help with emotional eating

it's going to be hard like breaking a habit... Drink some water... Stock your house with lots of fruit and stuff that when you want to snack you can eat....

Lots of water. Maybe even a journal about your feelings or lack of

Good luck... You can do it..

I agree with the other posts - just try to keep yourself busy, go for a walk, write your feelings down, call a friend - like any habit, it won't be easy at first, but you just have to make a new habit for yourself, you know?
I can definitely relate - I grab whatever I can get my hands on when I'm emotional or even just bored. Recognizing that your reaching for food when your really not hungry and trying to deal with the reasons behind why you're really eating will help you out for sure!!!
Good luck to you and know that you're not alone

Good for you to venture on this new journey of healthy living!!!
It is going to be a challenge to make sure you don't overeat in the evening. You are probably hungry right now. But, what you need to do is spread your calories out so you have a bit to extend into the evening. Try and eat food with protein. The protein will keep you full longer. In time, you won't feel this hungry as your body will get used to it.
About the emotional eating - I'm still trying to work on this myself. I've been reading books about this topic and it's a matter of making a conscious effort to not eat to medicate yourself. You need to deal with your emotions in a different way. I would suggest you perhaps read a book on the topic, or check out some websites. Whatever you need to do to get this under control and change your habits.

Its 9pm. If all else fails go to bed. Right now I feel like I can eat, but I'm resisting it because I know I shouldn't. Remember food isn't your friend. It isn't here to comfort you. Its here to energize your body...your body's fuel. Nothing more, nothing less.

All the replies are great suggestions.:flowerforyou:
I have found for me - NOT staying up so late really helps.
Drinking water really helps.
I don't eat after 7pm so if I am still up at 11pm - I start wanting to snack. I only drink H2O after 7pm.
I have changed my routine so that I am up no later than 10pm and up early to do my workout.
I keep a 16oz water bottle by my bedside too and drink a full one during the night.
I read an article about people that get, on average, 7.5 - 8.0 hrs of sleep a night lose 20-25% more weight than those who get less than that a night.

During the day ( especially around 2-3 in the afternoon) is my snack-attack time but since I started eating more small meals each day the snack-attack has gone away. I have breakfast, an AM snack, lunch, a PM snack, and dinner. I choose things that are high in protein so I feel fuller longer too and have found that when I am still mostly full from the AM or PM snack, then I don't want to eat multiple helpings at mealtime. One is enough and I am satisfied.

I didn't think I was... but I REALLY AM an emotional eater & and also out of boredom.
I love MFP b/c I like to come on here and check out the Community boards. It takes my mind off myself for awhile and the others are so encouraging and inspirational.
When I am emotional, I tend to clean now instead of baking.
I also read somewhere that chewing sugarless gum also helps.

Best of luck

I know what you mean about that wonderful full feeling you get. It is so satisfying... and the urge to have that when you eat probably might never really go away. What you have to do is tell yourself "No" and that is the end of it. Then if you really want to eat something (eating isn't the problem, its the eating bad foods high in calories) then go ahead and eat but make it healthy. A little snack under 100-200 calories and a big bottle of water. Make yourself drink all the water. Water helps fill you up so much!

Sure it isn't that great full feeling you're used to... but it does the trick, and you will feel so much better about yourself afterward. I'm not an emotional eater but i have come to learn I am a stress eater. I eat when I am stressed. I also love that full feeling you get from eating good fattening food, and too much of it. It is a struggle but you just have to tell yourself its all in your head. Your stomach doesn't know the difference, once it gets some food in it, it's happy. It's your mouth and mind you have to get passed. You can do it!!!

Plus once you start losing even just a few pounds, and once you start FEELING the weight loss... it helps motivate you. One final thing to remember, we all have times where we go over our calories or eat something that isn't healthy. This is no reason to quit, give up, or go overboard and pig out on other bad foods. You just say "hey I had a bad day and tomorrow I'm going to do better." You can't be too hard on yourself. You have to be realistic.