Emotional eating
muffinsandcakes
Posts: 333 Member
I am noticing myself today and yesterday am emotionally unstable, and am eating more than I used to 
I don't know if the connection is true but I want this eating and getting hungry to stop cause I don't want to put on any weight.. Is the emotional status of a person affect his eating this much?
I don't know if the connection is true but I want this eating and getting hungry to stop cause I don't want to put on any weight.. Is the emotional status of a person affect his eating this much? 1
Replies
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yes. I was an. emotional eater and packed on the weight.I sometimes I still need to watch it.muffinsandcakes wrote: »I am noticing myself today and yesterday am emotionally unstable, and am eating more than I used to I don't know if the connection is true but I want this eating and getting hungry to stop cause I don't want to put on any weight.. Is the emotional status of a person affect his eating this much?
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fitfreakymom wrote: »
yes. I was an. emotional eater and packed on the weight.I sometimes I still need to watch it.muffinsandcakes wrote: »I am noticing myself today and yesterday am emotionally unstable, and am eating more than I used to I don't know if the connection is true but I want this eating and getting hungry to stop cause I don't want to put on any weight.. Is the emotional status of a person affect his eating this much?
what can I do?0 -
I will be watching this thread too--I have the same problem. Sweets--that's what I go to for comfort, when I am bored, when I am happy--you name it--there is a cookie to make it better. Often I can brew a cup of tea and that helps, but not always.3
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I don't have an emotional eating problem so I can't relate BUT I do know that sometimes I overeat on certain foods.
Salty chips and crackers I could eat all.the.time. so I just don't buy big bags of them anymore. If I have a hankering for chips with a sandwich I will buy a single serving size.
Hershey's kisses is the other trick I have for my occasional sweet tooth. I buy the small package so should I eat the whole package its 210 calories but I'm learning to be happy with just a few a day.
hope this helps!1 -
leanjogreen18 wrote: »I don't have an emotional eating problem so I can't relate BUT I do know that sometimes I overeat on certain foods.
Salty chips and crackers I could eat all.the.time. so I just don't buy big bags of them anymore. If I have a hankering for chips with a sandwich I will buy a single serving size.
Hershey's kisses is the other trick I have for my occasional sweet tooth. I buy the small package so should I eat the whole package its 210 calories but I'm learning to be happy with just a few a day.
hope this helps!
Yes, this is great about not to much, but what about the feeling of 'need more' does this relate to the 'need affection and love' kinda?0 -
muffinsandcakes wrote: »fitfreakymom wrote: »
yes. I was an. emotional eater and packed on the weight.I sometimes I still need to watch it.muffinsandcakes wrote: »I am noticing myself today and yesterday am emotionally unstable, and am eating more than I used to I don't know if the connection is true but I want this eating and getting hungry to stop cause I don't want to put on any weight.. Is the emotional status of a person affect his eating this much?
what can I do?
You should probably start by addressing the underlying issue that's causing you to overeat in the first place, whether it's on your own, with a self help book, or with the help of a therapist. If you don't address what's leading you to feel emotionally unstable, then the pattern of emotional eating will likely continue.3 -
muffinsandcakes wrote: »leanjogreen18 wrote: »I don't have an emotional eating problem so I can't relate BUT I do know that sometimes I overeat on certain foods.
Salty chips and crackers I could eat all.the.time. so I just don't buy big bags of them anymore. If I have a hankering for chips with a sandwich I will buy a single serving size.
Hershey's kisses is the other trick I have for my occasional sweet tooth. I buy the small package so should I eat the whole package its 210 calories but I'm learning to be happy with just a few a day.
hope this helps!
Yes, this is great about not to much, but what about the feeling of 'need more' does this relate to the 'need affection and love' kinda?
I suppose in some people's mind it does.
The problem it seems with that type of relationship is when you turn to food for comfort because one is lacking human affection it becomes a cycle. Too much comfort in food cause overweight issues, self loathing or isolation which in turn makes it hard to find human companionship/love/affection I would think.
It's complex for sure.1 -
I use mantra's for some things for example to keep me motivated and my mind in the right place re exercise I say...What the mind believes the body achieves over and over sometimes (its my avatar).
Perhaps you can find a mantra that works to help you overcome the need to turn to food.
As I see it, it's a big mind game when it comes to weight loss. There are some negative thoughts we all have that we need to change, because we are not those negative thoughts. AND we have the power to change those thoughts to positive ones.1 -
I have overeaten for a variety of reasons but emotional eating is a big one. I concentrate on preventing that "emotionally unstable" feeling when I can, but once I'm there, I may get away with substituting some other indulgence instead of food (like binge watching Netflix, hot bath, phone a friend etc). Occasionally I have asked myself if "I were feeling emotionally strong right now, what would I be doing?" and it's had a great effect. I need to remember to use it more often.
As to prevention, plenty of exercise and adequate sleep are most important for me.3 -
I just want to say that there's nothing inherently wrong with taking 'comfort' from food. It's a fairly natural thing, but when your emotional eating begins to undermine your goals then there's a problem.
The good news is that identifying the problem is a wonderful first step.
Seeing a therapist, reading blogs and books about self-love, or even just beginning to have a conversation with yourself about how you feel through some form of expression, such as journaling or drawing can be another step forward, if you'd like.
I had/have a pretty complicated situation with food as well, particularly when my emotions are involved. Some other things that have helped me personally are--
Finding some other activity that makes you feel good about yourself when you're emotional. For me, these things have included lifting weights and cooking. Singing and painting are also things that make me happy without being food-based.
Giving yourself some wiggle room. I have my calorie deficit set to lose 2 lbs/week. That's 1,000 calories away from maintenance. I shoot for the two pounds each week, but if I've had a pretty terrible day I go ahead and let myself have an extra slice of cake or serving of lasagna. Any amount of deficit is a win and sometimes you just have to save your willpower for other things.
Step away for a bit. Going for a walk can give you much needed mental relief and get you away from the icebox at the same time. Before you jump to 'I'm so stressed and want to eat everything but that will kill my goals' take a breath and go for a stroll around the neighborhood. Really let yourself be in the moment and take a mental and physical step away from the problem. Nine times out of ten, you'll feel better when you go home. And if you still want to eat something you'll be doing it from a place of forethought and have a few extra calories to spend.
So, the long answer to your question is, yes. Your emotions and level of mental stability can definitely affect your relationship with food and how much you eat. However, you control how much power your feelings have over you and what goes into your body.4 -
Emotional eating is something I know all too well.
One thing to remember is this:
Eating gives temporary comfort. Once it's done, you're back to where you started (feelings wise), or worse. What you need to ask yourself: Is temporary comfort worth it? Will this solve how I feel? Will going for a walk/working out make me feel 1000x better than this comfort food?
That food will be there later. Or even tomorrow. Can that food be portioned into smaller amounts so that I can 'enjoy' it more than once? How will I feel if I eat all of this now?
You are human, after all. Sometimes comfort food gets the better of us. We give in.
It is how we deal with the aftermath that makes or breaks us.
Is it worth beating yourself up over eating something, or going over your calories?
No.
Is it worth forgiving yourself, learning from your 'mistake' and becoming stronger from it?
Yes.
5 -
Definitely struggle with it here. Aside from doing lots of personal work on the "whys" I have been working my way through a book called the beck diet solution. Someone on here recommended it a long time ago IIRC. It teaches cognitive behavioral therapy for issues like emotional eating. Worth the read and doing the things she says. It has helped.1
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I struggle with this and I am certain that it is an issue you are never quite "cured" of. Emotional eating is a poor coping skill. It is something we have learned and so we have to go about un-learning it. Part of that is coming to terms with the underlying problems that are causing you to engage this poor coping skill. Is it stress? Anxiety? Depression? The next part is replacing that poor coping skill (eating) with a more appropriate skill (such as exercise, coloring, gaming, learning a new skill, volunteering in your community, deep-breathing/relaxation techniques, and the list goes on and on).
I have had to work diligently to replace my poor coping skills with healthier versions. If I might be so bold as to offer some advice, try to learn an "anywhere" coping skill--something that you are able to employ when you are "in the moment" so that lack of access to your replacement activity isn't a barrier to your success. One thing that has worked for me is to purposefully slow my thinking. I have to really ask myself what it is that I need in that moment. Many times just getting up and taking a short walk, starting a load of laundry, or picking up the phone to make a call is enough to break that thinking and the urge passes within a short period of time. Another trick I have when it happens at night (which is when it normally happens) is to quickly log what I am doing with the rest of my calories and to close my diary. Seeing that "you should weigh XXX lbs in 5 weeks" message is very motivational to me.
Good luck to you friend!2 -
muffinsandcakes wrote: »I am noticing myself today and yesterday am emotionally unstable, and am eating more than I used to I don't know if the connection is true but I want this eating and getting hungry to stop cause I don't want to put on any weight.. Is the emotional status of a person affect his eating this much?
Yes very much true. When I started my journey back in April I knew I had emotional baggage and decided to work on it all at the same time. So through seeing a therapist found that I emotionally ate and figured out what triggered me. So now if I know something is a trigger I make sure to stay busy and out of the kitchen. I found I would mindless eat during those times. So you are deff not alone.2 -
Mind over matter only did a little bit to help me overcome over-eating.
Instead, I found the macro settings of high protein/fat/fiber/veggies to cut that drive.
Now even if I feel emotional, I don't feel this overwhelming drive to stuff myself with treats.
It's because appetite is hormone driven, and we all know how strong those are!
The right eating will normalize hormones, metabolism, appetite.2 -
For me it's when I'm having a really rough time of it or I'm upset over multiple things, if I get over-hungry my brain goes, just eat what you want, you'll enjoy it and in the big scheme of things this doesn't even matter. I have this consciousness of "hey it's just you versus the world anyway so make yourself feel better." However I am one of the "lucky" ones I guess because I can and do take that in hand and recognise it for what it is, a moment of choice.1
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leanjogreen18 wrote: »I use mantra's for some things for example to keep me motivated and my mind in the right place re exercise I say...What the mind believes the body achieves over and over sometimes (its my avatar).
Perhaps you can find a mantra that works to help you overcome the need to turn to food.
As I see it, it's a big mind game when it comes to weight loss. There are some negative thoughts we all have that we need to change, because we are not those negative thoughts. AND we have the power to change those thoughts to positive ones.
You are completely right! it is all in the mind but what about the heart?
I think I have to do a mantra that split the psychological state from the real state to make myself realize ' I do not need that food it is my emotions' aaaaaah pray for me dear and thank you plenty! 0 -
goldthistime wrote: »I have overeaten for a variety of reasons but emotional eating is a big one. I concentrate on preventing that "emotionally unstable" feeling when I can, but once I'm there, I may get away with substituting some other indulgence instead of food (like binge watching Netflix, hot bath, phone a friend etc). Occasionally I have asked myself if "I were feeling emotionally strong right now, what would I be doing?" and it's had a great effect. I need to remember to use it more often.
As to prevention, plenty of exercise and adequate sleep are most important for me.
Wow! this makes sense)) 0 -
cerise_noir wrote: »Emotional eating is something I know all too well.
One thing to remember is this:
Eating gives temporary comfort. Once it's done, you're back to where you started (feelings wise), or worse. What you need to ask yourself: Is temporary comfort worth it? Will this solve how I feel? Will going for a walk/working out make me feel 1000x better than this comfort food?
That food will be there later. Or even tomorrow. Can that food be portioned into smaller amounts so that I can 'enjoy' it more than once? How will I feel if I eat all of this now?
You are human, after all. Sometimes comfort food gets the better of us. We give in.
It is how we deal with the aftermath that makes or breaks us.
Is it worth beating yourself up over eating something, or going over your calories?
No.
Is it worth forgiving yourself, learning from your 'mistake' and becoming stronger from it?
Yes.
This was outstanding, your talk is so warm thank you!!! 0 -
ronjsteele1 wrote: »Definitely struggle with it here. Aside from doing lots of personal work on the "whys" I have been working my way through a book called the beck diet solution. Someone on here recommended it a long time ago IIRC. It teaches cognitive behavioral therapy for issues like emotional eating. Worth the read and doing the things she says. It has helped.
Thank you so much for the recommendation 0 -
Skyblueyellow wrote: »I struggle with this and I am certain that it is an issue you are never quite "cured" of. Emotional eating is a poor coping skill. It is something we have learned and so we have to go about un-learning it. Part of that is coming to terms with the underlying problems that are causing you to engage this poor coping skill. Is it stress? Anxiety? Depression? The next part is replacing that poor coping skill (eating) with a more appropriate skill (such as exercise, coloring, gaming, learning a new skill, volunteering in your community, deep-breathing/relaxation techniques, and the list goes on and on).
I have had to work diligently to replace my poor coping skills with healthier versions. If I might be so bold as to offer some advice, try to learn an "anywhere" coping skill--something that you are able to employ when you are "in the moment" so that lack of access to your replacement activity isn't a barrier to your success. One thing that has worked for me is to purposefully slow my thinking. I have to really ask myself what it is that I need in that moment. Many times just getting up and taking a short walk, starting a load of laundry, or picking up the phone to make a call is enough to break that thinking and the urge passes within a short period of time. Another trick I have when it happens at night (which is when it normally happens) is to quickly log what I am doing with the rest of my calories and to close my diary. Seeing that "you should weigh XXX lbs in 5 weeks" message is very motivational to me.
Good luck to you friend!
Thank you for the pep talk!) 0 -
MelanieCN77 wrote: »For me it's when I'm having a really rough time of it or I'm upset over multiple things, if I get over-hungry my brain goes, just eat what you want, you'll enjoy it and in the big scheme of things this doesn't even matter. I have this consciousness of "hey it's just you versus the world anyway so make yourself feel better." However I am one of the "lucky" ones I guess because I can and do take that in hand and recognise it for what it is, a moment of choice.
yes I get you 0 -
I too am an emotional eater and also a binge eater, try reading the BECK diet solution it isn't a diet but a book on CBT that has really helped me with my relationship with food and the triggers that make me eat1
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Thank you so muchKMartin_1977 wrote: »I too am an emotional eater and also a binge eater, try reading the BECK diet solution it isn't a diet but a book on CBT that has really helped me with my relationship with food and the triggers that make me eat
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I am an emotional eater. It took me a long time to admit that. I opened up a blog (not public yet - I'm too scared!) and days when I'm feeling particularly emotional and I'm aware that I'm searching the biscuit cupboard or the crisps basket, I turn to my blog. I write down EXACTLY how I am feeling and what it's making me want to eat. Then I scroll back through all my previous posts and see how far I have come. It helps me stay on the straight and narrow.0
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