How do you deal with emotional eating?

I am very new this journey and have to admit this has been a rough day for me. There were a few times I ate something just because. I made better choices with what I ate but I still emotionally ate. Wow, now I know what contributed to get me where I am. . . .


How have you dealt with emotional eating? What strategies have you found successful?

Just trying to see what tools to think about or try.

Thanks

Stephanie

Replies

  • mamaof2mi
    mamaof2mi Posts: 3 Member
    Girl i'm right there with you.lol. I've found that finding out why I emotionally eat has helped me. For me it's because growing up we didn't have a lot of food. Now as an adult I want to eat what I want when I want. When i'm counting calories the graving hit me harder. Especially sweets (which I usually never crave). So i'll drink a bottle of water with some mio flavoring in there to make it sweetsweet. And that helps satisfy my craving. Or if i'm just bored and find myself wanting to eat i'll munch on popcorn. It makes me feel like i'm eating more than I am. But I haven't found a 100% thing that works it's a constant struggle. Just stop when you get to the fridge or pantry and think about it. Ask yourself am I just bored and want to eat or am I having a craving. My everyday struggle issoda. I stopped drinking it and it's been really hard. Lol. Good luck.

    P.S. it also helps me when I eat a good protein packed breakfast.
  • LumberJacck
    LumberJacck Posts: 559 Member
    I would say that 90% of people emotionally eat. Something upset you? Eat a bag of chips, and feel better. I guess the answer is to try and avoid the circumstances that cause you to get upset (I have depression, so I know that it's not possible all of the time) and make some "rules" about emotional eating. Like you can eat a small bag of chips, but not a big bag. Or if you walk into the supermarket to buy some fatty, high carb food, at least buy an apple as well. Also avoid having junk food at home.

    One other thing is what happened when you were a child, and upset? Did your parents give you food to make you feel better? My parents never did that, just gave me a cuddle and I'm forever grateful. On the other hand, a recent ex basically thought food equals love, and the perfect example was a neighbours cat "adopted" our home, and we started feeding it. But she over fed it as well, to the extent that she'd hide biscuits in places I couldn't find for the cat, because she didn't want the cat to leave us. So she thought that the cat needed food in exchange for enjoying our company. My ex had food issues as well, as you'd imagine.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    The absolutely best thing I did for emotional eating was doing yoga first with a DVD and then in a class. It teaches you to listen to your body. And it relaxes you so you do not have that kind of eating.
  • Sharon5913
    Sharon5913 Posts: 134 Member
    It's a struggle, and everyone has good ideas, I think you need to find what works for you and DO NOT GIVE UP!!! I'm also working with a dietitian, who has given me some good ideas, and with a behavioral health counselor.

    Good luck and add me if you like. (I have learned the hard way I have to keep my diary closed or I am not honest with myself.)

    Sharon :flowerforyou: .
  • anewstart1011
    anewstart1011 Posts: 72 Member
    Food was love in my house. Yea food was made for all occasions. We had to eat everything off our plates. Birthdays we eat --every big event had to do with eating to celebrate.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
  • haydn24
    haydn24 Posts: 9
    It's just a neurochemical problem albeit a difficult one to solve. As you've said you were taught that food is not simply nourishment for the body, but love, good things, pleasure, happiness and so on. There's a substance called dopamine which has a key role in the so called "reward system" of our brain. When something gives us pleasure dopamine is released, but too many and too prolonged stimuli result in an addictive behaviour because our brain responds less and less to the overabundant dopamine release so we start a vicious circle where we constantly crave foods (or whatever started the problem) in order to increase dopamine. All this is identical in all kind of addiction: food, alcohol, drugs, sex, pathological gambling,etc.
    I've had the same problem of yours and I've solved it by taking tyrosine which is a susbtance normally occuring in food that our body needs to make dopamine. By increasing dopamine without using food I broke that bad habit very easily because I severed the link between food and pleasure. I sort of retrained my brain not to consider food as a source of abnormal pleasure. I enjoy good meals but with moderation, as a normal person would do.
    Other ways to increase dopamine is physical activity, but only if it's perceived as pleasurable. Going to the gym and hating it will do no good to you. A more long term solution is psychotherapy which can be most effective provided you are lucky to find the right person.
  • anewstart1011
    anewstart1011 Posts: 72 Member
    Thank you!