emotional eating

honu18
honu18 Posts: 294 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i am a straight up emotional eater. I had an EXTREMELY rough week--got diagnosed with mono, passed out and got a concussion, had a fight/rough time with my boyfriend, missed a bunch of school, have been stuck at home all day because i'm sick and not able to work out. it was also my birthday on tuesday--the day i got diagnosed officially with mono. I ate so much crap on my birthday. I've tried not to eat too much the last few days, because for some reason I have a ravenous appetite with mono. I'm not trying to stick to 1,200, because I feel I need more to beat the sickness, but it's hard when your body is used to eating that little and moving a LOT more, I feel like I'm sitting here packing on the pounds even eating like 1,400 to 1,500 a day. I've tried to really eat healthy too--but have had access to a lot of treats because I was given them for my birthday and my roommates have a bunch of crappy food around.

I had completed my food diary--but here it is, a Friday night, and I'm home alone, as all my roommates and stuff are out at a sporting event but I'm not there because I took the day off from school to sleep in to get better, and I do feel better. I'm home alone with all this crap, and feeling a bit down about things. All of a sudden, I'm in the kitchen eating ravioli? Which I haven't eaten anything like that in awhile. Then a little bit of birthday cake. Then a little bit of cookie dough. Then a few tortilla chips. Nothing too much of anything, but enough of many little things to add up. I'm feeling lonely and sad, and I could do homework, but that seems more depressing than eating. How do you not turn to food when things get tough and you literally can't go do anything?!

Replies

  • sc1572
    sc1572 Posts: 2,309 Member
    bump!
  • tonitiger26
    tonitiger26 Posts: 14 Member
    Ugh, I know exactly how you feel...I did great for the last 6 months and lost 30 lbs but these last 2 weeks have been such a struggle. We are closing on our home this up coming week, I had a stressful week at work and the holidays are just starting!!! There is candy everywhere!!!!! I got down to 159 last week and my "realistic" goal is 150, but I don't even know now...I just did the same thing you did...came home, cooked dinner for husband, snacked on chips and crap the whole time I was cooking....then ate my dinner which wasn't bad but then subconciously I ate a "small" bowl of spagetti too which I cooked just for him. It wasn't alot but I know I went over my calories....it's so depressing!!!! I'm just going to have to NOT do it. And remember how happy I am now that I can fit into clothes that I couldn't and feel better than I did. It's a daily struggle I have and it's exhausting. Believe me I feel your pain. You are sick though. I'm a nurse and when you're sick like that you have to let your body rest and you actually need extra calories to help you body heal and rejenerate. You will be surprised that you probably will still lose weight because you're body is using so many calories for energy because you are sick, especially with mono...so take it easy and eat, I promise that it is okay...just come Monday get back on it...but you may need to talk to your doctor about when you should start exercising again and starting your normal routine. Hope you feel better.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I am an emotional eater too. I was at a very nice 135 pounds earlier this year on my way to my goal and less than 10 pounds away. And then my dad, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease only 6 years ago, got very VERY sick the day before my wedding in July. He was so sick that we had to call 911 to take him to the ER because he was non-responsive. So, that started it...my dad missed my wedding. And not only did I eat like a cow right after the ambulance left, I drank like a fish too. :cry: The doctors said that everything was shutting down. They were able to revive him and bring him back to "normal" and then he came home in August. And then...he got sick AGAIN. My dad passed on September 1 this year. I remember going over to my mom and dad's house right after she called me, and the funeral home wasn't even there yet. So...you can imagine what happened to me when I saw my dad still there. :cry: :cry: :cry: Anywho...I said all that to say that since July 9, I ate an insane amount of food, didn't do much working out at all...and I "blossomed" back up to 153 pounds. Every time I would think about my dad and how he went from a normal 59 year old in great health to a 65 year old who met Jesus after no injury, accident, or weird virus...I popped something into my mouth. My "drug" of choice was pizza. I really like 4 meat Dijourno frozen pizzas and ate a whole one for lunch and/or dinner. Everyday. Wow.

    And to be honest with you, the first step for me in combating the emotional eating was to work on my emotions, not the eating. I focused on things that could get my emotional well being back into check, learned how to fight off even the smallest stressors, and got myself a nice support group of friends. Not to say that I am "all better now" or anything, but I have found that by fighting the emotional and psychological part of it all, I have been able to curb the eating. I don't allow certain things in to my house anymore. I don't have frozen pizzas, and I don't buy them. I make a list of what I will be eating, shop from that list, and go from there. I also don't stress about having something "off my diet" or a "cheat" because that can cause me to eat even more if I allow myself to get stressed out about it. I also do things to get my mind off of food when those bad emotions flare. And yeah, exercise is a big part of that. I don't WANT to eat something high calorie when I just worked my butt off in the gym. If I don't workout, then the craving is stronger.

    You will get through this. Just stay strong and remember that you are worth it!
  • Giantess
    Giantess Posts: 213 Member
    If you need a distraction for a while, curl up with a good book.

    If you don't have any nearby tonight, I bet a friend has one--it sounded like you live in a dorm situation? The internet is a great source too, I'm sure you could download some stuff for reading.

    Pick something with a really engaging story.

    Then make some hot tea with honey, sip it slowly, and get lost for a few hours. : )
  • SmartFunGorgeous
    SmartFunGorgeous Posts: 699 Member
    Paint your fingernails. It will totally keep your hands occupied for a while. After they dry, decide you hate them, take the polish off and start over.
  • fordster99
    fordster99 Posts: 181 Member
    First of all, you are not alone. We all have those times. I would say if you can find a good online game to play, it will take you mind off of food. I play different games on facebook and if I am bored, I sit with a glass of water and an hour has passed.
  • NinjaTurtleDude
    NinjaTurtleDude Posts: 39
    I am a Huge emotional eater when I get anxious i feel like i have a hole i need to fill

Categories