How do you handle emotional eating??

lessofme150
lessofme150 Posts: 105 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone,

Almost a year ago I lost a very important person in my life, my cousin who was also one of my best friends. A few weeks ago would have been her birthday. Had a rough couple of days that week and ate a few really bad meals. Since then, my emotions keep sneaking up on me and then they go away. In the past three weeks I have not lost any weight. I have a few good days and then all of a sudden BAM!!! It's not like I am eating only 100 or 200 cals over, it's like a days worth. I feel bad afterwards and some times really gross physically.

I am trying really hard not to use my emotions as an excuse to eat. Recently I have been chatting back and forth with her husband (who I have been friends with since I was 13) and am going to go and visit him in a few months. I think that the combination of her birthday a few weeks ago, the anxiety that I am having about going to visit with her not being there, and the upcoming anniversary of her death is making me have emotional moments and and I feel sad and want to eat like I used to.

So, my question to you all is how do you handle your emotional eating??? I want to get through this hurdle weight gain free and would really like to start seeing a loss again. I know she wouldn't be happy knowing that I have lost so much and am now using this as an excuse to go back to my old ways.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks so much
Barb

Replies

  • PrettyandPolished
    PrettyandPolished Posts: 45 Member
    My emotional eating would come in spurts and I would start jonesing for something sweet. As soon as I learned to recognize that feeling I would start reading something really interesting or jump on my elliptical. I haven't emotionally eaten in months!

    Sorry for your loss. My cousin is my BF too and it would be very hard to lose her.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Awe i am sorry to hear your having such a hard time do you have someone close to you that you can talk to to let these emotion out in a healthier way? I know when i eat my emotions i am literally eating them to keep from expressing them. It is not only unhealthy physically but it becomes a mental issue as well. :( let me know if i can help in anyway
  • danceydancetime
    danceydancetime Posts: 14
    What has worked for myself and for other friends is that instead of eating your feelings, you should exercise them out. Working out actually decreases stress and releases endorphins that will cheer you up, along with other hormones (such as dopamine and norepinephrine) that will help improve your overall mood. Exercise will be doing a much better job at helping you handle your emotions than food does. It will improve your mood for hours.
  • WendyPawelko
    WendyPawelko Posts: 3
    I AM AN EMOTIONS BASED BINGER. I HAVE IT ON HOLD RIGHT NOW. I FIND IT IS NOT SUCH A PROBLEM WHEN I TALK TO MY CLOSE FRIEND ABOUT MY FEELING AND EMOTIONS. TALKING ABOUT MY PROBLEMS RATHER THAN TRYING TO EAT THEM IS PREFERABLE. THE SCALE CONCURS. :laugh:
  • mnristvedt
    mnristvedt Posts: 7
    Hi my name is mckinsie and i know exactly how you feel. I lost my mom in 2010 and ever since then i've dealt with forms of depression and one of the things i do to make myself feel better is to eat. The hardest thing in the world for me is to control my eating. When i dieting all i do is crave food constantly even thought i know its making me look horrible and feel horrible. But for the past few days i've figured out if i constantly keep busy i think less about food. Also if i feel hungry and i know im really not i drink some water until i feel full.
    Trying to lose weight has been the hardest obstacle for me to overcome. Especially when i have days where i just want to cry. If you ever need to talk im here :)
    We gotta stick together!
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
    First of all, I am so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what a difficult time you are going through.

    I find journaling really helpful. Whenever I find myself inclined to head for the comfort food, I sit down and ask myself if I am hungry or am I feeling something else. If it's not real hunger, I will pull out a notepad and just start writing. By the time I'm done, I have forgotten all about the food.
  • tbetts23
    tbetts23 Posts: 303 Member
    Yah, I don't. I know it's happening and still do it. My dad passed away a year ago in January. Hard to take? Absolutely. I went on holidays in February and blamed the weight gain on that. Completely false. Well, mostly. Those of us, or some of us that are over weight, tend to compensate for our sadness by eating. Long story short, you can't. Say what you feel! You will feel so much better. I can't tell you how much I miss my dad, but I can tell you my grand babies are here and so worth it! They are why I am still at it a year later! Hope this helps?
  • MaryGrace1965
    MaryGrace1965 Posts: 92 Member
    I am sorry for your loss. I too am an emotional eater and I hate it. I also find myself eating if I am bored. Like Zillah73, I am trying my hand at journaling. It's a good way for me to DEAL with the emotion I am feeling instead of trying to eat it away. I have also tried to pick a person close to me that I can call or text and talk with them. Feel free to add me as a friend if you like. Have a great evening.
  • lessofme150
    lessofme150 Posts: 105 Member
    Thanks for the quick responses everyone. I am very fortunate to have lots of people in my life who are suportive and understanding. I don't hide my emotions and know I can talk to each and everyone of them. Only a couple of them are trying to lose weight with me so not everyone is trying to balance the emotional eating / trying to lose weight, hence why I turned to all you brillant people :-)

    It's really only been the last couple of days that I kind of realized that I am emotionally eating. Now that I am more aware of it, I am hoping to be able to control it more (although supper was a write off AGAIN!)
  • jakeVScalories
    jakeVScalories Posts: 107 Member
    eat a fruit and then go run/workout, no matter how you feel, by the end of it you feel better about yourself and stressfree, problems become so insignificant after working out. don't stress the minutia.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Your doing so great i know you will find something that works well :) hugs
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    This is going to sound very oversimplified.

    Emotional eating is a distraction from feeling the legitimate feelings that you have. Eating doesn't make the feelings go away. It just temporarily distracts you from the emotional work you need to do to process those feelings.

    What you need to do is feel your feelings -- stop, pay attention to them, give yourself permission to feel them, express them and act on them, and learn that feelings won't destroy you or tear you apart.

    Maybe you need to take a few days off and allow yourself time to grieve and mourn your loss. Allow yourself to cry and express your emotions instead of "being strong" or "putting on a cheerful face" for others, yet meanwhile eating uncontrollably.

    Counseling helps a lot with emotional and compulsive eating.
  • lightdiva1
    lightdiva1 Posts: 935 Member
    I emotionally eat as well. I have been doing better, and the one thing that helps is that I found healthier to food to eat that I love, so eat more isn't a problem. I love popcorn, and I found organic popcorn that is 87 calories for the entire bag! So, when I get snacky, or stressed or whatever, I eat that. I can even have two bags if I want. Exercise really can help you express the loss you are feeling. I am a choreographer and when I am faced with a loss, (or any other situation I cannot control) I head into the theater and dance my *kitten* off. I put on music that reflects how I am feeling and just go at it. Often times, I don't even know what is wrong with me, I just know I am feeling off. Dancing is therapeutic, exercise can work very much in the same way. I do cardio boxing when I am grumpy or its that TOM. I do Zumba when I am in a giddy mood, and I do Insanity when I feel confidant and want to push myself.

    Another thing you may want to do is just relax. Go get a massage, have a mani-pedi. Something to help you reduce emotional stress on your body. A visit to a hot tub, or a nice walk in the park, whatever does it for you.

    Also, give yourself a break. Now probably isn't the time to be supper strict with yourself. A few pounds gained is nothing if your heart heals a little more.

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