Emotional eating...help!

AniyahsMommy324 · December 2012

I had my youngest daughter on 10/19/12, but she was stillborn. I have my good days and bad days dealing with it, but one thing I do without even thinking is emotional eating. I've ate fast food the past 3 days without even thinking twice about it!

Fatty/junk food is almost like a comfort to me. How do I break that and be more aware of what I eat and eat healthier? I'm up and being more active and working out, but can't get over the food hump...help!

Redbird99ky · December 2012

First of all, I am sorry to hear of your loss. That is a tough one.

Second ... please don't beat yourself up too much, you're still grieving. It's barely been 1 1/2 months. It will take a while. By the same token, don't use this as license to eat everything in sight. You need to establish a support group. Enlist the aid of your fiance and tell him you need to talk/vent (but make him understand that what you're going through is not something he can "fix"). Do that whenever you feel like eating.
If you are a spiritual person, it's okay to be angry with God. Job got quite angry with God for allowing all that He did to happen to him. The important thing is to not turn away from Him. Tell Him how you feel, and ask Him to show you what He is trying to teach you through this trial. Talk to your pastor.
If you are not a spiritual person, consider a secular grief counselor. Health insurance will likely pay for some number of outpatient visits.
My prayers are with you and your fiance.
Peace be with you, and may God bless you. I hope this helps.

grandmakaye44 · December 2012

I agree with what Redbird said. In addition, when you feel ready keeping an accurate food diary can be a real tool to controlling emotional eating. It helps me a lot to write down and account for everything that I eat.
I hope that you can find peace in your heart. I'm very sorry for your loss.

aimeelou032 · December 2012

I am so sorry for your loss. I have a pretty severe problem with emotional eating. Its not even just when I am feeling bad. When i feel good, sad, lonely, happy, excited. Food is my drug of choice. I dont smoke or drink but I cannot seem to overcome my additction to food. Especially fast food. I have come across a couple of tips that may help you as well. Before you eat or drink anything, ask yourself if you are hungry or if you are just bored or eating out of habit. Then if it is a mindless craving than find something to keep your mind off of it. Drink water, read a book or magazine, watch your favorite tv show, listen to music, exercise. Usually, the craving will past rather quickly this way.

I had a rough day. Lets just say i ended up at a Sonic drive-inn and pretty much ate my whole calorie allotment for lunch. For me the key is if you slip up just dust yourself off and keep going. I hope my tips are helpful to you and again i am sorry for your loss.

AniyahsMommy324 · December 2012

Thank you for your replies! I have been logging all my food, even the bad choices, so now I just need to work on making better choices so I don't feel crummy after I log them lol. And I am a spiritual person, so I do talk to God to deal with my emotions (and my fiance too). Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day and I won't give into emotional eating and make better choices

ccludden · December 2012

I understand what you're going through. I lost my son when he was 6. And honestly I was numb. So give your self time to grieve your loss. Focus on the weight loss later.

BurtHuttz · December 2012

My wife and I had a loss much earlier on in pregnancy - - as painful as that was for us, I cannot begin to imagine your pain.

I don't know if you have access to professional counseling but that might be helpful with regard to grief-management.

Regarding your diet, I'm surprised and proud for you to hear that you're logging everything -- including the bad decisions. This means you aren't in denial about what's going on, and you're aware. It also means you're also making an informed choice about grief-management right now.

You're using food to medicate a grievous wound. I don't know what alternatives to propose, but I know that you're trying to fill a hole in the sand with water. It's going to keep leeching out no matter how much you throw in there, so you'll never fill that hole.

Please continue looking and find out what rocks or sand or love you can fill that hole with and stop putting food in it. It makes you feel worse, not better.

Smokey19 · December 2012

I am so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine what you are going through. I would start a journal and start writing everything that you think and feel in it. It can just be a rant and doesn't have to make sense, but you need to get it out of your head and onto paper. Also, write down your goals and post them where you can see them everyday...and read them out loud. You should also write down your aspirations and post them where you can see them. I hope that those things will help you. I suffer from major depression due to other reasons and I have found that they help me. My counselor and friends recommended them to me. Please feel free to add me for support.

chelseabuns88 · December 2012

So sorry for your loss, and to echo what others have said; do not be too tough on yourself in this time of grief.

As an emotional eater myself I know exactly how habitual it can, it ceases to be a decision and becomes a natural reaction.. and only after is it regretful and leaves you feeling worse. I would get into the habit of logging food BEFORE you eat it.. this can be a real wake up call when you've got your eye set on a burger or a big piece of cake and before you get to it there's a big warning number to observe

Emotional eating...help!

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