emotional eating

There are two types of people: one who overeats when emotional and the other is undereating when emotional. I'm the type who stops eating.
Nonetheless, eating chewing gum or putting a rubber band around your wrist and snapping it whenever you have a craving might work.

i wouldn't say I've cracked it (yesterday being an example - TOM) but I do find that when I exercise regularly (as do something every day), then my need to emotionally eat is drastically reduced.

Also, weirdly, eating socially (as in meeting up with friends) makes a difference - I might indulge but I don't sit there and automatically put stuff into my mouth without really chewing or tasting it.

Well .. I was a very bad example of emotional eater.. about a year back I was like that, whenever I feel :sad: or :sick: it was only crisps or some fried or fattening food that made me :bigsmile: but that was the worst thing I did to my body (obv) and usually in college times and early 20s you find yourself more unstable emotionally.
But I have overcome that habit with:
1. Try hard not to lose control over emotions .. control your eating habits with ur mind not your heart!
2. Have found few other things to make myself feel good rather then eating crap
3. Indulge yourself in any of your hobbies/passion when you are feeling low
4. Like I dance for an hour or so when I feel low or listen to music very loud music or sing along :bigsmile:
5. Go out for shopping and look at those skinny and sexy dresses which will give you motivation to lose weight not to eat crisps or fattening food to make urself happy
6. Watch TV or movies
7. Keep all the snacks and 'Bad for health' food away from your sight. keep it hidden in your kitchen
All the best! :drinker:

Far too many of us suffer from emotional eating. We know for the most part what we should do but saying and doing is too things from different ends of the spectrum. MIND OVER MATTER is what it all boils down to. Our minds have to take control of our body (matter) and stop the impulsive or emotional cravings. Cravings pass after a couple of minutes, we just have to withhold those bad foods for a short period and that craving will stop.

I eat when I'm bored, which is awful. I will also eat when I'm extremely stressed out and unhappy. Say I forgot to pay a bill, the tire on our car went flat, and we don't really have the money to cover both. In my mind, I go, "Screw it. I'm done." Then it's: Where's the ice cream? I want Now and Laters. Can you get me cheese? I want a diet drink (ha!) and some candy from the 7-11 (local convenience store chain for non-U.S. folks).

And my boyfriend can be a bit of an enabler. I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and was watching my sugar like a hawk until I got a feel for what I could eat in terms of carbs and sugars (surprisingly, with meds, quite a bit), but he'd bring home a candy bar or chocolate, and I'd want to throttle him. So, of course, I'd eat it. Big surprise. He hasn't done that to me yet on my diet. I get more of a suspicious, disapproving look if he thinks I'm eating something I shouldn't now.

But last night I went over my calories, and I'm beating myself up about it this morning, so my emotional eating this morning is a cup of coffee with 3 tbsp of fat-free milk, and a packet of Swiss Miss Indulgent Dark Chocolate Sensation for a homemade coffee mocha. Only 173 calories. I can fit that into my log and still feel less deprived. But I've only been doing this for 20 days, and I'm going to have to find low-calorie alternatives for emotional eating. I'm also trying to drink water to make myself feel full. Or I go escape by reading a book, watching a movie, or playing a computer game. I'm trying to redirect it.

The best redirection would be exercise, I know, but I screwed up my knee and am on crutches. I have a doctor's appointment next Tuesday. I want to wait to see if she gives me the okay to exercise because I don't want to screw up my knee even more. If she does, my boyfriend says I can join Curves. I know there's some controversy over that, but for someone with 100+ lbs. to lose, I think it's a good start. Until then, I'll trundle along. And empathize with every one of you who fights emotional eating.

If you'd like support and someone who understands, feel free to friend me.

i mostly tend to snack when im bored, it doesnt help if theres chocolate/crisps/cakes about the house.

if its not there then i dont eat it!! my new years resolution is to stop having junk food in the house haha x

double post

complete binge eater/emotional eater.... Only thing Ive found to work is to cut out processed food and sugar. I ate what I wanted on Christmas DAy and following day, and those two days "off" completely undid my strong mentality that I had built up for the past 6 weeks without sugar.

Definitely "no sugar" works for me, as the taste of even one piece of chocolate sets off a binge.

... but I do find that when I exercise regularly (as do something every day), then my need to emotionally eat is drastically reduced.

This poster make a really good point here. I've always been a pretty sedentary person (school, then a desk job, etc.) for the first 40+ years of my life. I'm new to exercising but I find I have a lot less cravings since I started. At the very least - knowing what that 300 calorie snack will "cost me" makes me rethink it a lot!

I think the holidays are a struggle for a lot of people. Gray darker weather is settling in, there is a lot of emphasis on family, and so on. If "family" isn't a source of comfort or support, that can add to the stress. In addition to the really good tips about creating distractions, healthier snack choices, or exercising (all help tremendously!) I hope you are able to take care of your mental health, too... have a friend or confidant to turn to... type your thoughts out on a blog, some kind of outlet and support network - just like you did here! Hang tight!

I use to be an emotional eater. But now I've learned to not eat when I'm feeling emotional or bored... I simply just go workout or do something productive so that I won't go on a binge.