Emotional eating

amandadaisylotus
amandadaisylotus Posts: 311
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I am an Emotional eater. Its one of those things over the years that I've denied because I've always tried not to blame things for my problems, but it is something I need to address.

I had a ROUGH day today, lost 2 friends over a difference of opinion and harsh words, etc etc etc. They hit a topic that hit way way way too close to home for me to just accept what they were saying as a difference of opinion. Normally I'm okay, I believe this you believe that, I believe in being open minded and accepting of other beliefs. But when faced with someone closed minded and hypocritical on such a tender subject for me... I can't stay friends with them. It's like staying friends with someone who thinks that you are a second class citizen and treats you as such.

So I ended up in the kitchen shoving a bunch of bread down my throat and then a cookie. I grabbed the bag of chips and sat down on the couch (completely stopping my previously productive day).

But, I ate about four chips and decided it wasn't making me feel better, and I knew I'd feel worse if I weighed in next week and hadn't lost, or worse, had gained because I tried to use food to heal an emotional problem.

Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do when faced with it?

Replies

  • Ginny2912
    Ginny2912 Posts: 5
    I am an emotional eater too! I have tried to deny it because I thought honestly it was something I could just get over. Fast forward to fat, lol, I am now upfront with myself and allow a tiny amount of bad, very tiny, and then I drink so much water it would be impossible to eat another snack. I have just started out here on myfitnesspal but in the past I was lying to myself. I feel freer and more supported on here than I ever have in any other diet or weightloss goal I have tried. As for your "friends" If they treated you that bad then you are better off anyhow. I know that sucks to hear but it's the truth. I have had to cut so many out of my life for serious reasons and for trivial ones, but the way I see it I am not getting any younger and the time I spend here will be enjoyed and GOD help anyone who tries to make me miserable! LOL I hope you have a better day tomorrow!
  • ptrad
    ptrad Posts: 22
    Welcome to my world and the world of many. You are not alone. I like the idea of drinking a lot of water. Gwen Shamblin from the Weigh Down Workshop, actually wrote and runs this workshop, works on the basis of prayer to alleviate anxiety and depression. God hears us all and will help if we ask for it. That and cutting portions in half helps. I try not to have food triggers in the house so I don't down all of the ice cream.

    Best to you. Anger drives us all crazy and is not healthy, even if it feels justified, I am finding out. Try to forgive and move on for your own good.

    Peace
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    i have the same problem until I finally realized it. but u did the right thing by stopping to think about how you wud feel after eating under stress cuz in the end its just a vicious cycle of over eatinga nd feeling bad and so on.....
    hang in there.
  • CPRV
    CPRV Posts: 10
    I know where you are coming from. Not only am I an emotional eater, I am happy eater (parties and celebrations), and a "something to do" eater. I eat when I am happy, sad, bored, busy, stressed, ect. you get the picture.

    One thing that has helped is going to work out. Taking out my frustration in the gym, and it gives me an activity so I am not bored.

    Funny how much we let others affect us, but sometimes we have to break up with our friends too.
  • marci_r2010
    marci_r2010 Posts: 61 Member
    I think you'll find yourself in lots of company with this topic...

    I'm sorry you had a falling out with your friends. Maybe things will turn around, maybe not.

    I am a serious binge-a-holic when I am anxious. And I am an anxious person! I started saying out loud whatever feeling I was having when I just wanted to eat, eat eat. I am anxious. I am bored. I am angry. I am sad. Naming it, to me, has been half the battle. Then I can choose what to do with it. I am also reading, reading, reading, about others who are fighting the good fight with these issues.

    I think you'll get lots of great advice- good luck!

    Marci
  • silvertears
    silvertears Posts: 106 Member
    I am definitely an emotional eater. I gained more weight AFTER having my babies than I did while I was pregnant because it was such a stressful change in my life that I would literally eat until I wanted to throw up, and as soon as I didn't feel like I'd explode, I was shoving more food in my face. :embarassed: When I get aggravated at my husband - I eat. When my kids are having a bad night - I eat. When I get upset that the scale is not moving or moving in the wrong direction - I eat.

    I read a description of Binge Eating Disorder once and it fit me to a T. It's like being bulemic, only you don't purge. You saying you were shoving bread down your throat reminded me of that.

    I also am a boredom eater. So I have to be happy and occupied in order to lose weight LOL

    I had been working out for about a year and my weight hardly ever changed... no matter how hard I was working, I was just working to cancel out the calories I ate. I finally broke down about a month ago and asked my doctor for an antidepressant and it was the best decision I've made in a long time. I've lost 6 lbs in the past 3 weeks and feel like I'm back in control. :happy:
  • catlab
    catlab Posts: 4
    I can be an emotional eater, along with when I get bored. When something goes wrong now, I go load up my mp3 with the songs that fit my feelings and just get away. If I don't want to be around just a few ppl, I go to the gym, if I do not feel like being around anyone, I go to the nearest park and just walk...walk it all off until my emotions are settled.
  • amandadaisylotus
    amandadaisylotus Posts: 311
    Luckily for me it seems to only extreme stress which sets it off. I live a stressful life with 5 college courses and a part time job. But I think I let it build instead of dealing with it and then something relatively small sets me off... I used to cut which I stopped, but I found myself eating when before I would cut. Obviously neither coping techniques work or are safe for me.

    Maybe I should talk to my doctor about something, or finally get to that therapist I've been meaning to see since I was... 15.

    thank you all for the tips, I'll definitely try drinking more water when I'm upset and I have an IPod with 1300 songs on it so I'm sure I can find songs to just run off to.
  • ilike2moveit
    ilike2moveit Posts: 776 Member
    Yes. I've always joked that nothing could kill my appetite. I eat when I'm happy, sad, anxious, mad, bored, etc. (I just recently realized that I'm a binge eater and I'm trying hard to correct that. ) I have had more stress in the last 4 years than I've had my whole life and that's what packed on the pounds for me. I'm slowly learning to do something else with my "nervous energy" besides shove food in my mouth. Today, I cleaned out 2 of our filing cabinets because I didn't know what else to do with myself. It's definately a process of breaking bad habits. I think most of the battle with weight loss is in our heads and not our stomach. Good luck to you.
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