Breaking bad habits

Smdgrad11
Smdgrad11 Posts: 11 Member
in Motivation and Support
So i am 235 pounds and the source if my weight gain is emotional eating. For a long time I have used food as an emotional outlet. I eat when I am bored. I eat when I am depressed. I eat when I am anxious. Any sort of bad feeling has me reaching for something to eat. In the end I only end up feeling worse about myself. I am 22 and my self esteem is not very good. I want to be healthy and be able to wear nice clothes but it seems like everytime I head in the right direction something happens that sends me right back to my bad habits.

Replies

  • andrewjbaker1984
    andrewjbaker1984 Posts: 33 Member
    What's your motivation for losing weight? Do you have one?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    It is not all or nothing. Also consider losing the weight in steps. For example, make losing 25 pounds your fist goal.
    Some days you will follow your plan and some days something goes awry. The very next day (or next meal) get back on track.
    As long as you are mostly in the right direction, you will be pleased.
    Take a bunch of pictures now so that you can see your progress in two months and help motivate yourself for further success.
  • JLPersall
    JLPersall Posts: 43 Member
    Try and find another outlet for emotional eating. Even taking a walk or some kind of excercise can help anxiety. Keep busy as much as possible. Diet buddies are great to keep motivated! Part of motivation is realizing that you can do this! Completly up to you. Make sure your calorie goal is at a reasonable level otherwise set yourself up for failure!!!! Make yourself log what you eat no matter what.feel free to send me a friend request
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I'm sorry I'm not very supportive, but I have an idea or two. Weight loss will work for you too if you do the things necessary to lose. They are not easy, but they are simple - eat less than you burn, and do it consistently. You have to find other outlets for emotion, and start eating to sustain yourself. Are you in treatment for your self esteem issues? If not, this could be a good time to seek help. Don't undereat, eat food you like, eat regular meals, and prelog them. If you typically overeat certain non-nutritious foods, keep them out of your house/desk/car/purse.
  • UnicornAmanda1
    UnicornAmanda1 Posts: 56 Member
    Hi. I suffered from the same thing. I was eating compulsively and binging regularly from age 10 to my early 20s. I am 25 now and have only had my compulsive eating and binging under control for almost 3 years. I still go overboard occasionally but nothing compared to the mindset that comes along with treating your body like a garbage disposal.

    What helped me was consistently logging whether i went over my cals or not. Also i sometimes will set a goal like no more food after a certain time at night and if I'm really hungry ill allow myself to have something that i dont love too much so i don't get carried away...

    I have lost 50 lbs.. Two pregnancies.. Two beautiful kids and i finally feel like my issues with food doesnt consume my life anymore... I do struggle at times still. I went to therapy in the beginning and that helped a lot..

    Please feel free to reach out to me if you want someone to talk to.
  • Dandelie
    Dandelie Posts: 153 Member
    Find another outlet. I was the same way. I had an emotional eating disorder and a binge eating disorder. It is horrible together. I do not use food as a coping mechanism anymore. I turn to music or exercise or both. Find something to replace it. And until you can do that, learn to find your triggers. What is causing you to be emotional and eat? What triggered the need to cope? Ask yourself these questions each time you find yourself eating something and slowly you will realize the difference between hunger eating and eating to cope.
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    Good advice has been given so far. Read these responses every day if you need to. Also, it may help to focus on HOW to change habits instead of focusing solely on weight loss. There are some great books out there, such as "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg and lots of info on the internet.

    In your profile you say you want to lose weight to feel good about yourself. IME, it is the opposite: tackle your self-esteem issues (you're not alone; we all have them to some degree) and love yourself FIRST. Once your mind is in the right place, the body will follow.

    And of course, weigh, measure, and log your food here. Tracking your eating patterns is essential to good health.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    You have made the first step by acknowledging that you "use food as an emotional outlet". Now think of other things to channel that emotion - talking to a friend or family member, exercise or seeking professional help. Some good advice here. Good luck.

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