Emotional connection to food?

NadNight
NadNight Posts: 794 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I think most of us have an emotional connection to food to some extent. But for me, I've found I'm turning to sweet treats more and more to feel good. I associate them with feeling relaxed and 'treating' myself (nothing wrong with the occasional treat...until it turns into a daily overdose). I know I do it, but I'm struggling to break the connection and eat sugary things in moderation without going OTT.

Any ideas on how to break this connection?

Replies

  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    I have an emotional connection to certain people. and my dogs.

    not my food.

    i got fat because i just like food and like to eat. LOL
  • SpicyWater
    SpicyWater Posts: 99 Member
    I'm definitely an emotional eater - I eat when I'm upset, or bored, or depressed, specifically.
    My sister is an emotional eater in the other end of the spectrum - she overeats when she's happy (I don't get that one...)
    I've found that when I'm upset or depressed I can do a few other things to self-soothe, including texting loved ones, lighting candles (that's a weird one but it works for me) taking a shower, taking pictures of nature, going for long walks, or surfing Instagram (which I've curated to be a very positive, uplifting place for me).
    As for bored eating - I drink TONS of water and tea. And I keep mints and gum on hand.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Chewing gum
  • amy19355
    amy19355 Posts: 805 Member
    If i am going to emotionally eat, i try to at least pick something on the better side of the not so great list. LOL.
    For example:
    I could eat a box of Vnilla Wafers, (that is a serving, correct?)
    OR
    I could eat a pound of dried dates or apricots.

    Each would give me the same chewing satisfaction to grind down the emotion that drives the binge, and each would be followed by a miserable day of digestive distress, but, I like the natural nutritious aspect of the the dried fruit that is not in the cookies.

    One piece, or a pound , doesn’t matter. It’s the choice between the natural food or the processed food for me.

    Some days are easier than others; I’m happy to have more easy days than hard ones!

    Good luck to us all.
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  • kristanmazaka
    kristanmazaka Posts: 1 Member
    I am an emotional eater. I recently discovered The Diet Trap Solution by Judith Beck. She and her father pioneered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - a hugely successful, evidence based treatment that is effective for treating problematic behaviors. The book isn't a diet book...it's a book about changing problematic eating behaviors. I am finding it REALLY helpful to identify thoughts and emotions that sabotage me and skills to help overcome them.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    RelCanonical wrote: »
    I had to find things to replace it, and things that were substantial and emotionally stimulating for me. For me, it was taking care of my cat (playing with her, prepping her meals, etc.) and writing fiction, among other things. It can be very different for everyone, so the only thing I emphasize is that it should feel emotionally fulfilling, and not just a distracting hobby.

    Similar for me.

    I had to do some soul searching to figure out what I was really looking for when I turned to food to "feel better". Once I got a handle on that, I was able to start finding different behaviors/responses. It's a work in progress.
  • madisonalbert81401
    madisonalbert81401 Posts: 3 Member
    big stress eater! :/ really hard to control while i’m still in school where stress is inevitable! 😩
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    Swap it out for something else, like someone mentioned gum. I associated relaxation & decompressing after work with wine.
    I’m aiming for 8 weeks of no alcohol for now. I drink club soda at night. After a few days the craving goes away.
  • evect888
    evect888 Posts: 2 Member
    Im a major emotional eater. I tried just stopping but it just made me binge . I have a crazy sweet tooth for chocolate . I try reaching for protein bars now and if I absolutely cannot control it I will have the chocolate candy but not the whole thing. It is absolutely true that you really don’t need much of something to satisfy the craving . I don’t feel bad eating what I crave anymore as long as I stop lol
  • fastfoodietofitcutie
    fastfoodietofitcutie Posts: 523 Member
    It’s amazing but the cravings do go away after a while. Been cutting back on sugar lately and had some blueberries this morning and couldn’t get over how sweet they were.

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