Anyone else eating their feelings?

Whenever I'm stressed or upset, I turn to food. Then I fall off the wagon, and that food becomes my staple. I'm looking for motivation and support on this journey. I'm 43 and it is time to do this for real! Please feel free to add me!

Replies

  • AGamingFantasy
    AGamingFantasy Posts: 10 Member
    I do this as well. I have been very up and down about my weight through my years. I can attribute mine to stress and anxiety. I get so stressed that I don't care what I eat.
  • mdnorthside
    mdnorthside Posts: 48 Member
    Same habit. It's hard to break - but positivity is key. Feel free to add me!
  • dtmwed
    dtmwed Posts: 130 Member
    I would stress eat a lot a my old position. I had to eliminate the temptation of the snacks and tracking really helped. When I realized how much my emotional eating was making me consume I stopped. Best of luck! I'm right there with you. It's time to make a change!
  • Emelade
    Emelade Posts: 11 Member
    Yep. Stressed- I snack upset- I snack bored - I snack.
    It makes it harder now that I'm at home all day with kids vs working at my old job. But I wouldn't change that, just my eating habits!
    Feel free to add me ^_^
  • KetolifeKetowife
    KetolifeKetowife Posts: 1 Member
    I think most of us have been there! Lately I've been learning that walking or exercising when im upset or stressed really helps me feel better both emotionally & physically! We're all in this together! btw, I your name, I'm a big cat lover too :)
  • successfull247
    successfull247 Posts: 9 Member
    Yep, i do this all the time, loneliness doesnt help at all. Food becomes my friend and my main source of pleasure.
  • Omoe11
    Omoe11 Posts: 235 Member
    I struggle with this a lot too! I've been trying to work on it though all throughout my weight loss journey. Please feel free to add me for support and to help motivate each other!
  • melody644
    melody644 Posts: 1 Member
    It's a tough one. I just picked up a book called eating mindfully that I'm hoping will give more clarity and help me with this habit. Will post about it here once I'm done if anyone is interested!
  • lessismoreohio
    lessismoreohio Posts: 910 Member
    I deal with this as well. The struggle is real. I know I need to be self-aware and mindful to avoid this every day.
  • KiwiKim25
    KiwiKim25 Posts: 61 Member
    This was a well timed thread for me. I'm always fighting this issues, but it has resurged stronger than ever this week.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    I found that using a journal to write about it daily really helped me to get a handle on emotional eating. I would write about it - sometimes during a binge or right afterwards, to see what was going on in that moment for which I needed to find a better coping skill.

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,996 Member
    Many people eat whether they are happy, sad, giddy, angry, etc. Habitual behavior with eating helps to dictate whether one is overweight/underweight/maintaining. You won't get rid of your emotions, so instead of eating to solve your issue (which it usually doesn't), change to a habit that may.
    If one has a lot of stress, exercise is usually a great reliever of it. If there's a lot of anxiety, learning how to meditate helps.
    There are lots of other approaches to dealing with issues other than eating and when applying them and making them habitual, food won't end up being your solution.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • fatgiraffe2
    fatgiraffe2 Posts: 73 Member
    I'm definitely an emotional eater. The only way I deal with it is by not buying foods that would ruin my totals if I was having a bad day. If the foods aren't there I use another way of getting my emotions out, usually writing or crafting. I could definitely demolish a tub of ice cream or a packet of biscuits if they were available on a bad day.
  • MsLadyTAW
    MsLadyTAW Posts: 18 Member
    Emotional eating is a struggle for me. I'm in a clinical psychology graduate program. I am learning how much our brain wiring and body chemistry contributes to this struggle. Small trauma or family of origin patterns can develop a brain that lacks some integrated neuronal connections, which can keep a person locked in this pattern. Food has a chemical effect on a body, so emotional eating is often more than a matter of will power. I'm fit but 40 pounds over my ideal weight and looking for my way out of eating my emotions. I will find it, but have to say the journey has been fascinating. A few weeks ago, I attended a workshop taught by a zen priest and a clinical psychologist. The entire workshop was on why a mindfulness practice does not work with someone who has developmental or complex trauma. This brain type has a few developmental steps (creating new integrated neuronal connections) to go before a meditation practice would even work. The workshop showed us that a somatic element that needs to be incorporated. I believe that my route will be through changing my brain with daily practice to achieve the mindful ability. I'm up for all suggestions that might help me with changing how I deal with emotions and eating, so thanks for this conversation. I am gong to beat this one day in my future and enjoy the process.