The emotional aspects of food

Options
lucyladybug
lucyladybug Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
I have always been a fit person. In fact I gave birth to my son 3 years ago and the day we went home from the hospital I weighed less than before I even got pregnant. I stayed thin and healthy while nursing for 13 months but had too many food restrictions bc of my son's allergies. I weaned him and started chowing down on unhealthy mocha lattes and sugar sugar sugar. I gained 16 pounds in a year and topped the scale at the highest I have ever been. I emotionally turn to food from the stress of having a 3 year old and I am trying to learn how to deal with that instead of food. Any suggestions? During the day I cannot just go and leave the house and take a walk. Plus I think I am lonely being a stay at home mom. I schedule tons of playdates but it isn't the same.

Replies

  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    Options
    can't you take the kid out for a walk? he's not too old or too big for a stroller, right? or a bike ride. get one of those bike seats for kids (helmet too).
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Options
    There are addictions related to certain foods... sugar is a big one... Plus many of the preservatives that are in some of these things are also addictive... If it is only a by product of the preservative, it is one that is very lucrative for the packaged food industry... None the less, I think if you push to return to a healthier eating style those cravings will subside as you progress in your journey. If you can, perhaps get with a day-care facility about some periodic breaks... Your child will enjoy being with other kids and learn some important social skills... Meanwhile, maybe you can have some good adult time with friends... Otherwise, that is a tough one.
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
    Options
    Hi! I had 4 kids and joined forces with other moms to do joint playdates but also playdates where one or two moms stayed with the kids while the other mom got several hours to herself. Would that work for you at all? You could exercise, shop, read, re energize.... We actually had a weekly schedule and planned a month out at a time. Was good for the kids and great for us.
  • lucyladybug
    lucyladybug Posts: 9
    Options
    OH wow! That would be fabulous to join a group like that. But I don't know of any in my area. But I can put the word out and see if anyone would be interested. Next year I will be putting my son in preschool so I will have the time to destress.

    But in the meantime I was seeing a nutritionist and she told me that out of all of the addictions that she deals with, sugar is by far the hardest to stop. Interesting. For Lent I gave up chocolate and it wasn't that hard. Maybe I need to pretend it is always Lent. But then I start to wonder what is going on with me emotionally that may be deeper. I think of it this way. I am disgusted with the way I look and wear big clothes and it makes me ill. But if I wanted to feel good and look good I would do anything in my power to make that happen including cutting out sugar. So why am I not doing that? Is there something I am gaining when my clothes don't fit and I feel so upset when I go into clothing rooms?
  • ajr050969
    ajr050969 Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    Trying to figure out why is probably a waste of time. Just focus on making good food choices. Rent some exercise videos from your library and do those at home. Maybe your 3 year old will "join" you. It will make it more fun for you to laugh at him/her while you are doing something positive for yourself. Good luck, you CAN do it!
  • TanyaCurtis
    TanyaCurtis Posts: 630
    Options
    Sugar is addicting, and it is hard to quit! U wear big clothes because ur ashamed of urself, for being outta control, and not at ur ideal body weight! I think we eat for emotional reasons, we don't wanna deal with certain emotions so we turn to food instead, and it does work in a sense, but it leaves us feeling even worse then if we would have just dealt with that emotion to begin with. There's something deep down there that u haven't dealt with, every time it surfaces we cram it back down with food. I find when I'm having a really hard time not bingeing, I get all emotional, and angry and feel like crying if I can't eat everything... For some reason it's kinda scary to deal with those emotions cause I don't know where their coming from or why. Recently when I was going through a fit, my husband came up to me and hugged me, that obviously irritated me, but the he started to pray out loud for me and for it to leave, I was in shock, cause by the end of his prayer I felt totally normal, and whatever it was left. I dunno it's a tuff thing, and I know I still need to learn to deal with this and get to the root
  • Lorleee
    Lorleee Posts: 369 Member
    Options
    I think some gyms offer child care options. Maybe look into this? Or find another SAHM you can trade off babysitting duty a couple of times a week so you can go walking. All the fitness classes I take are in the evening. Maybe your husband will take over baby duty for you a night or two a week.

    I, too, struggle with sugar addiction. I have for years. I've had to strictly limit sweet treats to once weekly but even 35 pounds later it remains a day-to-day struggle for me. I have to always remind myself that when I feel in control, I am proud of myself and I am healthy. I can recognize when I'm starting to lose that control, and stop it. It takes time and it's not easy, but you can do it!
  • lucyladybug
    lucyladybug Posts: 9
    Options
    I absolutely hate myself. I hate that I weighed in at 6 more pounds than last year this morning at my annual gyn appointment. I am so disappointed in myself. I mourned with a McDonald's small mocha frappe. What is wrong with me? Why am I not motivated to loose the weight? Instead I drowned myself with sugar. Logged it in and almost fell over when I saw it was 560 calories which is like half my daily allotment.
  • kravmom
    kravmom Posts: 23 Member
    Options
    You might have developed a sugar addiction. I have struggled with this. I'd highly recommend getting abstinent from sugar for at least a few weeks and let it get out of your system.

    In addition, you might find it helpful to get some therapy to explore the emotional aspects of your eating choices. You might be suffering some mild depression, which isn't uncommon among young moms.

    Finally, start exercising. Take the kid out for a walk in the stroller for 30 minutes a day.
  • lucyladybug
    lucyladybug Posts: 9
    Options
    I exercise every day! Yesterday I ran a 5K loop, today I went swimming at the YMCA with my son.

    The more I think about it I am starting to believe that I have not come to terms with the fact that I am not immune from gaining weight. My whole life I have always been very skinny and never had to worry about what I ate. And then I went to college and started eating unhealthy and gained the freshman 15 but never got higher than 129 pounds. It took me 6 months to loose those 15 pounds. But I got back on track. Then when I got pregnant 4 years ago I only gained 23 pounds and came home from the hospital after giving birth and only had 4 pounds to loose! Then I dropped a ton of weight and was down to 115 because I was nursing. Now I am having a hard time not consuming whatever I want to and it has really crept up on me.

Categories