Eating Disorder

That was pretty much me for the first 30 years of my life (I'm 33 now). I still get the urges to overeat emotionally, but the vast majority of the time I have it under control. Ask away, I'll help if I can.

Check out Dr. Wayne Dyer's Excuses Begone (and yes, that's how it's spelled). He talks all about how we set up patterns of behaviour that aren't working for us and how to change it. Really, anything he has written is awesome!

There's an emotional eaters group on here. You can find some support there. I'm a member :-) Feel free to add me!

My entire life i have been an over-eater. I eat tons when I'm depressed, upset, scared, just about any emotion. I don't have anyone who i can open myself up to and get over it, and begin a better lifestyle. Can anyone help me with this problem? I can't afford to see a professional about it.

I am the same way, and the solution is simple.
Find another outlet.

Fitness is one such new outlet, and food is now a joy to me - not an emotional crutch.
You must outline a plan of attack for when you get depressed or upset and engage this when these emotions arise.
And they will.

It'll seem strange and uncomfortable at first, but in time, you'll change the way you deal with stress.
Food won't be the mechanism you reach for.

My entire life i have been an over-eater. I eat tons when I'm depressed, upset, scared, just about any emotion. I don't have anyone who i can open myself up to and get over it, and begin a better lifestyle. Can anyone help me with this problem? I can't afford to see a professional about it.

I am the same way, and the solution is simple.
Find another outlet.

Fitness is one such new outlet, and food is now a joy to me - not an emotional crutch.
You must outline a plan of attack for when you get depressed or upset and engage this when these emotions arise.
And they will.

It'll seem strange and uncomfortable at first, but in time, you'll change the way you deal with stress.
Food won't be the mechanism you reach for.

I agree. When I am actively running or working out. I don't have the time, or the desire to over eat.

hi! i have a long history with this, hopefully it can add some insight...

i was always very overweight in high school but never fully aware of how much/what i was eating. after i graduated, i lost about 60-70 pounds the healthy, gradual way over about a year. it was then, when i started to fall back into bad habits, that i realized i was obsessed with food and had trouble controlling myself when NOT under a completely planned out and strict diet.

i ate when i was happy, sad, anxious, angry, everything, bored, even. but mostly i realized that i ate out of tradition, in the sense that eating at certain restaurants, or eating certain foods brought me back to memorable and happy times and traditions with family and friends. i had no idea what to do. it was the nostalgia that food brought, really.

that lasted for about 2 years. i didn't gain too much back, but it clearly was an issue. i felt helpless because all i could think, was that i knew what it was like to be an addict. but drug addicts don't need drugs to survive- i, however, NEED food. how do you break yourself from something you need?

now, i allow myself to have some leeway but for the most part follow the meals i plan out. its VERY hard, but you need to try to separate those emotions from food. it was the hardest thing i had ever done. if you realize that after you have eaten the food, the happiness (or whatever) only lasts a short amount of time, you're on the right track. it isn't worth it. for me, food brought back memories and was there for me when nobody else was. food can be a friend, but it can definitely be an enemy too. feed yourself with good, wholesome foods, but only when you are hungry. try finding new hobbies. what really helped me was to join Tumblr and follow healthy, body positive blogs that made me realize i was hurting myself.

i'm not sure where i went with this, but i hope it helps!