How to Overcome Emotional Eating

OK - I'm going to get all cranky on you, because I'm having a hard time trying to stay on task for several weeks now... You ask how people overcome their emotional eating, then you tell what constitutes a wrong answer???

It all comes-down to making the conscious decision not to eat that pizza/soda/chocolate. There are NO magic pills, magic diets, magic workouts, whatever - it comes-down to your own self.

You need to decide to get-over putting the blame for your cravings on others - stop blaming your baby!

This path you've chosen (these paths, I should say... being a parent if fraught with it's challenges for sure!) are difficult.

Short answer: you don't overcome the temptation, you stay strong and will yourself into doing the right thing.

You CAN do this!!!!

I am sorry you are struggling today. I think emotional eating is very real and a therapist can really help. If that isn't for you for whatever reason, then the burden to overcome emotional eating falls on you. You have to be introspective and figure out what triggers your emotional eating and how to adjust your thought process. I don't think that is easy at all.

I think it is a sort of habit or vicious cycle that YOU have to break. And habits aren't easy to change.

So, for you, a day like today is stressful; your child is being demanding and whiny, it becomes frustrating and stressful, increasing your cortisol levels and you feel like you only have two choices: blow up or eat. Both have a similar affect in that they reduce the stress hormone cortisol in your system. Unfortunately, they aren't the right way to reduce cortisol and both can cause other issues. You've got to go with door number 3.

You have to break the cycle by finding other ways to reduce your cortisol level. Things I find helpful are: 5 minutes of deep breathing exercises, 50 jumping jacks, a walk around the block, reading a novel for 10 minutes. You are basically finding another outlet for reducing your stress hormones, redirecting yourself. It is just one step, and requires mindful effort but you can do it. It just takes time. The important thing to remember is that you have more than the two choices you mentioned; you've just got to find the ALTERNATE ACTIVITY that reduces your stress, doesn't add to it.

But at the same time you can't do just that one thing. I could go on and on but it sounds like your emotional eating trigger is stress, which can come in any forms. Above I addressed the stress of your environment. There are also specific foods that can increase your stress level. What you eat does make a difference too! Try to reduce refined carbohydrates — such as sugar, flour, potatoes, and white rice — which cause stressful ups and downs in your blood sugar that can lead to adrenal imbalance.

Think about the cycle you might be creating: ->baby is needy and gets you agitated-> your stress level goes up-> you emotionally eat pizza, or chips or cookies or some other high carb food anticipating that it will "calm you" -> the sugars in carbohydrates causes spikes in your blood sugar -> your body responds by increases cortisol levels -> you become more stressed and/or less able to handle it.

I hope this helps.

I don't know how to overcome emotional eating, I struggle with that myself, but I do have some good advice for you. When you are stressed out especially because of children, get out with the child and go for a walk or jog. The change of scenery and fresh air will be good for both of you. By the end of the walk, you will hopefully overcome the cravings caused by the stress. In addition to this, you will be teaching your child better coping techniques than turning to food.

I have this problem as well. I've been reading and journaling. There are lots of books on the subject. I did a search of amazon and found a lot with great reviews. Then I searched my local public library for those books and checked out a bunch. I read them and do the work, journal, read more, work more, journal more, etc. Learning to identify emotions is tough...right now it's just a craving signal.

Yes, there is no magic pill, but that's not what this is about. I don't think any of us are looking for a magic solution. I know this takes work... It's not as simple as "don't eat it" and I resent the people who advise as such.

I also research books that provide helpful tips to help break the "crave" cycle - diet books. The Hunger Fix was helpful, as well as Jillian Michael's book - Master your Metabolism. Many book recommed meditation - transcendental being the "easiest" place to start. I've been bad so far about starting, but I want to. I've been working on making sure my sleep is more healthy and that I'm getting 8 hours/night.

Think of your blessings? You have a healthy daughter with a mind, and you are able to stay home with her.

However, emotional eating is hard. The only thing that works for me is to leave the area and refocus my mind.

I had had enough of driving to Dairy Queen and hiding in my car as I ate a huge banana split.
Got tired of having something to hide and be ashamed of.

As I stated in another thread of same topic,
I started eating MORE and healthier and that took care of my binging.

I find this article interesting:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/25/study.clues.emotional.eating/index.html

The article itself doesn't really give suggestions for overcoming emotional eating, but it cites a study suggesting that emotional eating has biological roots.

"Given the strong soothing effect of food on a biological level [as demonstrated in the study], we have to work even harder to find ways to soothe and comfort ourselves without calories," Albers says. "This is important in the long run for managing your weight, improving your self-esteem, and protecting your overall health."

According to the article, wanting to eat for emotional comfort is natural and normal! I've never thought of it that way before. I've always thought of myself as "broken" for wanting to seek solace in food. Sometimes it's just nice to know you're normal, right?

Your ticker suggests that you like music, so how about this: pick out a personal anthem. Is there a song out there that makes you feel great? Gets you charged up? Maybe it could help to play it at vulnerable moments.

I'm picking my own anthem right now: "I Feel Lucky" by Mary Chapin Carpenter.

I also research books that provide helpful tips to help break the "crave" cycle - diet books. The Hunger Fix was helpful, as well as Jillian Michael's book - Master your Metabolism. Many book recommed meditation - transcendental being the "easiest" place to start. I've been bad so far about starting, but I want to. I've been working on making sure my sleep is more healthy and that I'm getting 8 hours/night.

I've been reading the Hunger Fix too. It really helps to have the science behind food addiction explained. Sometimes it truly is a physical and emotional craving for the food. Rarely ever is it simply a lack of will power or wanting it bad enough. Certainly if desire and hope and will power were enough no one would be obese. It's not being lazy and it's not being stupid. It is a physical need to eat until you can't eat any more.

Someone on another message board recommended this book and that it covers emotional eating- "Women, Food and God" by Geneen Roth

full post can be found here
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/950527-58-years-old-and-81-pounds-gone-pics-too

I'm sure it's hard to do this, but you are trying to change your life, and that's usually not easy.
Try addressing what is causing your emotional upset. If you feel like eating, stop yourself and ask what it is that is troubling you at the moment. Can you do something to fix it right now? If yes, then do that. If no, then come up with plans to handle this issue, then go and distract yourself with something calming/soothing. Find something other than food that tells your brain "It's going to be ok." If hunger isn't the problem, food isn't the answer.