Emotions and eating... or NOT eating

HollieDoodles
HollieDoodles Posts: 678 Member
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
I had some pretty bad eating habits.... eating because I was stressed, bored, sleepy or sick. Most of these habits are under control now or pretty close to it : ) Actually, when I look back at my "emotional eating", it really seemed more like I basically ate whenever I was breathing! LOL

I just discovered something though and now that I look back, I have had the same reaction every time . I have been extremely ticked off today and I couldn't eat. I wasn't hungry and just couldn't think of anything at all to eat. I didn't want to feel my mouth moving or smell food or think about it. I looked at my log today and was surprised to see I hadn't even come close to my cal. goals. That part is not good. I know that is NOT a healthy thing to do, so I will make a point to eat tomorrow... if I'm still ticked off. LOL

In an attempt to remedy the situation, I worked out hard at the gym. I did a body bootcamp and was dripping in sweat. I thought that I would feel better after that. Nope. I seemed more pumped up and ready to say something I probably shouldn't say. Maybe exercise works for my smaller anger issues, but not my bigger ones.

Does anyone have a certain emotion that really makes eating seem horrible to them???

What have you done to balance yourself out if you feel really put off by food? (I mean put off enough to not eat... the whole day)

Replies

  • LuneBleu85
    LuneBleu85 Posts: 217
    My big stress reaction is sleeping (which is kind of weird). If I"m in an argument I can barely stay awake, all I can think about is sleep. Although this habit is better than turning to drugs or alcohol it's still very unhealthy because I have no apetite. I do eventually go crazy and eat everything in sight, but for at least two days I can't stand the sight of anything and have to force myself.

    I find that the emotion the evokes my non-eating over-sleeping behaviour is feeling attacked, I never have been great at handling criticism - even when it's way off base.

    I'm not sure what the right answer is about adjusting intake the following day. I tell myself that every day is clean slate, regardless of if I've gone way over or under the day before. It's so great that you're examining your eating habits/rituals. Best of luck figuring things out :flowerforyou:
  • RoseBudd85
    RoseBudd85 Posts: 49
    I tend to do the same thing. When things get rough it seems like my appetite turns off. I have previously struggled with anorexia so I know I tend to emotionalize food. When my blood sugar is unhappy with me it makes everything seem worse (not to mention makes me unbearable to live with). I try to MAKE myself eat something light. If I absolutely can't I go with Slimfast or a high protein Odwalla drink.
  • HollieDoodles
    HollieDoodles Posts: 678 Member
    I'm not sure what the right answer is about adjusting intake the following day. I tell myself that every day is clean slate, regardless of if I've gone way over or under the day before. It's so great that you're examining your eating habits/rituals. Best of luck figuring things out :flowerforyou:

    Oh, I worded it poorly. I meant to balance yourself out, not the calorie intake.... I'll try to fix that with the edit button : )
  • nicbic123
    nicbic123 Posts: 75 Member
    i just often eat for the sake of it...not because i'm hungry...usually because of an emotional need!
  • FatGirlSlim89
    FatGirlSlim89 Posts: 53
    I tend to do the same thing. When things get rough it seems like my appetite turns off. I have previously struggled with anorexia so I know I tend to emotionalize food. When my blood sugar is unhappy with me it makes everything seem worse (not to mention makes me unbearable to live with). I try to MAKE myself eat something light. If I absolutely can't I go with Slimfast or a high protein Odwalla drink.

    Yes me too. As soon as things go wrong or I get stressed or angry, I want to stop eating. It's nothing to do with weight at all, it's just the only way I know to deal with negative emotions. I find that if I'm in a really bad mood or very upset, I'll attempt to eat, but then follow it up with heavy excercise, as I'm trying to make working out my new 'food' for my emotions.
  • HollieDoodles
    HollieDoodles Posts: 678 Member
    I was surprised that I wanted to go to the gym early to try to get rid of that negative feeling. I guess that's a good sign. I used to feed all of my other emotions, so I'm still surprised this emotion is the exact opposite.
    Now if I can only make myself use something healthy like exercising to get me through the other emotional times. LOL... Right now I still struggle with thoughts of "Oh, I wonder what is in the fridge" when I feel stressed out. BUT I'm definitely doing so much better at resisting it.
  • jellybaby84
    jellybaby84 Posts: 583 Member
    I can go either way with stress - sometimes it maes me want to eat everything in sight and sometimes nothing at all.

    Fear and worry is guaranteed to put me off food.

    But mainly, I'm not really an emotional eater. But I'm not an eater-by-hunger either. I'm a terrible boredom eater. If I'm busy then I can happily go all day without food. If I've got nothing to do I'm constantly wanting something to eat. That's why I like structure.
  • AshinAms
    AshinAms Posts: 283 Member
    I don't eat if I get superstressed. I have almost exactly the same reaction as you and I can go days without eating anything. I also had anorexia in my teens and 20s and I get quite concerned when it happens as I know if I go long enough without eating it sort of feeds itself and I can go longer and longer. I become quite impossible to live with. I also go to the gym to deal with being very annoyed/irritated, that seems to help, but can be just as compelling as withholding food. Our minds are odd!
  • MiNiMoNkI
    MiNiMoNkI Posts: 447 Member
    well strangeley i was never an emotional non eater until i started with my weight loss, my partner and i have had some really bad issues recently and thats when it all started, i cant even stomach a coffee down when im down :( this had never happened to me before!! EVER!!
  • Missylydia
    Missylydia Posts: 304 Member
    But mainly, I'm not really an emotional eater. But I'm not an eater-by-hunger either. I'm a terrible boredom eater. If I'm busy then I can happily go all day without food. If I've got nothing to do I'm constantly wanting something to eat. That's why I like structure.

    I'm more l like this too, but only if I'm busy all day on my day off work. When I'm working, especially on the long days all I can think about is my next meal, and the chocolate machine in the staff room. I had to stop carrying money with me so that I can't use it!

    But back to the non eating, when I was 16 and crazy about this guy that I could hardly ever see, because he lived in another town, I stopped eating. I just couldn't eat, the thought of food made me feel sick. I dropped about 20lb and 3 dress sizes in a summer!
    Then later in life when I had a lot of trouble in my workplace, 2 girls there gave me a *really* hard time, I couldn't eat if they were in the staffroom too, even if they just popped in and out again, really briefly. That was it, appetite gone.
    ~So I think it's a maybe nerves that gets me?
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  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    I'm like you.. when I get upset or angry, I tend stop eating and food is the last thing on my mind. It happened one day when I went to see my trainer and he's like so what did you eat today? and I was like uh.... nothing, and he about flipped.

    If I'm stressed though, I will eat all the chocolate and junk food in sight..and that is not a good thing!
  • jjtemple03
    jjtemple03 Posts: 11
    Boredom is an emotion that I can go to food for. Now that I am "back on track", I try to keep busy, doing something.
  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
    I eat with stress and overtiredness. I do not eat when depressed. It seems I have been extremely stressed lately :tongue:
  • kym215
    kym215 Posts: 4
    I'm an a emotional eater in a sense, when I'm happy with family and friends I love to eat, to celebrate, to have a good time. However, when I'm sad, angry or confused I will not eat. I don't want to cook, smell, or even see food.
  • HollieDoodles
    HollieDoodles Posts: 678 Member
    Thanks for your input everyone.

    It's nice to know I'm not alone in this issue. I still don't feel hungry at all, but will throw back a couple of almonds before my workout this morning and when it's done I'll make a protein drink .

    : )
  • DorkothyParker
    DorkothyParker Posts: 618 Member
    I am an emotional eater and an emotional starver. I don't not eat because I'm not hungry, it's something I do to feel like I have control in my hectic life. I am replacing my urge to starve with running and eating sensibly.
    I think too much about food to just neglect eating it. :/
  • melbaby925
    melbaby925 Posts: 613
    Interesting discussion topic Hollie! I've been thinking about this a lot lately - I used to eat ALL the time: if it was stress with work, I'd go drive through and eat and work. If it was a celebration, Happy Hour! with food and booze. Family stuff...all food centric. When I would get angry, hurt, confused, you name it: instead of confronting and dealing with it, I would eat. Every relationship ending cost me at least 20 lbs gained. Not a good situation.

    I think to a certain extent eating in all these situations is both an indulgence when you're happy and a punishment when you're sad or angry or feeling powerless. Maybe not eating is the same sort of thing. You don't want to gain weight, so not eating is a way to avoid the guilt of going off your program, but at this point it's not being considerate of you. The new healthier you needs nourishment in the form of healthy food that will support you for those extra workouts and stamina to get through the day. The less you're eating and taking care of yourself, the more out of balance you are and the worse your choices will be when you are eating again.

    Also, I've noticed that the healthier I eat, the happier I am. I have more energy, I wake up in a better mood, and I no longer am avoiding conflict so much. Go figure.
  • HollieDoodles
    HollieDoodles Posts: 678 Member
    I think to a certain extent eating in all these situations is both an indulgence when you're happy and a punishment when you're sad or angry or feeling powerless. Maybe not eating is the same sort of thing. You don't want to gain weight, so not eating is a way to avoid the guilt of going off your program, but at this point it's not being considerate of you. The new healthier you needs nourishment in the form of healthy food that will support you for those extra workouts and stamina to get through the day. The less you're eating and taking care of yourself, the more out of balance you are and the worse your choices will be when you are eating again.

    Also, I've noticed that the healthier I eat, the happier I am. I have more energy, I wake up in a better mood, and I no longer am avoiding conflict so much. Go figure.

    Thanks Mel. Those are good points.

    I ended up feeling sick during my workout class today that I almost left. That's never happened before. I immediately thought it was probably because yesterday I ate too little. When I got home to drink my protein drink, I didn't want it, but I'm making myself drink it slowly.

    So yeah, I can't let this anger get in my way of a positive change. Plus, I would rather have fun and focus on blessings. Okay, trying to get out of my funk starting right now! LOL
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