Help! having a hard time!

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missey18
missey18 Posts: 5
in Motivation and Support
Good Morning friends! I've been having a hard time getting on track. I am an emotional(binge) eater and have gone through a lot of traumatic stuff over the last few months. I know what I have to do but I just keep putting it off till tomorrow and gaining more weight. To anyone who is an emotional eater or who had a hard time getting started, how did you get past bumps in the road or life experiences and get started or keep going?

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  • AshleyLEldred
    AshleyLEldred Posts: 13
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    I also was an emotional eater to begin with. Not only an emotional eater, but a bored eater. If I had nothing to do, I turned to food. At some point I looked at myself in the mirror and decided no amount of excuses or cheats would help me to get to my goal weight. For me, I had to put my foot down. I knew if I allowed myself one day it would turn into two, then four, then eight, then another year of eating junk and looking and feeling terrible. Each person has their own limits. You just need to figure out what yours are. Does the food make you feel good enough about yourself to forgive yourself for continuing to grow in size, or even stay larger? If not, ditch the bad stuff so you can become the you that you are inside, not the one you currently appear to be on the outside.

    Show us the real you.
  • Amarea
    Amarea Posts: 91 Member
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    I see you have your quote as "Self love is not a feeling, it's a decision. One decision at a time." Start there. Love yourself. I think that many of us emotional eaters fall in that trap of not liking ourself, the situation, the feelings, and to avoid thinking about it, we eat. You are bigger than your emotions, your boredom, your fears. You can choose to do something different. When you love yourself, you refuse to continue the old pattern and start making new ones. When you feel like your world is falling apart, choose something different to get the comfort you get from food....tell a loved one you need a hug, take a walk with a friend, take a warm bath with soothing music. Take today and get through it, don't think about the past, or the future. Today is when you take care of you, love yourself. Make that choice! I know you can do it, and when you do, every single day, it feels so much better than any food ever tasted.

    I read a book... Women, Food and God, which really gave me a lot of insight in to how to truly love myself. It's not a religious book, and I say that because some people are put off by the title, but it really makes you think about how you see yourself and how to treat yourself with love and kindness. The best to you!
  • pbanditp
    pbanditp Posts: 1
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    Good morning,
    I am a stress eater, and once I start I can't stop. I will munch away the day. I have been putting off this diet for months/years. The only way that I actually started and continue on it is because my wife started to diet also. No matter how many times she said that I needed to lose the weight, I just said that I would start tomorrow. But as we all know, tomorrow never arives because when it does it is really today again. Just get the bad stuff out of your house, DON"T stop at the donut shop/ convenience store/ fast food place to grab something to eat. Make it yourself and keep track off your calories. When you type it in and you know what you have left for the day, then you really see what you need to do and where you need to cut back.

    hope this helps
  • amyfly
    amyfly Posts: 137
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    I got a lot of help from a book called 'I can make you thin' by Paul McKenna. It helps you to change bad habits (like emotional eating) gradually and really made the transition to healthier eating and exercise a lot easier. I used it as a starting out point (before finding this web site) and it definitely got me on the right path. Hope this helps - best of luck!
  • VCStarr
    VCStarr Posts: 155
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    I was an emotional eater and still am to a point, but I was informed that my blood sugar levels were do high i was almost diabetic! On top of that I reached the highest weight I have ever been in my life!

    These things scared the hell out of me. But honestly still wasn't enough to really push me. What helped me was that my fiance decided it was time for him to change too so we work together. I just didn't feel strong enough to do it alone.

    But here I am 5 weeks later and down 17 pounds and my cravings and habits have changed. Once I flushed my system of the excessive sugar and sodium my body has decided I don't need it. I do crave sugar still but in a different way...not bread or chocolate but grapes.

    Once you get over the hump you will be just fine. There are so many supportive and encouraging people here that it really helps.

    As for the emotions getting you down...how bad are they? Is it something you should see a doctor about? I am on medication for depression and anxiety. The meds have greatly helped my mood but one of the side effects is weight gain so i have to be VERY strict with what I eat. I also go to the gym daily. You could try exercising when you are feeling down instead of eating.
  • justahorsen
    justahorsen Posts: 234
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    The first thing I do to stop myself from eating something is answer these questions...

    1. Am I hungry??? REALLY hungry, or bored/stressed???

    2. Am I really just thirsty? Sometimes I drink water even if I THINK I'm hungry and the hunger goes away.

    3. Can I wait 15 minutes before I eat.?? If I'm bored/stressed eating and I wait 15 minutes then I'm over it and I don't eat. This also gives the water a chance to satisfy me.

    Hope this helps.....it works for me....:happy:
  • missey18
    missey18 Posts: 5
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    Thank you sooo much for all your support! It has really lifted my spirit. I'm just gonna try and get through today. Amarea, like you said , not to worry about yesterday or tomorrow. I can do this one decision
    at a time. Thank you all! Have a great day!:)

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