How do you contol emotional eating?

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Replies

  • puffidredz
    puffidredz Posts: 119 Member
    I actually have. I am only 7 weeks postpardum so they are monitoring me for PPD. A big part of the problem is that my husband decided to go back to school to get his Master's degree which required me packing up my entire life and moving 2 states away from my family and what I have always known. I am now stuck in a place where I know no one with 2 small children and a husband who is too busy working and going to school to really be of any help. I know that in the long run this will be a good thing for my family but right now I am having a hard time coping. I find that eating is easier than sitting and crying because when I cry it upsets my 2 year old.

    oh yea i've been thru that. when i was married i had to pickup everything from va and moved to cali. i knew no one and to top it all off, i was also in a neighborhood where english was a second language if they knew it at all, so even if i did talk to neighborhood people, we couldn't communicate. what i did to resolve it was got out, joined my local religious center and subscribed to the things that were going on around the city. it eventually led to me finding a part time job from one of the members of my religious center during the day and i went to the local community college at night and joined the orchestra. as a result i made some friends and started hanging out with them.

    having small kids that's most likely not an option to do all that, but my point is to find something in your local paper or community board that you and your kids can get involved with together and meet other moms and kids so you dont get so bored and you don't feel like you're a lonely island.
  • acstansell
    acstansell Posts: 567 Member
    Thank you for posting this - I am also an emotional eater and a stress eater. My husband has had medical issues this year and I stopped for a month, ate like a crazy person, and gained 5lbs. I'm trying to get back on track, but he's in the hospital again, and to "relieve" my stress and exhaustion, I eat. I ate almost 1300 extra calories on Thursday. Ack.

    I still can't control it. It's almost like it's hardwired in me. I think to turn it towards housework or sewing or even working out, but I go with what's comfortable and easy. It's the toughest battle I've got - besides my husband's disorder.
  • minussam
    minussam Posts: 127 Member
    It was probably already said but what about putting on some fun music and dancing? I can't feel crappy when I dance. And watching my 3 year old dance is even more therapeutic!!! Also this might sound weird but I'll put it out there. My son loves to be tiggeled and has the biggest smiles on his face ever, combined with shouts of joy. It is totally contagious!!!

    Can you join a playgroup to meet some other moms/kids? I've joined one when my son was 3 weeks old and loved meeting with the other moms. When I was at home we often met several times a week, went for walks,....

    Good luck!
  • lisanorman6
    lisanorman6 Posts: 47 Member
    The last few days I have seriously been battling some major depression. When I get this way all I want to do is sit on my butt, watch tv, and eat everything in the house. I have been trying to avoid even walking in the kitchen because I know I will just stop. Any suggestions on how to battle this?
    See a doctor?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition



    I actually have. I am only 7 weeks postpardum so they are monitoring me for PPD. A big part of the problem is that my husband decided to go back to school to get his Master's degree which required me packing up my entire life and moving 2 states away from my family and what I have always known. I am now stuck in a place where I know no one with 2 small children and a husband who is too busy working and going to school to really be of any help. I know that in the long run this will be a good thing for my family but right now I am having a hard time coping. I find that eating is easier than sitting and crying because when I cry it upsets my 2 year old.
    As a Mom, I totally understand what you're dealing with. Honestly, to me it sounds like you've identified the issue(s) behind the depression. Post partum and your whole life has changed as related to your husband going back to school.

    Couple thoughts:
    -Talk to your doctor. Again. Post-partum is nothing to be messed with. I've been there and I can completely understand.
    -If you have a car, load up the kids and head to a mall. Pop them in the stroller and walk around. It gets you out of the house and provides exercise.
    -Google local MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) and join a group. You won't be alone for long! I promise. Connecting with other Mom's has been such a big thing for me.
    -Journal. Even if you hate to write, just try it. Truly, it will help you articulate your feelings about things going on in your life.
    -Schedule time alone. Even if your husband has to sacrifice some of his time to watch the kids, do it. You need a break. Part of my depression stemmed from feeling exhausted all the time. I love my kids with my whole heart, but I need a time out too. If you have to troll the neighborhood looking for a babysitter, troll away.

    Someone else said it, emotional eating is the symptom of a bigger problem. Personally, I think a lot of people jump on the "lose weight" bandwagon and lose sight of the fact that for many of us, the journey is about more than weight.

    You can't change what you don't acknowledge. Well done you that you are speaking up. You're not alone.
  • susiebear29
    susiebear29 Posts: 266
    sounds like you are going through a very tough time I really feel for you, I am an emotional eater prone to bingeing but since being on MFP I have only had one binge, the support on here is fantastic everyone (apart from a few odd ones!) really looks out for each other so I think you've done the right thing by posting on here and getting advice and other peoples experiences! I think workout dvd's are a good idea especially if you can't go out with your children, I really hope that you feel better soon and meet some new people where you're living now, take care of yourself and keep smiling you deserve happiness :smile:
  • MrsT0fu
    MrsT0fu Posts: 18 Member
    The last few days I have seriously been battling some major depression. When I get this way all I want to do is sit on my butt, watch tv, and eat everything in the house. I have been trying to avoid even walking in the kitchen because I know I will just stop. Any suggestions on how to battle this?
    See a doctor?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I actually have. I am only 7 weeks postpardum so they are monitoring me for PPD. A big part of the problem is that my husband decided to go back to school to get his Master's degree which required me packing up my entire life and moving 2 states away from my family and what I have always known. I am now stuck in a place where I know no one with 2 small children and a husband who is too busy working and going to school to really be of any help. I know that in the long run this will be a good thing for my family but right now I am having a hard time coping. I find that eating is easier than sitting and crying because when I cry it upsets my 2 year old.

    Being isolated is definitely going to trigger depression and having a newborn can be rough. I think it's one hundred percent understandable that you feel that way. However some things you can do to combat that are to be active and connect with other people. I highly recommend an organization called MOPS. That's Mother's of Preschoolers International. (www.mops.org) They may have a chapter near you where you can meet other local moms with young kids to start reconnecting to your community.

    Also, this may sound silly but maybe you can involve your kids in exercise with you. I used to bench press my daughter sometimes. And a two year old can also try sit ups and push ups and squats with you. You can exercise together while the baby naps and that also gives you quality time with your older child which is important in this transition period. Someone else suggested yoga and I think that's another great idea.

    Regarding emotional eating, I think a big part is being aware of your feelings. My daughter now will ask/scold me if I eat when I am not really hungry. It can kind of being annoying/ embarrassing, and it doesn't always prevent me from making the right choice, but it forces me to be more aware which in turn allows me to be more self controlling. When I know I am not hungry I try to distract myself or figure out what is triggering the emotion. Then I have a better idea how to cope because I can treat the real problem. Maybe making one goal a day to meet could help. Like if you want to do all the laundry one day that's something that can help give you a sense of achievement and you can also involve your elder child in that. I find that for me the satisfaction of achieving something productive is a great anti depressant.

    As I read what you had to say a lot of it seemed familiar to me- especially the avoiding the kitchen bit- but what I've kind of realized is that it's much harder to be depressed when one is less self focused. This is a challenge for me, but these different things prevent me from wallowing or wallowing as long as I potentially could. I hope this helps. Congrats on the new baby!
  • VogtAndrea
    VogtAndrea Posts: 236
    By now you've heard all sorts of things like cut back or eliminate refined sugars, caffeine and eat foods dense in nutrients. If you're really depressed, those things are all true.
    I'm an emotional eater but I've found a few things that work for me. When I get a craving I pour myself a glass of water and drink at least half of it. I'm trying to get more than 5 hours of sleep at night (7 would be better), and I'm taking Vitamin D, calcium AND a multi-vitamin. I've set aside half an hour early in the mornings to meditate or even go for short walks while it's cool. I've even upped my proteins a bit because I've noticed that if they're higher, I don't want to binge as much. Trail mix has become the snack of choice (which I measure and put into ziplock bags and tuck one in my purse before I leave for work)
    That and I do aquafit and swim laps or go for walks.
    They ALL help. Nothing works totally because you have to retrain your thinking to include grabbing that glass of water. When you're stressed out and craving salt... go for it but not in a huge way.Apparently when you're stressed out, your body uses piles of salt.
  • walkdmc
    walkdmc Posts: 529 Member
    Talk therapy with a psychologist has helped me tremendously. I do some combo of running, cross training and yoga at least 5 days/week and that's been very helpful but nothing worked as well as therapy. I wish I started 20 years ago.
  • ladyphoebe
    ladyphoebe Posts: 46 Member
    I was involved with the MOPS group back home. I loved it. My son loved it. I miss those ladies so much. Unfortunately, with it being summer all the groups are "on vacation" until mid September. I am hoping that I will be able to get up enough courage to go to one of the meetings. I only got involved in the one back home because a friend litterally begged me to go. I'm a shy person and I hate going places where I don't know anyone. I generally panic when I try to put myself out there.
  • mattness09
    mattness09 Posts: 18 Member
    Keep healthy foods in the house. If you have a hard time managing your moods, eat healthy. Exercise helps depression
  • raeleek
    raeleek Posts: 414 Member
    The last few days I have seriously been battling some major depression. When I get this way all I want to do is sit on my butt, watch tv, and eat everything in the house. I have been trying to avoid even walking in the kitchen because I know I will just stop. Any suggestions on how to battle this?

    I too am trying to not eat because of emotion. I've been walking lately whenever I need to clear my head or get out of whatever bad mood I'm in. The stress relief from the walk alone is enough to make my mood better and then I don't feel the need to eat.
  • LavaRoushFiveOh
    LavaRoushFiveOh Posts: 44 Member
    Instead of eating go exercise. Go for a walk. Mow the lawn, do some gardening, something to keep you busy. Boredom does not help with depression.

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