Why is it that some people...

dillmilk
dillmilk Posts: 88 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Binge eat when they're emotional and others can't bring themselves to eat anything? I'm in the latter category... it really hurts my gains.

Replies

  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    I've dealt with depression ever since I had my first son 6 years ago. It started with PPD and has never quite gone away.

    (I'm doing a lot better these days, by the way)

    For me, what made me eat a lot was the fact that when I was having a depressive episode, I was apathetic, sedentary, and tired. No emotion, neither sad nor happy. Some days the only thing that brought me any semblance of pleasure was eating something tasty. So I would eat quite a lot. Add that to the days spent on the couch in pajamas playing video games or watching YouTube videos or mindlessly browsing reddit, and I suddenly had 60 pounds to lose.

    However, if I'm suffering from real, actual sadness (e.g., when my grandmother died earlier this year), and I'm crying a lot, I tend not to have much of an appetite. It's very situational for me.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    When I get stressed out it usually goes to my stomach. Eating doesn't sound good when your stomach is all jittery, aching or queasy. That's probably true for other people, as well.
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  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    SueInAz wrote: »
    When I get stressed out it usually goes to my stomach. Eating doesn't sound good when your stomach is all jittery, aching or queasy. That's probably true for other people, as well.

    Same here, i can't eat when I'm stressed. My sister is the same, she got scary skinny when she was going through her divorce.
  • Sarc_Warrior
    Sarc_Warrior Posts: 430 Member
    I lost 15 lbs in a week when I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease.
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    CipherZero wrote: »
    Under moderate stress I tend to eat more. Under high and sustained stress I tend to stop eating.

    Exactly this for me.
    Work stress, excessively busy/deadlines, brief argument with someone close - intense desire to order excessive quantities of take out, eat whole bags of chips, etc.
    Deaths of someone close, finding out partner is cheating/breakups, cancer scare - stop eating completely and nausea/vomiting when I do eat.
  • airigami
    airigami Posts: 14 Member
    I'm like Alyssa_Is_LosingIt, I eat due to stress. It's why I lost 20 pounds but I gained it all back up again because I was forced to live with Mom as she was going through a divorce, and paranoid she tried to make sure I didn't leave the house for fear I'll tell Dad everything. So being on my computer and eating was the only way to get rid of stress and also...to pass the time through summer vacation until I returned to college.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    CipherZero wrote: »
    Under moderate stress I tend to eat more. Under high and sustained stress I tend to stop eating.

    +1

    And get restless. Last time I was under severe stress I quit eating, couldn't really sleep, and found myself speed-walking around my apartment complex for hours at a time while trying to mentally hash out my problems. Fun times.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    They aren't managing stress properly
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    They aren't managing stress properly

    Or they have a defeatist attitude?
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    When I have a bout with depression, I wind up forcing myself UP TO 1000 cal/day. I don't recommend it, though coming out the other side with a big drop on the scale is like the dove with the olive branch.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    They aren't managing stress properly
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    They aren't managing stress properly

    Or they have a defeatist attitude?

    We are human beings...we are not a perfect machine.

    Sometimes over/under eating can be a better alternative than other options. Sure it would be nice if all of us imperfect people managed our stress better and could let go of the defeatist attitudes. However I learned a long time ago...some days you can only do what helps you get through the day.

    I wish that I had taken a different route besides overeating and gaining so much weight...but gaining weight was a whole lot better than the other thoughts that went through my head.

    f6qp20nawx1s.gif
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  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    I do both, it depends on the stress. I over eat more often though. Couldn't tell you why I do either.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Them humans is wily creatures
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    BreezeDoveal wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    They aren't managing stress properly

    So which of the two is managing it properly, the ones that undereat when stressed, or the ones that overeat when stressed?

    Neither.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    edited August 2016
    When I am stressed I want to eat all the things- and drink all the wine.

    Im trying to take my stress out on my recumbent bike and my tennis shoes vs my kitchen and wine rack. My *kitten* will thank me later.
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  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
    I get both tendencies.
  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    They aren't managing stress properly
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    They aren't managing stress properly

    Or they have a defeatist attitude?

    We are human beings...we are not a perfect machine.

    Sometimes over/under eating can be a better alternative than other options. Sure it would be nice if all of us imperfect people managed our stress better and could let go of the defeatist attitudes. However I learned a long time ago...some days you can only do what helps you get through the day.

    I wish that I had taken a different route besides overeating and gaining so much weight...but gaining weight was a whole lot better than the other thoughts that went through my head.

    QFT
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    BreezeDoveal wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    BreezeDoveal wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    They aren't managing stress properly

    So which of the two is managing it properly, the ones that undereat when stressed, or the ones that overeat when stressed?

    Neither.

    So how do you propose that people alter their cortisol's interaction with their allelic tendencies? I think someone on here told me you can't change DNA, and about 1/3 have one reaction to stress (undereating), and 2/3 have the other.

    Find other methods to manage the stress. Yoga, meditation, prayer, phone a friend, gardening, whatever works.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    They aren't managing stress properly
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    They aren't managing stress properly

    Or they have a defeatist attitude?

    We are human beings...we are not a perfect machine.

    Sometimes over/under eating can be a better alternative than other options. Sure it would be nice if all of us imperfect people managed our stress better and could let go of the defeatist attitudes. However I learned a long time ago...some days you can only do what helps you get through the day.

    I wish that I had taken a different route besides overeating and gaining so much weight...but gaining weight was a whole lot better than the other thoughts that went through my head.

    Who suggested perfection??

    Sure over/under eating can be a better alternative than other options. That doesn't mean it is the best option. Often it just provides one more thing to stress about.
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  • Thorbjornn
    Thorbjornn Posts: 329 Member
    I'm an emotional under-eater too. Combine that with percocet I take for pain from a lumbar fusion, and my appetite goes down the toilet. However, I've gained weight from what I do eat... carbs, carbs, carbs. Pizza, pasta, rice, bread, cookies, cake and other sweets. Very comforting. I'm doing my best to clean up my diet and eat better more regularly.

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