Emotional Eater

Right here. Emotional eating is what got me here in the first place. I went through hell my first semester of college, and was surrounded by lots of restaurants and unhealthy food that was on my meal plan (how convenient!). I find that now, since I've been eating a lot healthier, it hasn't happened since. I've also been a lot happier ever since I left my first college, but even times when I'm mad or something I don't really get the urge to binge. It kind of just stopped itself.

I'm not an emotional eater, but I sympathize because I'm a terrible bored and tired eater... I do great all day and then from 6or 7pm onward I just want to snack on everything in sight and if I allow myself one thing...it spirals into two and three and four things and then I give up and just say, ugh screw it, I'll eat half that loaf of bread lol.... And I'm totally gaining weight lately (the past two weeks) due to my night time binging, I have to find a way to motivate myself from 6pm on every night to stay away from all the food in my house lol - I beat myself up about it too, we all do that I think, but I keep telling myself to focus on how good it will feel to make progress, progress itself really gets me motivated so I know if I get back on track for a few days ill feel ten times better and it'll be easier to stick to it

I medicate with sugar :grumble: Working on it.

Yeah, me too. Its hard to resist too! I just ask myself... Am I really hungry or just feeling blue? Have I had enough to eat today already? Is food right now going to make it harder for me to stick to my diet later?

Sent you an invitation to join with others with this problem.
Good Luck! You are not alone.

I got to be my fattest shortly after my younger brother died, I definitely did a lot of "comfort eating" around that time. Eating definitely CAN be a way to relieve stress, however now I find lifting to be a much better method.

This might sound kind of weird but there IS a difference between actually being hungry, and craving something. When I think back I spent a lot of time eating when I wasn't actually hungry.

I'm totally an emotional eater It is what go me to where I am sadly. I also have issues with depression so that just adds to it lately though I have been finding that the more I workout the better I feel and the less I eat because I don't feel like I have to eat all the time. I would love to join the support group on this! Hope things get better for you soon!

For a lot of us, emotional eating is what got us here in the first place. I was on MFP last year and lost almost 30 lbs, but didn't address my 'eating issues' and gained it all back. Well, a year of therapy and more understanding (and more tools to cope) - I'm hoping that I can be in this for the long run.

Don't beat yourself up - it's a lifelong habit and it's not going to break itself overnight. Try and understand what you're really feeling when you eat - is it habit? Are you sad? mad? happy? Realize this as well - food is used as a way to celebrate and commiserate...are you happy? Great! Let's eat! are you upset? Aw, let's eat! It's ingrained into our psyche and it takes a lot of work to break the cycle.

Good luck to you :-)

Like many others I got where I am from emotional eating and I used depression and anxiety as an excuse. After a lot of therapy and a new tool belt full of better coping skills and finding a new vice I am better but by no means perfect. But now I acknowledge that I am eating emotionally and that's half the battle. And I log it and make notes as to what is going on so I can be better aware the next time. By keeping a log I learned how to identify my triggers so I could use relaxation techniques before and after.

Something else that's really helping me in addition to my new vice, exercise, is eating many times throughout the day then when I get stressed I don't automatically think of food because I'm always full.

Good luck, this is not an easy battle but you can defeat emotional eating.

Yes. I am/was an emotional eater.
I'm trying not to use food as a reward, or as a way to make myself feel better.
But it's hard, because for those 10 seconds you're eating a plateful of brownies, it seems like your in heaven.
But after another 10 seconds... you feel guilty for finishing the entire pan/box/container.
What has helped me personally, is figuring out what made me binge in the first place, was it stress, sadness, just a craving? I try to really focus on how I feel, and how I KNOW I will feel after I am done devouring my weight in ice cream. And then try to find a solution that doesn't have to do with food. Ex: If I'm stressed about work, I'll go get a massage, pedicure/manicure, or take a nice bath versus eating an entire pizza.

Focus on why you started this journey, on why you want to keep going, what will happen if you stop.
Like someone else mentioned, find another crutch, or try to find other ways to pass your time rather than eating. Like exercising, walking, just relaxing, spending time with your loved ones etc.

Just taking a deep breath and re-evaluate your goals before starting that binge is what has helped me.

Good luck, I know it's waaayy easier said than done. :flowerforyou: