How do I overcome emotional eating

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Hollis53
Hollis53 Posts: 4 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am in a bad place emotionally and even though I know eating high sugar - high fat foods will only help me feel better for a short time, I will do anything to get a respite from the pain and sadness. Does anyone have suggestions on how to change this behavior? Thank you. Hollis

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  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    There's not going to be one certain way to overcome this , clearly everyone will have different thoughts or ideas about what works for them .
    Identifying what is causing this , for example your mom getting ill or a divorce , and seeking treatment or therapy for that problem might be good place to start so you can learn ways to deal with problems in a healthy manner. They'll teach you tools and techniques for dealing with your feelings .
    I like to have my goals written out on paper . when I'm feeling down or depressed, I like to look over them to remind myself of why I started and what needs to be done to achieve those goals.
    I used to over eat because I was depressed, then get depressed about over eating and depressed that I was heavy but yet I still kept doing it. It was a vicious cycle . finally when I had enough, I decided to make the changes needed to move forward. So it really came down to me just really wanting to finally lose the weight .
    Best of luck to you ! Dont be afraid to seek therapy if needed
  • pchenley
    pchenley Posts: 22 Member
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    Try to find something else that you enjoy to replace the eating. Go for a walk, plant some flowers, read a book, or even do some volunteer work, anything that you can do instead of eating. Volunteering can really give you a boost emotionally. :) Try to eliminate most of the high fat/high sugar foods from your home so that you won't be tempted. Replace those with healthy alternatives. That will make a big difference. If you crave certain things, don't deprive yourself completely. Set aside a day that you can have some of those things and only have enough for that day. If you try to give up those things completely, you will be setting yourself up to fail. Hope this helps!
  • Hollis53
    Hollis53 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks for the advise. I will try out your suggestions. I appreciate you taking the time to help me.
  • cj94404
    cj94404 Posts: 154 Member
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    The food diary helps a lot. Write.down everything immediately. Accountability. I eat emotionally too. Mindlessly if I allow myself. I don't. If I eat a bag of chips it gets recorded fast. If I eat an apple I write it.down but it isn't as urgent. I don't believe in forbidden foods but some foods have nutrition and some don't. When you are hurting try to give yourself food that helps your body. Distraction can work too but if you are like me you can always find time to eat. :).
  • nsheppard1224
    nsheppard1224 Posts: 1 Member
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    I have been coping with this for many years, usually if I have a plan of what I will eat for the day it helps. Chewing gum, or sucking on sugar free candy helps me along with prayer, therapy and supportive people.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Do deep breathing twice a day. Here is a good video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd94Gh4lKOA&index=3&list=PLhiNtEBsgk1SYY72OgPH1THLzRMZaGTyX
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    Hollis53 wrote: »
    ...I will do anything to get a respite from the pain and sadness. Does anyone have suggestions on how to change this behavior? Thank you. Hollis

    Stop doing that.

  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
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    Geneen Roth has good books on emotional eating like I will get thru stuff

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