What makes you to OVEREAT?
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Top five in order of worst offender:
1. Boredom.
2. Apathy i.e. can't be bothered to log my intake on MFP.
3. Frustration (bust-up knee means I can only do a limited amount of exercise and have to avoid activities I used to participate in).
4. Depression.
5. Inability to stop myself once I start with sweet treats. It becomes a vicious circle whereby I think "crap - I've messed up my goals so screw it I'll just keep eating then".
These are the reason why I have recently gone from maintenance back to weight loss. Oops!0 -
I gained part of my weight when I was going through a divorce. Although, I am the one who filed for divorce it was a long, stressful process that took more energy, money, and sanity than it should have. It was so worth it in the end. I gained a majority of my weight when I had to file for custody and go through the whole court process. It was the most stressful part of all. When you're back in court every six months because some people don't know how to be adults and you're shelling out thousands of dollars YOU EAT! So I am definitely a stress eater.
I also want to eat when I get on the scale and it hasn't moved. I think of all the work I've put in up until that point and there was nothing to show for it, just disappointment. These are the days I don't go near the kitchen, because if I did I would binge. It's a feeling of failure, even though logically you know you're not a failure.
This is the biggest one. When I feel neglected. I eat when I feel like it's the only thing I can control or the only thing I "have." This is the one I need to work on the most.0 -
I overeat when......
I'm sad
I'm angry
I'm bored
I'm very tired
I'm stressed
I'm at a family get together
I want to make myself feel better
FOOD TOTALLY MAKES ME FEEL BETTER!0 -
Many of us seem to have this on our list of reasons why we overeat. I have found that when I am stressed/worried/anxious I would overeat. Over this past year I have made a very serious commitment to trying to find alternative to eating when I feel those emotions. I have been trying either relaxation techniques or exercise depending on what feels right. I also used to suffer from what I call unconscious eating where I would find myself eating some junk food without even thinking about it. Just compulsively and automatically would hit the cookie jar or fridge. Not anymore. I am stronger and made a commitment to make my life better.0
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Keep strong. Tough road. I have stress and emotional eating but it's also really tough to have to eat differently from two ravenous teenage boys and their uber athletic dad
Feel free to add me
as a friend0 -
well i tend to overeat when i get negative emotions but also sometimes when i have positive ones too. sometime when i am waiting for something to happen then i overeat until i get the answer and then if the answer is positive then i over eat because i am happy.
Also when i have negative emotions it can also make me not want to eat anything at all.
URRRG Emotions control you
I suppose that when we are going through something emotional then we just have to try to stay clam and control ourselves0 -
Since I'm by myself, sometimes I justify eating more because I don't want the food to go to waste. Some things you can't freeze and use later.
I also eat when I'm tired. I'm a night owl and I hate to go to bed, even when I can hardly stay awake.0 -
I had an episode today where I had gotten upset with my stepson and also had trouble with my daughter whining. I had brought pretzels to the pool for my daughter for a snack and I ended up having about three servings. I decided not to totally blow the day, but now, after dinner, I am really craving something sweet. Guess some fruit will have to do!!!0
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I also have to second what Cheyenneandco said. I eat for everything, both positive and negative emotions, to be social, as a reward, you name it. But I just finished a personal challenge. I challenged myself to remain free from emotional eating, binge eating, and mindless eating for 14 days. I also challenged myself to drink more water, and get a minimum of 60 minutes of activity each of the 14 days. Yesterday was my last day of the challenge, and I'm happy to say that I MADE IT! So I'm restarting today. Here's to another 14 days.
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Stressed, Angry, Anxious, summer cookouts, date nights, parties, the weekends and after drinking...all the time?0
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Stress is a HUGE problem for my diet. This has been the most stressful year in my life to date... and it shows. I lost 45 and gained back 20 and now I'm trying for another 45 (or so)!
Anxiety, on the other hand, seems to help - I eat less. That's what kicked off my diet *and* the stress this past year has been.0 -
I overeat when......
Im sad
Im angry
Im happy
Im lonely
Im bored
Im stressed
Im at a party
Im at a family get together
I want to make myself feel better
Ive accomplished something, overeating is like a "treat"
So yeah....I think thats pretty much it!
For me, it's all of these, too.
I also eat because I like food and it tastes good :ohwell:0 -
I am only just realizing how much of a connection there is for me between my emotions and eating. I always sort of knew there was, but there did not seem to be one particular type of emotion (most people identify stress, but I tend to eat less at stressful times) that led to overeating.
I am FINALLY beginning to see the connection for me. I have noticed that an entirely irrational part of me drives me to eat when I am not hungry and it seems to be emanating from some sort of fear that there might not be food if i don't eat RIGHT NOW. In other words, I should eat a REALLY big breakfast because what if, GOD FORBID, I don't have another chance to eat in the next few hours. This is not a conscious loop in my head, more of an unconscious, emotional reaction.
And, of course, I do not live somewhere that famine is likely I live in the good 'ol USA, in a major city where food is never more than a few minutes away.
SO...since my drive to eat is not driven by any actual reality (food shortages), what is driving it?
I really think it is a fear of abandonment.
I must have ALL THE FOOD RIGHT NOW because who knows when it might go away?
And, I have noticed, ironically, that my eating increases when I am happy and fulfilled. WHY??
Because if I am happy & fulfilled, then looming out there is the possibility that what is making me feel happy & fulfilled (love in a healthy relationship, a good job, healthy kids) might be taken away. I cannot guarantee that love will stay forever, or that nothing bad will happen to my kids. So, in the place of this certainty (which I crave), I put food. I will eat all the food right now because then it cannot go away. I don't want food, really I want certainty - but damn, this cake and this ice cream and this huge bowl of cereal are pretty certainly here right now. And that feels good. For a few minutes. And then it feels terrible.
And yeah, of course, like so many of us I have pretty solid reasons to think abandonment is likely (see: childhood), but I am really hoping that now that I have identified this for myself, that I will be able to overcome it.
And I am hoping to find support from you all here (and to give support, too!)0 -
Wow...I really should have thought about this question before now.
I KNOW I overeat when I am stressed. Work, fight with boyfriend, and then just thinking I am fat usually are enough to stuff my face. The last one is just crazy. Why would I want to eat when I feel fat. That is just stupid.
I also overeat when I am bored or trying to procrastinate.
I overeat when I am about to start a healthy lifestyle. I will think I must just eat all the bad stuff so it is gone and then the next day will be the fresh start to the new healthy life. But then it won't last and then more bad food comes in to replace what I devoured.
Good post topic.0 -
What usually causes me to overeat is when I have these self-hatred thoughts. I am constantly comparing myself to other people, so when a skinny girl walks by it makes me feel so bad about myself that I just tell myself that I will never look like her so I end up binging or overeating. Stress honestly doesn't make me overeat, only having poor thoughts about myself does.0
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Stress
Boredom
Loneliness
Anxiety
Distraction
So many reasons really. I am definitely an emotional eater. I can relate to so many of the posts here. Food seems to make the worry or stress or whatever go away for a moment and you can just enjoy the flavors. I need to find a new stress release. Biting my nails is not working 0 -
I am realizing I overeat when I am looking for comfort. I am looking to food to achieve intimacy. Crazy! I am now trying to find comfort and intimacy in appropriate ways. It is helping.0
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Me too. Gained weight, but that was years ago for me. It is worth the fight.....Take care of yourself and lets loose weight!0
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I overeat when......
Im sad
Im angry
Im happy
Im lonely
Im bored
Im stressed
Im at a party
Im at a family get together
I want to make myself feel better
Ive accomplished something, overeating is like a "treat"
You must be my long lost twin!
So yeah....I think thats pretty much it!0 -
I tend to overeat when I'm lonely, bored, tired, or angry. Lately there have been a lot of church potlucks and campfires which has thrown me off track, with sugar cravings. I'm going to try planning that sweet as part of my day so I'm less tempted to eat so many sweets because I know I can have one later.0
