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.

Ok. I'm an emotional eater too. I work full time and am mom to 3 kids. Yes they are wonderful, but they are still kids that always want something or NEED something. lol Being pulled on in so many directions like your boss, kids, spouse and even yourself is overwelming. I understand 1000%. i've just started using myfitnesspal and it's really helping me be aware of what I'm eating. I think when we eat emotionally we aren't even aware that we are eating as much as we are and that is part of the problem. Whats been working for me is drinking lots of water and making sure I eat protein. I've been having a protein shake for breakfast and putting a tablespoon of coconut oil/virgin organic in the shake. I like the flavor. It's supposed to fill you up more and I've noticed a difference. It's supposed to have good fats in it etc. There is lots of info out on the benefits of coconut oil. Yes it's high in fat but the result of not wanting to grab a giant breakfast burrito and that it's good for my skin and hair is neat too. The other thng I've been telling myself is that I need to keep promises that I make to myself. It's that simple. How can I expect anyone else to keep their word to me when I don't even keep the promises I make to me? For some odd reason that is motivating me. Also, take a deep breath and say what you are feeling out loud. I know it sounds silly but allowing yourself to have your feelings is freeing. I think so many of us tell ourselves we shouldn't feel a certain way. Well why not? Feelings are not good or bad, they just are. You had every right to feel stressed and overwhelmed this morning. I hope your day gets better. You are not alone. Chin up!

The way it works for me = a hobby. I make jewelry so when I feel that urge (something upsets me, whatever) I go work on a project, whether it is a necklace or a bracelet, something to take my mind off of it. It works for me. it is a lot harder when I am not smoking, because if I get upset or emotional about something my first reaction is to smoke. I managed to quit smoking for a few months but a ton of stress took over my life and I ended up smoking. I am working on kicking that now and my jewelry making hobby helps a lot with that too. Lately my emotional eating splurge is in the form of a diet root-beer. Instead of food I tend to want a diet root-beer. I am not a big fan of soda, especially diet soda, so for me that is bad. I am working on that but I guess for me I would rather drink a diet root-beer than sit on the couch whining with a pint of ice cream.

some good posts here and do some searches too on previous discussions on this in the forums, I did one earlier this week on this same topic and picked up some sound advice .. the point that really resonated for me was obvious but I had never thought about it before which was to pause a moment to work out WHY I was eating, meaning exploring exactly what feelings was I trying to avoid by turning to eating instead of wanting to feel them?

I've been reflecting on this and for me personally, I realise that I turn to biscuits (and frankly anything else) rather than feel hurt, threatened, outraged, betrayed, angry, upset, scared ... but that if I just sit with those feelings for a while, and they are only feelings / thoughts not actual physical threats in that moment, it's OK. it doesn't make those negative emotions go away (my life is on the rocks right now) but giving myself the right to feel it and experience it as part my own psyche, not just stuff it back down quite literally with something sweet instead has been liberating .. no, it's not 100% success yet by any means as it's changing the habits of a lifetime and that will take time in itself, but it's a conscious step that now I've made it, I realise that I can't go back to totally mindless eating and it's already very slowly changing how I respond to bad luck / news and all the crap that goes with that -

good luck to you x

I just decided to stop. The pain of overeating and staying too heavy got to be too much. I also decided to get mentally tough on a lot of areas of excess.. there is nothing I can eat or go buy at the mail that well help me having an emotional moment or truely get me over it. I can't control what others do, but 19 months ago I decided to control what I ate, because I can. But when I was feeling weak my first year on maintenance, I kept reading on MFP the successes and challenges everyone was going thru, got thru and was winning.

I've thrown all my emotional eating into emotional exercising. I take a ten minute walk. I go for a bike ride. I do yoga. I use the treadmill at the gym. I no longer sit home and eat when I'm feeling down.

It does take some willpower to walk past the cookies but I ask myself what is more important...a few minutes of satisfaction from the cookies or my long term health, weight and smaller sizes.

I also allow myself occasional treats in a controlled environment...I won't buy cookies but if someone at work offers me one, I'll think about taking it.