Emotional eating

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Emotional eating
11
Tue, 12-27-2005 - 5:10pm

Has anybody been successful with overcoming emotional eating and how did you do it?

Through the last lousy years of our marriage and the custody fight, I have gained a bunch of weight through self-medicating with food. I know I eat for emotional reasons, but how do I stop? I'm a smart woman, I know what the right choices are, I just can't seem to leave the fattening foods alone. I find eating to be the most comforting feeling in the world right now.

Now that most of the emotional upset seems to be behind me, I'm starting to think of the future...no man wants a woman who is 40 lbs overweight and I'm short--I look like a bowling ball with legs! I do have hypothyroidism for which I take medication. Diabetes (no current signs of it for me) and heart disease runs in my family, so I do have a medical reason to want to improve my health.

I am feeling so much healthier emotionally and now want to get more fit physically.

Do I need to go to a therapist? Do I need to join a gym or do a specific diet group? I find I'm a lousy dieter--can't keep to the rules of it. I loathe having somebody telling me what to do. Hah, that's part of how I got fat in the first place.

Anybody have suggestions?

I did send the kids over to their Dad's with the leftover Christmas candy and cookies--good choice.

Cupcake

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
Tue, 12-27-2005 - 6:21pm

I am in no way qualified to give advice on this, but here's what I think anyway.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-08-2004
Wed, 12-28-2005 - 10:30am

I know how you feel. I am at a healthy weight right now, but I have always had food issues.

Have you given any thought to maybe trying weight watchers? I did it a few years ago, and not only did it help me loose weight, but it really helped me with portion control. That's an option you can try.

Trust me, I understand how hard it is, having been there myself.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Wed, 12-28-2005 - 3:30pm

Thanks for the suggestions...

I've done a little reading on this and discovered that psychologically, for some people, eating produces the same positive brain chemicals, like serotonin, that produces a drug high for addicts. God designed us this way for survival--finding food was hard work, so He designed eating to be very pleasurable. Just gets problematic in this age of plenty--much easier to go to Kroger's than it was to go hunting bison.

I know WHAT I should be eating...I just don't do it, plus I'm basically a lazy slug. I'm going to try to start better habits. I do love to walk and love to read, so I get books on tape from the library and go--I find I go farther when listening. I do love fruits and veggies and already consume alot of that. I'm watching my neighbors dogs while they're gone for the holidays so we're having fun walking the pups. Tummy crunches would definitely do me good, I'll try that one.

Bring on the motivation!!!!!




Edited 12/28/2005 3:36 pm ET by momsacupcake
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Wed, 12-28-2005 - 3:38pm

Thanks for your kind words...I haven't ever tried WW and am considering it. I'm such a lousy dieter--don't tell me what to do! LOL. Maybe having a sort of discussion group would help.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-08-2004
Wed, 12-28-2005 - 7:06pm

See, the thing I liked about weight watchers was that they were not, saying. "YOU CAN NOT EAT THIS!!!" You CAN. If you want to have some chocolate during the day, that's fine. You just have to compensate by managing your other meals and maybe doing some additional exercise. Also, it really helps to have a group of people you can relate to.

Good luck. I know it's a tough struggle.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Thu, 12-29-2005 - 10:41am

I think I may give WW a go--I went by their office and sat in on a meeting and got some of the "points" materials. I might be able to work that. Hopefully I can muster up enough motivation to keep at it. I'm a lousy dieter all by myself (or I wouldn't be fat now, LOL) so maybe having a "group" will help me.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Thu, 12-29-2005 - 1:07pm
I wish I could afford WW or something like it. Not right now. I also do better when I have someone to be held accountable to. I am really going to work on it on my own after the first. Good Luck with WW! I have friends who have had great success with their program. Hugs, Brenda

Hugs, Brenda 

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-02-2004
Fri, 12-30-2005 - 10:47am

I did go ahead and join WW and I think it's like $10-$12 per week. I figure I can justify that extra cost by not spending more $$ on food I shouldn't be eating and by not going out at lunch so much. Spend here, cut back there.

I'll let you know if I like WW or not after a few weeks. I have felt hungry though---that shows me just how much I have been overeating.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-08-2004
Fri, 12-30-2005 - 10:54am
The first few days on WW are the hardest. I was so hungry, I was practically in tears! After about day four, it did get easier. Trust me, I know this is NOT easy, but you're giving it a try, and that's fantastic.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-26-2004
Fri, 12-30-2005 - 1:37pm
I have been going to ww for over a year now and while I have not reached my goal weight I did not balloon up while I have been going through this whole divorce process which is amazing for me. I am also an emotional eater. I just finished reading the section in Dr. Phil's book about emotional eating and he talks about replacing the eating with an incompatible activity. If you want to eat take a shower instead. It is pretty hard to eat cake while standing in the shower. Rearrange the furniture, exercise, write a letter, organize the closet, do something that will change your pattern until you no longer need to run to the fridge. If you always walk through the kitchen when you come home from work and grab a snack, come through the front door instead. Try to change your pattern to give your mind a chance to get out of the same path it has been going on for so long. WW has really helped me with this because now that I know how much extra I have been shoving in my mouth over the years it has made me want to watch those extra bites here and there when I get home. Good luck! Also, check out the WW support message board. They offer some good ideas.

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