How do you disconnect? (Emotional eating)

cammons
cammons Posts: 126 Member
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
Yesterday I had a rough day, on my way to the gym I stepped on a piece of glass and cut my foot pretty badly. I managed to control the bleeding enough to meet with my trainer but my head was not in a good place; all I could think about was that I am due for both a 5 mile run and my first ever Warrior Dash with an old friend...hard to do those things with a bloody foot.

When I'm having a crummy day like that my general strategy is to go out for a run to get my head straightened out...not being able to do that made me a real peach to be around yesterday, and I found myself making all kinds of bad food choices because I was ticked off. There were several times when the little voice in my head would suggest something healthy, or just not eating and some monstrous voice would boom, "Oh, F*^k it, the day is crap anyway", at which point whatever was in my hand went straight to my mouth.....at one point I actually made gluten free banana bread, which required a walk to the store for baking soda and an hour of baking....totally ludicrous!

So I guess my question is, how do you disconnect your personal life from your food choices? Clearly this one trick pony needs a few new tricks to keep her sanity!

Replies

  • cammons
    cammons Posts: 126 Member
    PS. The foot could probably benefit from a stitch as it was still oozing a little bit of blood last night, but I know that there is no way to do the Warrior Dash with stitches....I have a plan, and it involves antiseptic, super glue, butterfly bandages and a few waterproof bandages. (My mother and Husband are appropriately horrified.) Four years ago this month I broke my foot at mile seven of a marathon and finished the race, if I can run 19 miles on a broken foot I can certainly run three in the mud with a little cut!

    PPS. Have I mentioned that when I don't run I also get a little bit irrational? :P
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    That is hard to do. Take a walk, If you are religious, maybe say some prayers or read a book? Try to do something to keep your mind off of things. I know it is easier said than done.
  • demoharry
    demoharry Posts: 6
    This is a hard thing to do, well it was for me. I am a very bad emotional eater but I have noticed that a few months ago when I sat down and seriously planned out my meals every day and the workouts I was going to do -Emotional eating died down a lot.

    I have noticed that eating a healthy but strict diet with lots and lots of exercise every day has helped me take control of my emotions (especially anger emotions). Just last week my sister was hospitalized from attempting to kill herself and my dad was in a serious car crash later that day - I expected myself to fall off the wagon...but I haven't.

    So I guess the best thing to do is keep training, working out, plan out your meals that fit within the calorie - protein - fat - carb ratio, and tell yourself every day that you refuse to let your emotions control your actions.
  • rmsrws
    rmsrws Posts: 639 Member
    Disconnect emotional eating!

    Emotional eating is not something that just goes away over night! I think you could possiably do your warrior dash, you are punishing your self by not doing it. Just clean the wound, use super glue, or a product called liquid bandage, ( it will sting a bit at first) wrap it up with a compresion bandage and off you go! You just need to brush off the fact you got cut. So you wont be able to run as fast, but at least you will be there participating, as planned. You will feel better about going and trying v.s. not trying at all.

    And at least you did get some excercise over the banana bread, you had to walk to the store. It is hard to find something that satisfies that instant gratification of emotional eating. At the moment it feel all so good, but then after wards you feel crumby.

    This is one of the things I had to do, to help with emotional eating. I just don't bring anything in my home that I may connect with emotional eating. It makes it harder for me and a better chance for me to make wise choices....Best Wishes!
  • FunRun08
    FunRun08 Posts: 203 Member
    This is a tough one because I also de-stress by running or working out. One thing I do if I cant work out is work on something else that will give me a similar sense of getting something done, and will keep me busy so I dont eat. Cleaning my kids rooms or tackling the garden weeds - keeps me busy, maybe a few calories burned, and when Im done I can see that I actually finished something... Good luck
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