smoker in the first place. If you see me smoking then you know it's a REALLY bad day!!! LOL

    Wow 70lbs lost is amazing - well done! I can aspire to that and hopefully get there eventually :smile: MFP is really helping me build better habits and seeing the graph dropping all the time is enough to keep me away from comfort-food... for now
  • Lalimama
    Lalimama Posts: 19
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    I step on the scale and stare at that number until I feel the urge to eat subside. It seems to help trigger the fact that I'm not really hungry at all and it forces me to remember that eating whatever whenever is how I got into this situation. Then I drink an entire water bottle and eat an apple. I feel a lot better about myself after the whole process so it seems to work for me :)

    Other than being able to weigh myself at work that's do-able and I just bought a bag of apples for work so... YAY! Thanks
  • Paiger
    Paiger Posts: 37 Member
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    Fighting the battle too. I recently read, "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst great book. You can win at this.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    My thing has always been "bad day = McDonalds" but I'd really like to know how other people manage to avoid getting trapped in the food = happiness pit?

    I realized the flaws in "emotional eating" by looking at it logically. Food is a fuel for the body. Do you fill up your car's back seat with gas when it needs an oil change? Using food to combat a ****ty day is no different. It's doing something completely senseless and irrelevant to solve a problem that requires a totally different solution.
  • Lalimama
    Lalimama Posts: 19
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    Fighting the battle too. I recently read, "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst great book. You can win at this.

    Thanks - Just bought a wii fit so hoping to fight off boredom at home even if work has the potential to be an issue :smile: I will have a look on Amazon for that book too - thanks for the tip!

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