single mum

Jcecb
Jcecb Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hi, Ive just started using mfp again after falling of the wagon yet again! I'm a single working mum to 3 kids(oldest nearly 14 and youngest 8) and I have been for 6yrs. I've always struggled with my weight, after I split from my husband I lost alot and was 3 dress sizes smaller. In the last 2yrs I've gradually gained 4 stone! I gave up smoking in august which accounted for the last 1 and a half stone. I am an emotional eater, I'm eat when I'm not hungry, my portions are too big and I eat the wrong foods. I know what I'm doing to myself yet I still do it, I'm so ashamed of myself. I have very little confidence and have yet to meet a nice man. I have great friends and wonderful kids but I'm so lonely and I think this is why I cant control my eating. Does anyone else struggle like this? I'd be really grateful for some words of wisdom :smile:

Replies

  • GemmaRowlands
    GemmaRowlands Posts: 360 Member
    I don't have kids, but I can sympathise with feeling lonely. When I was living on my own for a year, I put a lot of weight on. I don't know why it is, but if you're keeping yourself busy you don't feel as lonely, and that includes stuffing your face with chocolate, crisps or whatever.

    In fact, this is one of the major reasons that I chose to take a step backwards and move back in with my parents. Now there is always someone home so I'm not lonely, and this means I can go through entire days and weeks without feeling the need to snack.

    You're doing a wonderful job for your kids, nobody will understand just how hard it is unless they've been in that situation. The fact that you gave up smoking shows that you have will power, so giving up snacks is definitely within your grasp! Go for it!
  • JoeD1968
    JoeD1968 Posts: 167
    Welcome :smile:
  • mum32008
    mum32008 Posts: 37 Member
    Welcome to mfp :smile: , im a single mum too and like you an emotional eater, i eat when im happy, bored, lonely, sad etc, i have found that when kids are in bed and im relaxing for the night tends to be my worst time as the rest of the day im busy so distracted, so what ive tended to do is distract myself, come on here read a few threads get some support, do my workout (30ds) at night, even watch something that motivates me eg obese a year to save my life, or even go to bed lol im not saying i dont slip up but a lot less than i used to, i think in a way with food being your emotional crutch as it were you need to find something else instead of food to use, whatever works for you
  • Jcecb
    Jcecb Posts: 2
    Thank you for your messages and the welcome, hopefully joining this community will inspire me to stay on the wagon :flowerforyou:
  • corrine1973
    corrine1973 Posts: 209 Member
    I am also a single mom and know exactly what you mean . It wasn't until I started keeping track with what I eat that I realized that I was eating alot of the time not because I was hungry but becase I was bored or stress (I crave choclate when I am under stress). My go to meal was to grab some fast food during the day because I was to busy (or at least believed I was) to make a healthy lunch at home. So a burger, large fries, and large Dr Pepper later and I had eaten more than half of the calories I would need for the day. You are not alone, there is alot of us single moms out there on the same boat. :-)

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