Emotional eating

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StrawberrySofia
StrawberrySofia Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How do you stop yourself comfort eating?

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  • DresdenSinn
    DresdenSinn Posts: 665 Member
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    Well I'm not an emotional eater but I would say find something to do to take your mind off that emotion and/or food. Get outside, find a craft or a hobby, play video games, get together with friends and do something, etc. etc.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    We are all emotional eaters, but we aren't supposed to "eat our feelings". Eat for nutrition AND pleasure, don't try to separate them. Enjoy your meal, but stop eating when you've eaten what you need. Food is important, but shouldn't take up all your mental energy. Food tastes good, but some foods promise a lot and deliver little. Ditching those and instead finding foods that provide proper nutrition and real taste, satisfies me and keeps me from overeating.
  • happyauntie2015
    happyauntie2015 Posts: 282 Member
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    I've started finding something else to do like crochet, take the dog for an extra walk, go help an elderly neighbor clean.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
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    Right with you on this one. If it's infrequent emotional eating then find things to do when you're feeling that way (I keep a list of what I call my "emergency measures"). If it's more deep seated then that, seek counsel from someone that can walk you through whatever issues are causing you to want to eat. The depth of your emotional eating will help indicate how far you need to go in combating it (distraction vs. counseling).
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member
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    This is the common thread in all my posts. Comfort eating is a psychological response your brain is putting out to a situation you're going through.

    Here's my answer. You have to find a why. That why has to be totally selfish it can't be about your significant other it can't be about your kids it can't be about the family. Whit that why being about you all the other whys take care of themselves. Once you have that why it overrides and dominates everything. it will control your over binging you're over eating your comfort eating. At that point you control your food emotions instead of your emotions controlling your food intake.

    Good luck and enjoy
  • AlyssaPetsDogs
    AlyssaPetsDogs Posts: 421 Member
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    I drink water or some club soda with lime and I'll have a snack that I portion out. I know it sounds sad, but eventually I stop wanting to eat everything once I've drank a ton of water! This is how I curb the urge to late night snack in general.
  • daz2270
    daz2270 Posts: 73 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    We are all emotional eaters, but we aren't supposed to "eat our feelings". Eat for nutrition AND pleasure, don't try to separate them. Enjoy your meal, but stop eating when you've eaten what you need. Food is important, but shouldn't take up all your mental energy. Food tastes good, but some foods promise a lot and deliver little. Ditching those and instead finding foods that provide proper nutrition and real taste, satisfies me and keeps me from overeating.

    +1 for the dog walking. Any time I'm bored and feel like eating I take the dogs out for a 30 minute walk and by the time I get home the urge has usually passed.
  • anne_driessen
    anne_driessen Posts: 55 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Drink lots of water (try to aim for 2-3 liters a day) & try to find your trigger, then learn to deal with that (this may take some time, especially learning tom deal with it any other way than eating). Understand that eating that one bit of cake isnt the end of the world, of at all possible try to keep it in you kcal allowance for the day. Try to find healthier low kcal alternatives if possible (ex. eat courgetti rather than spaggetti)
    It also helps to keep your mind of food, go so something, try a hobby or journaling
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,182 Member
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    If I'm feeling stressed or upset, I find exercise is a good way to burn off the bad feelings. I've done some of my fastest and best bicycle rides that way!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    I am not an emotional eater but if I'm bored I will want to eat so I:-
    Keep busy.
    Drinks lots of water.
  • Elliewowo
    Elliewowo Posts: 4 Member
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    Personally I don't stop eating, but I eat only "healthy things" like nuts or raw veggies
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Know that when you eat mindfully, food is much more enjoyable and satisfying.

    If I really have to just graze on something, I'll choose a whole head of lettuce (Romaine is my fav), broccoli, baby carrots, celery, radish, cucumber, rice cakes, gluten free crispbread, something like plain corn puffs or plain white rice. Fruit is also good, there's lots of lower calorie fruit and berries out there.

    A cup of tea also works for me sometimes.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited June 2016
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    My emotions are usually in the happy range.. So I guess I eat when I am happy.. If I am sad, I guess I eat when I am sad, but really I eat all the time..

    When I am mad and pissed off, I drink..LOL :#
  • kbarrett0701
    kbarrett0701 Posts: 54 Member
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    I use to tell myself, I don't need it and remember the depressive thoughts it always brings me after.
  • ElJefePerron
    ElJefePerron Posts: 88 Member
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    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/exactly-happens-body-overeat/?bb=disable

    I like the halt and HALT method as described in the blog.

  • jo_nz
    jo_nz Posts: 548 Member
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    Plain popcorn and/or a cup of tea (iced tea in summer) are my alternatives to high-cal snacks.

    Or doing something else - crafts/hobbies. Or painting my nails so I have to wait for them to dry (plus is something just for me so makes me feel good).

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