HELP

I need some motivation, but in time I can't find any. I was about to come back here, but today I had a breakdown again, so I try it from tommorow. I am a full-time compulsive eater, I devour ridiculous amounts of food and don't know why, I have a food obsession which means, half of my time eat and the other half I think about food. I am far gone and pathetic, I don't want to gain more weight, Need help

You have come to the right place! Set up your profile, Calculate your BMI & BMR numbers, set up your meal goals and LOG EVERY SINGLE THING you put into your mouth. Sounds to me like you may also want to log WHY you felt you needed to eat, how you were feeling emotionally before eating, during eating, and how you felt after. Sounds like there may be underlying issues you will want to work with also. YOU CAN DO THIS!

When you feel the need to eat, STOP and think first.... are you REALLY hungry or are you just wanting to eat because the food is there. Only eat WHEN YOU ARE hungry... any other time, grab a HUGE glass of water, and go for a walk or do something to take your mind off of food. YOU CAN DO THIS!

Make friends here on MFP that have the same goals as you and find encouragement from them. I also look for those who have already had great success with their weight loss challenges because it motivates me to continue with mine. For me, I've met my weight loss goals. I am currently trying to get myself back in shape. I lost motivation when my life become stressful or more stressful. Currently going through a divorce, so finding people with similar goals as mine really helps. YOU too CAN DO THIS!

Jump right in and focus on what you want. Be specific about your goals. Write them down and read them every day. Leave pictures laying around to remind you of what you are wanting to be... Read health books and health magazines... You can find inspiration in them also... YOU CAN DO THIS!

Feel Free to add me as a friend and I can help you along the way.

Remember, YOU CAN DO THIS!

Lisa

Shadowboxer I too am a compulsive overeater, food is all I think about. I could have wrote your post word for word. I've gotten off my butt and took up walking, right now it's my only form of exercise but it's better then none at all. I've also forced myself to drink lots of water, I never drank water ever, it was always coffee, or soda or milk. Time for changes for both of us. Good luck and just try and find other things to do to keep your mind off eating.

These are great comments from everyone. You are on the right track Shadowboxer. I always teach my clients that besides willpower there is also the need to find out what is triggering their overeating response (i.e. depression, fatigure, boredom, anger). I recommend to incorporate some "me" time to get away from everything and just sit (you can read, listen to music, garden, walk, hike, bike or which ever you like).

In terms of eating, when you do eat have healthier food items on hand such as water, greek yogurt, fresh berries/fruit, fresh veggies with peanut butter, whole wheat crackers with hard cheese (i.e. no premade cheese & crackers), and even dry cereal such as cheerios. In order to help you feel full longer, utilitize foods higher in fiber that will stay in your system longer (like whole grains and fresh fruits/veggies) and add protein to your snacks (i.e. low fat dairy products, peanut butter, unsalted nuts, or even try some tofu/soybean).

Hope this helps. Good luck with the emotional eating. I deal with the same problems as a dietitian with a stressful home life but have found that having some "alone" time helps tremendously.