Emotional Eating! Help!

I have been so down lately & cannot seem to shake it. This negative, sinking feeling is making it harder and harder to combat overeating & food cravings. Any good suggestions for dealing with emotional eating?

Tue. Jun 19, 4:02pm

Therapy?

A book from the library or book store about emotional eating?

If I did it correctly, below is a link to the listings at Amazon.com.

Take charge and good luck!

Link

Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 4:46 PM

The key is to develop a different "crutch" when you're not going through a tough time. You can make that crutch healthy, like walking or yoga. Or you can make it expensive, like shopping. It's really hard to turn that channel away from sugar when you're in the middle of an emotionally taxing period.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 4:51 PM

Thank you guys for the suggestions. Your link did work 4:46.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 4:58 PM

4:46 here

You're welcome and go buy one of those books!

I don't agree with simply changing your crutch. It might work but do you really need a different problem? I say to work on eliminating the issue itself.

again, good luck.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 5:30 PM

I for one would love too much walking to be my problem! lol

Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 6:58 PM

pure trim

i got onto a product without GMO's
all natural -- mixes with water
called PURE TRIM

it kept me full-- so, i didn't feel like eating

it also helped to lose a lot of weight

also, it curbed my bad habits of eating the wrong stuff

now, i use it; to mix with eggs ; to make omelettes

and, also water ...that is a big secret
www.rgarden.net/workingwonders
vitalizer plus hexagonal high vibrational water
this really made for major changes in me

PURE TRIM is also doctor recommonded; and;
HAS NOT gmo'S / completely natural
and, it's affordable

www.workingwonders.awarenesshealth.com

Link

Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 7:49 PM

To the OP....I know the territory well. I have a couple of people I call now when l am feeling pulled under. And just knowing that they know helps me turn the tides. They are hand picked for their perfect responses. I've had to learn to do this. Admitting emotional eating during really rough periods is the first step....sometimes the hardest. You did a good thing by writing this. Do your groups and teams know?

Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 9:24 PM

You should find out what really causes you to eat. You said you've been feeling down lately and cannot seem to shake it off, so perhaps you have depression? I have anxiety, which a lot of times brings on some depression, so I understand your whole thing of emotional eating. You should seek professional help. Don't wait either. Best of luck! It's tough.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 9:45 PM

I think that finding a new crutch could be a start to eliminating the problem completely....speaking from experience, at first whenever I was down I would eat the most fattening thing I could find and then I would hate myself for eating all that fattening food which only ate more......as I became more into working out and stuff I started going to the gym whenever I got down and all those endorphins made me feel pretty good..now I am at a place where I can look to myself to bring my spirits back up whenever I get down....I no longer need food or the gym to keep my spirits up

Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 2:09 AM

The problem with finding out what's at the root of your depression is that you can't always CHANGE what is at the root of your depression/emotiona eating. What you need to do is change how you RESPOND to what is at the root of your depression/emotional eating. I think that is what the "crutch" posters are really talking about - instead of running to the fridge every time you're stressed/depressed, go do something else, something that is good for you i.e. change a bad habit into a good habit. Best of luck to you.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 10:15 AM

I vote for "different crutch." Get out of the kitchen -- out of the house, if possible. A nice long walk in the woods always cheers me up. Look at all the little things -- birds, plants, deer... ahhhh. :-)

Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 10:19 AM

O.P.

Thank you everybody, for your advice. I thought that I had worked my way through this before but I guess it is a constant battle. I know that it certainly helps to get outside & get some fresh air or go jump on the treadmill at the gym. The vicious circle of emotionality & depression can be that it makes me feel so physically tired. I guess if I remind myself that exercise can bring more energy & positive feelings, I can make a change. I'm telling you, as a former weight loss counselor, I feel like I've heard it all before & given out simular advice, but sometimes it helps to listen to the wisdom of your peers. Yeah, peertrainer! Thanks again!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 10:54 AM

I also went through a period of time when I was so depressed that eating (and eating poorly) superficially made me feel as though I would feel better.

I wish that someone tried to intervene at that point. I am still trying to lose weight from that time in my life (I gained 34 lbs in about 6 months; I still have 15 lbs to go and it's been 8 years). Congrats to you for reaching out!

Upon reflection, while therapy was good, surrounding myself with friends who could take my mind off of how awful I was feeling was key in getting better. I think that yoga could be very healing for where you might be right now as well. Getting out of the house when you feel a craving coming on. Finding a place (either emotional or physical) where you feel safe without the comfort of food.

I wish you the best of luck! Know that you are not alone!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007, 11:14 AM

Emotional Eating

I too am a weight-loss coach, but suffer from emotional eating patterns that now have me up 21 pounds. Like weight challenges, I don't think it's ever really 'over' for some of us and we will have to rise to the challenge for the rest of our lives. I also don't think it's one thing that we can count on to get us through. It's a combination of solutions: Therapy, exercise, focus, alternative 'crutches', etc. Right now I am trying to take it one day at a time, making the decision (daily) to not binge because of boredom, anxiety, stress, etc. It's been day 2 and I have done well.

I just read an article about this very subject in Health magazine and they offered some resources to help. The URL is to a book out called Structure House Weight Loss Plan, that deals with modifying one's relationship with food. I haven't ordered it yet, but thought it couldn't hurt.

The article: Why We Can't Stop Bingeing was interesting.

http://www.health.com/health/article/0,23414,1625465,00.html

Best of luck to everyone!

Link

Thursday, June 21, 2007, 11:41 AM

O.P.

Thank you guys for reaching back out to me. I can't tell you how much it helps to have some positive feedback from people who understand. I am actively pursuing some of your suggestions. My best to you all!

Friday, June 22, 2007, 10:43 AM

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