Emotional Eating

trudyflanagan
trudyflanagan Posts: 3
edited September 22 in Motivation and Support
I dont know about you, but I find that I eat more when I am unhappy, stressed or just bored and lately there always seems to be something, one minute I am doing really well and BAM something comes and hits me up the face and I am back to square one fighting with myself not to eat that chocolate bar and bag of crisps and I am still fighting with myself as I am eating them.

Plus I am out of work at the minute which adds to the boredem and because I am not working I can not afford my dance classes, so I have become very lazy and I just can not seem to motivate myself.

Well what i am looking for is some advice, how to you get round trying to stop eating when those emtional cravings are taking over or when you have just got yourself into a lazy rut and dont want to exercise?

Thanks in advance for any advice
Trudy

Replies

  • rahx27
    rahx27 Posts: 4
    I have been there so many times!! The thing that helps me most is just remembering why I want to be healthier in the first place and using that as my motivation. Could you live with yourself if you never attained this goal? Sometimes you just need to be aggressive :)

    For those times where you are bored or craving, do 20 situps or crunches or call a friend to get your mind off of it. Cravings usually go away in 5 minutes, so just find something to occupy your mind. Hope this helps!
  • missxlaur
    missxlaur Posts: 286
    I think someone on this website said once that before you snack on anything you should think about a big steak (or other big meal) put in front of you and ask yourself if you want it/be able to eat it if it were there? If you don't think you would be able to eat it, or it doesn't sound appealing to you, you're not really hungry but rather just bored.

    Also, before you begin to eat, ask yourself if you are bored, tired, etc, and if you are, recognize you're not really hungry. Recognizing the reasons behind your eating help put you on the road to not eating during those times.

    Good luck!
  • rjgazray
    rjgazray Posts: 41 Member
    I am definitely an emotional eater too! And I know how hard it is when you have a crappy day or something comes up or like you said you're just bored and all you want to do is eat everything.
    One thing that helped me is to have healthier alternatives and allowing myself to eat something but not get out of hand. So instead of eating a bunch of chocolate, have some fruit on hand. It's torture in the beginning because you really want the chocolate but you start to appreciate the fruit and find kinds that you enjoy and crave. And I'm not saying to cut out chocolate all together...but if you have little control over how much you eat, it's good to limit it as much as possible until you have better control. Another one that helped is having a little bit of frozen yogurt or sherbet. Just a little. It gives you that sweet that we crave without being overly fattening.
    And the thing that I ALWAYS try to keep at the center of my thoughts when I reach that point is WHY I'm doing what I'm doing. I remind myself of the progress I've made and that eating is not going to fix whatever problem I'm having. Easier said than done sometimes because I know that doesn't always cure the issue but it can help.
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
    It takes some time to overcome this . . . I've battled it for a long time myself. As long as you are aware this is a problem for you when the situation comes up you can tackle it other ways.
    I log onto MFP with a big glass of water, or steaming cup of tea, at my side. Readiing some of the inspirational posts, or others similar struggles, does help you to feel that you are not alone and can fix this. Sometimes I will pop in an exercise DVD instead . . . I have a few fun dance ones that are good for when Im lonely or feeling down as they are so upbeat and fun.

    I realized through my journey that I don't like to be alone. I gravitate to the kitchen and eat, and eat, and eat some more. The last of my kids just moved out this summer so I find that I am alone much more often now.
    I have confessed this compultion to my husband, so now he is aware he will always encourage me to throw on my shoes to pop out with him on any errands he needs to do just so I am not alone.

    I have two signed posted at home and at work (they are on my fridge so this makes an impact when I reach for the handle):

    NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS SLIM FEELS

    I CREATE MYSELF WITH THE CHOICES I MAKE EACH DAY

    I love these as it is a good reminder that every little choice makes such a difference. Tackle today only. Promise yourself every morning that you will dedicate yourself to being healthy today . . . tomorrow maybe not . . . but today you can stay strong. I make this promise every morning . . . just for the day. It is how I quit smoking 15 years ago and does work.
  • scarterrn
    scarterrn Posts: 27 Member
    I usually will drink a glass of water or wash the dishes when I am craving something. Strange, yes, but effective for me. Ha ha. I just got out of college, so there is a lot of time that was once occupied that I have to accept for. I agree with rahx27 on remembering why you want to be healthier and using that as your motivation to keep going.

    As my Anatomy and Physiology professor used to say... DOMINATE! Ha ha ha.
  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
    I am a very emotional eater, I eat when bores stressed etc, that's why Sundays are such a rough day for me, because it's my most layed back day, and I tend to eat more.....

    I try to keep myself occupied, whether its playing video games with the kids, or watching movies, going upstairs to my bedroom, and watching my backed up TIV movies, so I am far from the kitchen......

    It's hard, I also am unemployed, so between 8am and 1:30pm, I stay on MFP alot, apply to jobs, cook dinner, and keep busy, then I leave and get the kids, and I don't get back until 5pm or later, because they have their after school activities.....I walk with an apple to eat for my midafternoon snack, so I don't feel the need to buy anything on the road

    So basically my advice, is even though you are home, try and find something to do.....You can also workout, even though you dont have an actual class to go to......If you have any workout DVD's do those, if you are able to workout outdoors, do that....Find alternatives.....

    Goodluck
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