emotional eating

jweymann
jweymann Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
i go to a really challenging college and find myself eating (mostly chocolate) out of stress, im sure most of ya'll can relate.
Also, sometimes i literally have no time to workout.

i tell myself to just have hot chocolate instead, but that never happens.
any advice?
im so addicted to chocolate. has anyone found anything that's worked as a replacement?
and i'm curious if anyone has any quick workout ideas.
i was thinking pushups and situps before bed.
and maybe just brushing my teeth everytime i have a sugar craving..

thanks!

Replies

  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
    Glad to know I'm ont the only one. I had a really rough morning with my kids, and when I dropped them off at preschool, there was a basket of chocolates on the desk where I check them in and out (I also loooove chocolate!). I totally grabbed a handful and ate them all on the way to work. Now I feel sick and mad at myself. I couldn't just grab one; I had to take a whole handful! Ugh. I think the only thing I can do at this point is to forgive myself for it and try to have a great rest of the day.
  • mfanyafujo
    mfanyafujo Posts: 232 Member
    I used to get soda and candy practically every night when I had to stay up late and try to study. Part of my problem was procrastination - I only studied at night, last minute, so of course I was tired and stressed out and needed caffeine and energy. So take a look at your schedule and see if there's any way to reduce stress by better time management. I know I was lousy at it in school.

    I kicked the soda habit by going cold turkey. Yes, it was really hard for a little while, but I decided my health was more important. I've never tried kicking the chocolate habit, but my life's much less stressful now.

    As far as working out, if you have 30 minutes or so a couple times a week, you can certainly get in some strength training, and body weight exercises need no equipment. I think if you'll find that that's a pretty good stress-relieving activity as well.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    At the end of the day I will have sugar free jello with redi whip or the jello sugar free chocolate mousse with the redi whip for some chocolate. Very low calorie, but it gives me something to nosh on at night. The mousse is great. It's so hard!
  • MarincicS
    MarincicS Posts: 265 Member
    I got a bicycle contraption that you can put under your desk and pedal away while studying.

    http://www.amazon.com/MagneTrainer-ER-Mini-Exercise-Bike-Exerciser/dp/B000V53KD8

    I actually don't use it because i find the size to be a bit tricky to fit under the desk and the height of my chair is not adjustable. But more so, i have a gym in my apartment building that i use daily. I'd give you mine if we lived near each other!
  • Ejwelton
    Ejwelton Posts: 331 Member
    I struggle with chocolate. Twice this week at work I've been stressed and gone and stood infornt of the chocolate machine eyeing up all the options.
    Both times I've managed to talk myself out of going to get my purse to buy anything!

    It's also my TOM which hasn't helped.

    I have to go cold trukey on chocolate - I can't do it in moderation!
  • lmvince
    lmvince Posts: 54 Member
    There is a zero calorie chocolate dip in the produce section of the supermarket. I started eating it with strawberries. It doesn't taste the same as real chocolate, but you get the same satisfaction.
  • Jesea
    Jesea Posts: 376 Member
    When I'm planning my calories for the day, I always leave some for the end of the day for something chocolate. I put my sons to bed, then relax and have my dessert. Knowing that it's there and I will have it later makes it easier to resist other things during the day!
  • ThePunkHippie
    ThePunkHippie Posts: 213
    I take a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips, & eat them one by one, sucking on them until they melt
    it takes FOREVER, but I have the flavour of chocolate in my mouth the entire time
  • FitBunnyEm
    FitBunnyEm Posts: 320
    hi there, im totally the same, i could get through a big bar in one sit in...ive gone cold turkey and not touched chocolate since 2 week ago, you dont miss the taste after a while....we are all different though, if u dont want to give it up, try dark choc its not as bad for u.
  • minime2b
    minime2b Posts: 168
    It isn't about goving up the things you like or love. It's about controlling the consumption of those things. Have them in moderation and allow for them in your calories. It'll become much more easy with time:drinker:
  • grannygethealthy1111
    grannygethealthy1111 Posts: 422
    To help break your sugar cravings choose foods that are high in fiber because they help regulate your blood sugars, thus decrease sugar cravings. Get rid of ALL of the junk food in your house. You cannot eat it if it is not there. Increase your water intake. PLAN for the next crave. Instead of reaching for the sugar do a quick exercise like running in place, meditate, brush your teeth. Replace a bad habit with a new one. You also could add chromium picolinate supplement (less than 200 mcg) to your daily diet to help stabilize your blood sugars (check with your doctor before adding any OTC supplements).

    It is mind over matter. You CAN do it! Good luck!

    11613466.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    i go to a really challenging college and find myself eating (mostly chocolate) out of stress, im sure most of ya'll can relate.
    Also, sometimes i literally have no time to workout.

    i tell myself to just have hot chocolate instead, but that never happens.
    any advice?
    im so addicted to chocolate. has anyone found anything that's worked as a replacement?
    and i'm curious if anyone has any quick workout ideas.
    i was thinking pushups and situps before bed.
    and maybe just brushing my teeth everytime i have a sugar craving..

    thanks!
    Chocolate is okay, it's the sugar and fat that's the issue. Try drinking hot chocolate with sugar substitute instead and save on the calories.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • MissMouse85
    MissMouse85 Posts: 38 Member
    I also can't live without chocolate, and so my compromise has been to eat only REALLY good chocolate. I always have a bar of 70 or 72% dark chocolate in the cupboard! When a craving hits I let myself have a piece and do my best to eat it really slowly and savor it. If that doesn't do it (although that's rare) I have a second piece. Even with two pieces it's less than 150 calories, and they say dark chocolate is good for you! :laugh:

    As someone who also has struggled with emotional eating, I would encourage you not to deny yourself what you want or vilify food-- it only intensifies it in your mind and when you eventually cave to the craving it will be harder to control. Good luck!
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    i go to a really challenging college and find myself eating (mostly chocolate) out of stress, im sure most of ya'll can relate.
    Also, sometimes i literally have no time to workout.

    i tell myself to just have hot chocolate instead, but that never happens.
    any advice?
    im so addicted to chocolate. has anyone found anything that's worked as a replacement?
    and i'm curious if anyone has any quick workout ideas.
    i was thinking pushups and situps before bed.
    and maybe just brushing my teeth everytime i have a sugar craving..

    thanks!

    I'll buy some really good, really expensive stuff and keep it at my desk. Because of the cost, I will only eat it if I really, really want it. It is a special treat instead of something to munch on.

    I get up early in the morning to exercise. Even jogging in place and lifting a few heavy things in the morning can give you some exercise. I have milk jugs filled with sand and water to lift. Good luck!
  • mmsilvia
    mmsilvia Posts: 459 Member
    I crave dark chocolate all the time. I keep dark chocolate covered raisins in my fridge. I eat a handful when I have a craving. I consider it healhy candy...lol...
  • BrokenButterfly
    BrokenButterfly Posts: 224
    Exact same situation myself. I'm an emotional chocolate eater and it's definitely a hardcore addiction! Even though my stomach often feels terrible after eating chocolate, I can't stop myself. First of all, you need to work on your mind set. Because with an addiction like ours, you won't avoid it unless you're committed to avoiding it. Or being sensible. I feel that it's best not to cut it out completely because that's setting yourself up for a hardcore binge within a couple of days. Especially if you're under stress (like with Uni for me right now). You need to inspire yourself to cut it down. Something I did was buy a multipack of treat sized bags of chocolate - like chocolate buttons. Pathetic portion size, obviously - but that way you can have and SAVOUR just a little bit of chocolate if you feel you desperately need it. Eat it slowly and really enjoy the taste, and that small bag goes a long way. Otherwise you'll just scarf down the entire multipack and then go out to buy more!
    Another thing to try is (as others have suggested) dark chocolate. And again, eat it slowly.
  • bytemeeeeee
    bytemeeeeee Posts: 173 Member
    I take a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips, & eat them one by one, sucking on them until they melt
    it takes FOREVER, but I have the flavour of chocolate in my mouth the entire time

    Hahahahah I do the same!...I keep mine in the freezer...
  • bitty1taz
    bitty1taz Posts: 309 Member
    When I started school again after being out for many years, I was so stressed that first semester that I at those 9lb bags of peanut M&M's. And I'm not talking one bag, I'm talking I pollished off 90 lbs of those suckers! For me there was no substitute and let me tell you...it was SO hard not to buy them. I try to avoid that isle at the grocery store. I've been Peanut M&M's for about 3 months now.
    Hopefully some of the things people are suggesting work for you.
    Good luck!
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Dark chocolate is going to be more satisfying in smaller amounts, in my opinion. Don't go for hot chocolate, you're not saving any calories and like you said, it's not satisfying.

    Don't have a whole bag of chocolates available. Keep your stash somewhere difficult to get. (I tend to keep a giant bar of Hershey's Special Dark around and eat 1, maybe 2 rectangles of it at a time. Knowing that it's stashed helps keep my from buying stuff at the store/vending machine.) When you really need a chocolate fix (and I KNOW what that's like! lol) get a small amount, put the rest away, go somewhere else (even the other side of your room) and eat it SLOWLY. Enjoy it, savor the flavor, and think about how you are relaxing. Then make sure to log it in your food diary and adjust your day accordingly.

    I understand the stressful university life - I am finishing up a degree in Math/Physics and there has been a lot of work, stress, and even tears involved. Believe me when I say that you will do better in school if you make time to exercise. It releases endorphins (which fight stress hormones and help you feel better) and gives you a break from the grind of classes and homework. It gets your blood flowing and wakes up your brain. I especially try to exercise the morning of a big exam because I think that it helps me focus better and remember things better for the test (I remember reading or hearing about a study that found that exercise actually boosts your brainpower, but I don't remember where). Does your school have a gym available? I go between classes when I have a long break, or get up enough earlier in the morning to go first thing. You can also take a class for fitness: swimming, martial arts, weight training, racquetball, yoga, and many more are generally offered by colleges (at my school they are under fitness learning, I believe). You might even be able to get a bit of college credit for them, and it gives you a reason to go.
  • jpuderbaugh
    jpuderbaugh Posts: 318 Member
    I too struggle horribly with emotional eating. But I don't always crave sweets, sometimes I crave salty cheesey melted goodness. I am still trying to find ways to overcome this, so I don't really have any suggestions. I've gotten to the root of the problem and figured out why I am craving the food when I am, which sometimes turns off the craving. I've tried avoiding it, relying on the old adage that cravings go away within 10 or 15 minutes (not mine. I can crave something for a month), but all the crap I can eat while trying to satisfy the craving without giving in is ridiculous. So I have resolved to give in to the craving, but try not to go overboard on it (if the craving lasts for a few days I mean). I do agree that budgeting calories so that you can treat yourself is a great idea. I do that sometimes.
  • jpuderbaugh
    jpuderbaugh Posts: 318 Member
    I take a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips, & eat them one by one, sucking on them until they melt
    it takes FOREVER, but I have the flavour of chocolate in my mouth the entire time

    Hahahahah I do the same!...I keep mine in the freezer...

    cold chocolate is AWESOME!
  • indrani1947
    indrani1947 Posts: 178 Member
    A chocolate protein bar cut into small pieces and kept in the fridge. The chocolate will satisfy and the protein will keep you full for longer, a bar lasts me 4-5 days about 70 cals and also a couple of pieces of dark chocolate (lifelong chocaholic)

Categories