Breaking the "addiction"...

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jcn1109
jcn1109 Posts: 49
in Motivation and Support
I almost feel stupid for what I'm about to post, but it's something I am really struggling with so here goes:

I know how to lose weight. I know about nutrition and working out. I know it's in my best interests and I really do want to be/feel healthier. What I'm struggling with, and getting frustrated with, is my tendency to comfort eat. For personal reasons, I'm under a lot of emotional stress lately and I find myself engaging in behavior that I KNOW to be self-destructive, specifically: eating fast food.

It has gotten to the point that I almost feel like it's an addiction (I hate even using that word because it sounds like I'm trying to make excuses and I'm not). I just want to know how others have gotten past that initial hump of "breaking the addiction". If eating out or comfort eating was a part of your daily life (as a means of dealing with stress or sadness or boredom), how did you break that habit and how long did it take you to do so?

Replies

  • clairibou1
    clairibou1 Posts: 124
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    I. HEAR. YOU. oh my gosh i have been in a vicious cycle for the past 3 weeks, ever since school started- comfort eating like there is NO TOMORROW! idk what to do about it but i need help quick!
  • scott1024
    scott1024 Posts: 279 Member
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    I've found you have to set small goals - then build upon them. Go a few days without fast food - start a streak - then pride yourself on the accomplishment and challenge yourself to continue. This may sound rediculous, but once I started eating better and priding myself in my success over a period of time, I challenged myself to stop biting my fingernails. I've never succeeded at that, but it wasn't that bad - I just made a decision to do it and applied the same motivational "trickery" to that bad habit. You can do this - we all can. We're here to support each other.
  • jakejacobsen
    jakejacobsen Posts: 595 Member
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    I also am a comfort eater. I have found that going to the gym first thing in the morning 4am for me, and working out hard, sticks with me and I hate getting up earlier and don't care for a hour of cardio even more, so I just remember how it felt and that I will eventually not have to do this if I don't comfort eat. Its hard my kids were just eating frozen cookies (my fav) but I just logged on to mfp instead. Good luck from a fellow comfort eater, feel free to add me if you would like more support the better :)
  • groomchick
    groomchick Posts: 610 Member
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    I think food is the hardest addiction of all to conquer .... because it's the only one you have to stare in the face every day to live. It IS truly an addiction ...no need to apologize for calling it what it is. When you find yourself rumaging through the pantry for comfort...try to catch yourself and ask ....Am I really hungry??
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    People deal with stress differently. I'm not a big believer about "stress eating" because almost every person feels worse after they are done with it. Skinny and thin people have daily stresses, work stresses and emotional stresses, but probably handle it differently. If I feel stressed, my personal thing I do is I reflect on the issue with the mindset looking at it objectively from not my point of view, but from the outside. A few deep breaths and if I need to walk.run a little to get some air, I feel much better.
    You break bad habits by making new ones and it takes about 21 consecutive days of that behavior to have it become a habit. Good luck.
  • jcn1109
    jcn1109 Posts: 49
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    Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I can use all the support I can get. My husband is great, but I have no local friends here (just moved for his job) and I need people to hold me accountable and cheer me on.

    I'm going to combine setting small goals with working out first thing in the day (tho you won't see me up at 4 a.m. - HA!) and see how that works for me. Sometimes I find myself daydreaming about blowing up fast food joints so I won't be tempted, but that wouldn't really help me learn discipline, I suppose. :-P
  • jcn1109
    jcn1109 Posts: 49
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    People deal with stress differently. I'm not a big believer about "stress eating" because almost every person feels worse after they are done with it. Skinny and thin people have daily stresses, work stresses and emotional stresses, but probably handle it differently. If I feel stressed, my personal thing I do is I reflect on the issue with the mindset looking at it objectively from not my point of view, but from the outside. A few deep breaths and if I need to walk.run a little to get some air, I feel much better.
    You break bad habits by making new ones and it takes about 21 consecutive days of that behavior to have it become a habit. Good luck.

    I didn't know that about the duration of time required to create a habit. That actually helps a lot. It's easier for me to focus on three weeks of trying something different than to fixate on the long-term goals I have. Three weeks isn't nearly as daunting. Thanks.
  • Dtrmnd86
    Dtrmnd86 Posts: 406 Member
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    I was the same way. A serious emotional eater. I was doing really well with it, until a fight with my fiance a couple days ago and devoured a whole plate of nachos, shredded cheese, sour cream and all. I felt like crap the next day. The best way to beat it is take it one day, or even one moment at a time. I've slipped up a bit after my first try at this and I found that if I have a craving, it helps to remember how I'm going to feel after I eat the junk and that usually helps me avoid it. And, the quote in my signature "If the problem isn't hunger, then it cannot be solved with food" - i was still struggling daily with eating away my feelings until I found this. Now, when I get angry/sad/upset I try to do something physical to get the emotions out. I've recently developed a love for kickboxing :) Good luck and just remember, you're human, and will make mistakes, as we all do. Just take it one moment/craving at a time and you can do it. Oh, and I also found that remembering my reasons for being here helps me overcome the cravings.
  • bootstrap7
    bootstrap7 Posts: 26
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    I have been there many times before and for many years. I would binge on junk food and turn to fast food for convenience because I was stressed out or depressed and had no time in my life for eating or sleeping, much less shopping or cooking healthy food. I tried everything I could think of to rid myself of this self-destructive coping mechanism: counseling, journaling, finding other stress-relieving activities, replacement behaviors, self-talk, will-power, etc. I never found anything that really WORKED to battle against my stress-eating. In the end, nothing would satisfy me like food, and I eventually lost that battle every time.

    What finally did work is when I finally saw my stress-eating, weight gain, and other serious worsening health problems as a signal to solve the root of the problem instead of just trying to deal with the symptoms. Namely: my life was too stressful, and I needed to make some major changes. I made a promise to myself to say NO to any extracurricular obligations or regularly scheduled activities (like night school or my roller derby league) outside of work.... for one year. I made a major job change to a much less stressful situation. I use plenty of self-talk to remind myself that any other little stressors that come up are not worth it - they will all ultimately work themselves out - and I simply wash my hands of the stress. (Of course this doesn't always work for EVERY situation, but it does for a lot of them.)

    These changes alone have made a world of difference. I have only been in this new "lifestyle" for about a month now, but I feel in complete control. I never stress-eat any more; I can choose to eat healthy food or junk food in moderation and when I think it's appropriate. I have been eating a ridiculously healthy, organic, low-cal diet, only allowing myself junk food on Saturdays. I have been going for long walks in the evenings and spend a half hour meditating most nights. I've been taking melatonin at night to get more restful sleep and to make sure I wake up on time feeling refreshed. I feel healthier, stronger, and more energetic and alert than I have in my whole life.

    .... And I have been losing weight like crazy. The pounds that I have been fighting with for the last decade are just melting off because I am able to be so in control of my diet and calories without the stress and depression causing me to turn to junk food.

    I'm sorry that there is no simple fix for this (at least none that I have found), but doesn't it make sense to work on improving your quality of life instead of just your diet? Good luck on your journey... I know how hard it is and truly wish you the best.
  • IrishCloud
    IrishCloud Posts: 71
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    I also am a comfort eater. I have found that going to the gym first thing in the morning 4am for me, and working out hard, sticks with me and I hate getting up earlier and don't care for a hour of cardio even more, so I just remember how it felt and that I will eventually not have to do this if I don't comfort eat. Its hard my kids were just eating frozen cookies (my fav) but I just logged on to mfp instead. Good luck from a fellow comfort eater, feel free to add me if you would like more support the better :)
    gym at 4 am....wow
  • IrishCloud
    IrishCloud Posts: 71
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    I have read that if you can stay off a type of food ya crave eg- sugar/choc for 5 full days that the crave nearly goes from your body altogether.
    I did this with Bread and stayed off it for 4 months straight. Hope this helps.
    Its like a little bug in your body....the more you eat it , the more you feed the crave and then it keeps on asking for more.
  • RestyBaby
    RestyBaby Posts: 9
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    I suspect most of us are comfort grazers. I know I was/am and am successfully whoopin' it. LOL My last run in was about 6 months ago.....I was undergoing some stressful medical issues. I opted for my alllllllllllll time favorite comfort food.....Velveeta Shells and Cheese..then I add a can of diced tomatoes to it. OMG i loved this so much. Jokingly I told my fiance' that was gonna eat the whole thing. Then we got busy talking and I was packing an overnight bag to take to the hospital and damnit.....before I even realized it I HAD EATEN almost the entire thing. I looked at the dish and wanted to cry. I was miserable all night and the next day. I had that horrible stuffed feeling you get after a big Thanksgiving dinner, bloated and nauseous and tired and icky. It last for two days.
    ...............and it broke the habit. I havent done it since nor have I even been tempted to seek comfort like that with food.

    Im not free and clear yet but have come a long way. I have taught myself to hate the full feeling one gets after a delicious meal. THIS PLACE has helped me more in the last month that anything Ive ever tried to date. YAYAYAYA.

    Thanks for listening

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