Emotional Eating

Don't get stressed or upset.

It's still something I struggle with, but I force myself to get in a good workout because I always feel better after. And I chug water when that workout is done.

i am still struggling with that. I find that if I stop and think about the situation at hand... I ask myself, is this worth ruining my hard work over.... that usually helps me.

Let go of the things you can't control and make a plan for the things you can. Writing down the things you're stressing about and giving yourself permission to not worry about the things you really can't do anything about helps relieve some of the stress immediately. The act of planning how you will address the things you can do something about has a calming affect plus just knowing what you're going to do about the problem takes the stress away!

I also have other activities I turn to such as piano, taking a walk, researching recipes (instead of cooking them), playing with the dog, etc.

I had an incident last night where I was given some news that really upset me...but instead of letting the stress take over, I ran until I forgot about it/cleared my head

Emotional eating is a real issue for me too, so I really understand where you are coming from. In addition to the great advice above, I find that if I make myself really busy, the craving will go away. But it is so much harder said than done. I literally have a conversation in my head reminding myself that the craving and the urge to eat (and usually it is something unhealthy that I will crave) will pass if I give it a few minutes. I make an agreement with myself that I am going to wait 15 minutes before I even consider opening my mouth to put something in it that I will regret. Again, usually the craving passes and at the worst, I am able to think more clearly about whether I want to make the decision to eat. I also will log onto MFP and read these forums -- it really helps.

I really agree with the person who recommended that you log everything. I too, am finding that if I log everything I eat, even the things I overeat, it gives me a much better perspective of just how many calories that treat really was. With this knowledge I can make better decisions in the future as to whether it is worth it or not. It is a matter of recognizing and accepting the number of calories you want to eat everyday and managing those calories in the best way possible. If you want to eat because you are feeling emotional, log it as the day progresses so that you can make adjustments to fit it into your calorie allotment.

Best of luck to you.

I wish I knew the answer. I had a horrible day yesterday and when I got home from work a bar of chocolate and half a tub of Ben and jerrys had disappeared before I knew it. The best thing I have found though is keep busy and surround yourself with people. If you're always with someone you won't want to binge infront of them!

I usually read a book, take a walk, or give in to the craving. But I only keep healthy snacks in my house and i keep them with me at work and in my purse as well. If I'm stressed I turn to almonds or other nuts, beef jerky, string cheese, etc and have ONE of those with a bottle of water or a diet pop. Occassionally i Indulge in sugar free chocolates. I've found if I avoid the stress too much, I take it out on my family.

I usually log my food at night after supper for the next day or first thing in the morning. I get on my elliptical or do a workout video before I eat. I find that planning my food, and working out help tremendously. The workout gets me hot and sweaty, so I am not as hungry, and seeing the improvement in your endurance and stamina and meeting or exceeding goals does wonders for my mood. I find that if I have worked out, I am mentally ready for whatever is thrown at me. Not perfect on emotional eating, but working out and having a plan helps.

Also, I have a husband who is not necessarily trying to lose weight. If he has something I don't need to eat, like chocolate covered raisins, I put them away so I do not see them. Out of sight, out of mind. I have noticed with me that if I go "cold turkey" from the things I run to when I am emotional, I am not as likely to want it later. Going on 4 weeks with little chocolate (except what is on my protein bar), no diet sodas, and no pizza. Those were all things I loved, but now I am not really tempted with them.

Drinking plenty of water helps too (over 8 glasses).

Like a lot of other things, it takes practice. Think of it as another school assignment while you're in the mode. The ultimate goal is to train yourself to seek out non-food related ways to deal with your stress (lots of good suggestions on alternatives on here already). But don't set yourself up for failure. When you're in school you're probably frequently stressed out by deadlines, so when stress hits you might not have time to exercise or read a book for fun, and eating may be the only thing that you think you have time for. So have a backup plan for times like that--buy less of your go-to emotional eating foods, divide them into smaller portions ahead of time, and find healthy alternatives. Give yourself an "A" every time you resist the urge to go on an all-out binge to relieve your stress.