Right there with you both, April and Gael. No answers here, but loads of experience. First thing off the bat, April, that just jumped out at me. "I'm guilty of being an emotional eater..." I know, or at least think I know, what you meant by that; however, one of the first things I had to start doing was take a look at the language I used to talk to and about myself with. You're not guilty of crap. Emotional eating is not a crime, it's not bad behavior, it's not something I can be guilty of. It's an unhealthy, dysfunctional coping mechanism. A coping mechanism that evolved by me doing the best I could with what I had at my disposal. Now, I have a few better coping mechanisms at my disposal than I used to have, and now it's my job to use those instead of old faithful, eating. I had to stop seeing myself as "bad," which is basically what I said to and about myself, every time I acknowledged being "caught" or "guilty" of over eating.

Gael mentioned OA, Overeaters Anonymous. I found them too and have found most of their stuff extremely helpful. She's right, it's not for everyone, but there's some really good direction to be found there and it was immensly helpful to me to find others like me, who understood the actual pain of being an emotional eater. I've also found this blog extremely helpful as well: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/obesely-speaking

The PhD who writes it, Billi Gordon, is also an overeater and has some really awesome insights between the science of overeating and personal experiences with it. It's so powerful to read stuff and hear stuff from others who are struggling with the same issue. It's just nice to know you're not alone, not crazy, and definately NOT BAD!

I love that you you both identified bored as a big trigger for eating. I had to start with paying attention to what I was feeling when I was having cravings for a binge eating session, or sometimes after a session had ended. In the beginnig of this whole thing, I had a hard time identifying a binge until after it was over and I was left looking at the empty containers. As I got more atuned to paying attention to my feelings afterward, I started noticing feelings of cravings for a binge before it would happen. That allowed me to start looking at what I was feeling that would trigger a binge. Seeing a binge coming, meant I could make a decision, binge or not binge. I had to start making the decision not to binge, and instead start dealing with the feelings that were triggering the binge. I'm still doing that today, but I've got a good four months of active work in the direction under my belt now. I've had a few minor binges during that time, but I'm still moving forward and getting much much better, slowly, a day at a time.

Glad to hear the website helped you! I'm new to it but hope to have the same results.

Does anyone else think it's ironic that they have an online pizza ad below this message board?

I am an emotional eater and will always have those triggers in me. I have been learning that eating does nothing but fuel the body, eating to feel better did nothing but make me fat and did nothing to make things better.

Eating does not tell or show anyone I love them and their food does not show me they love me that comes from deeper inside. I can enjoy the occasion without eating if I am not hungry and it is not an insult to them, if they try to guilt me about it then I know they really don't care and that is about them not me. Just as if I am hungry I can eat and enjoy it, if again if they try to guilt me about it that is on them not me.

Do I still fall for the guilt, unfortunately I do but not as often as I did. If I do fall for it I look at myself afterwards and ask myself why and answer it, truthfully even if the truth is harsh, so I can learn how to be a stronger person. This is a process not a one step in one day thing and I know I will always deal with it.