emotional eater

lina8706
lina8706 Posts: 1
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
My name is carolina. I just started a 1200 calorie diet last week. For the most part I am doing well but I need some advice.... I am an emotional water.... I eat when I get stressed, sad, anxious or mad. Does anyone have any advice on how I can break this cycle.... I need to know how to take my mind off food when I am in those situations. Thanks for all you help... I love this site!

Replies

  • mgrimes6855
    mgrimes6855 Posts: 1
    Thanks for putting in this question because your problem is also mine and I'm in need of how to handle this too.
    With my son sick so much I'm in and out of hospitals and not making good choices when it comes to food.:wink:
  • PureAndHealthy
    PureAndHealthy Posts: 539
    I think a lot of us understand this struggle. I know I do. Somehow we get the idea that if we've had a terrible day, getting our favorite Bruster's Ice Cream will make it all better... but really it doesn't. We need a different source of peace and comfort. You *MUST* find that replacement to ever break the cycle. One bit of motivation is that when life is completely crazy and out of your control, you at least can control what you put in your mouth and how much you move... it's almost centering for me to know I can at least control that. For comfort, if you're a Christian like me, try prayer, study your bible... like really search it... it can totally pull you in and make you not think about food. Of course a *great* distraction is EXERCISE! Go for a walk. I love kickboxing when I'm mad! :explode: We need to remind ourselves sometimes that it's just food. It's not the answer to all our problems nor is it the source of all our problems... it's just food. Our lives are so much more than that!

    Matt 6:25: For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. **Is not life more than food**, and the body more than clothing?
  • MelL1205
    MelL1205 Posts: 1,200 Member
    Like today for me. :grumble:

    I worked out for an hour this morning. then I ate well for breakfast and lunch.

    Then I just shoveled 2 cookies in my face because I'm anxious. Now I'm bummed.

    tomorrow I'll work out more.
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
    Emotional eating is tough to overcome. I know I struggle with it. However, you are ackowledging those emotions when you are eating. Just think to yourself, "will eating this really make things better?" It will only make you feel guilty and bad for eating or overeating on foods that make you go over your calorie range. When you feel yourself dealing with eating due to a particular emotion, try to just ride it out. Think about what is bothering you and do something else that doesn't involve eating. Right now I am super stressed, but the thought of eating is just not appealing. That is something new to me because normally I would go out and buy some high caloric foods and eat until I thought I felt better. In the end, I never really felt better. Stress is a part of life. It is how we handle it that matters.

    We eat to live not live to eat.
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