Emotional/Hormonal Eating
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
I have posted many times about emotional/hormonal eating. This is just one of them, Help for Emotional Eating. You can search other articles by going to the bottom of the left column & under Search, choose advanced search, title & contents and choose all so you get posts from the beginning of my blog. In fact, search other topics here as well.
So, back to emotional eating. The reason I choose today to discuss this is because many of us overeat on holidays & then get so upset with ourselves that we start sabotaging all our hard work at eating better & exercising by getting down on ourselves. A I said in yesterday's post, first & foremost, just get back to basics & your regular healthier eating pattern! Don't fall for the "I ruined it so now I might as well give up". This is NOT an option!
The other reason I choose today to talk about this is because whether we like it or not, many family gatherings can end up in arguments & fights that create emotional baggage after the fact. Not a fun thing to talk about but it is a fact & a fact of life. I have my own family issues which I am not going to air on this site but it is a battle to survive the emotional aspect of this when those feelings creep to the surface .... whether that is depression, anger frustration or other.
In my other posts, I offered up many different solutions to help you thru emotional eating. For this post, I am going to only talk about two of them & then I want to leave it open for comments & what helps you.. we can all share & help each other.
(1) For me, whenever I find myself heading to the frig or cabinet for food I know I am NOT hungry for or really doesn't need to eat, food that I KNOW IS FOR EMOTIONAL REASONS, this is what I do: I stop and walk away first & foremost. I get away from the kitchen or food so I can think & talk to myself. I ask myself why am I doing this, why am I heading for this food, what will it do for me after the fact, how will I feel after eating it, do I really need it. Most times I realize what I am doing & why I am headed for that food. I think about what I will have to do to get the weight off from the binge & really if I am even going to enjoy it since I am eating it when I am upset. Most times this helps & it stops me in my tracks. If after all that, I still want something, I choose the option that will cause the least "problem" or I take a bite or two of something I really want & move on. This works for me. The walking away long enough, meaning at least 10 -15 minutes to think it thru, has helped me more than you can know!!!!
(2) Exercise! Yes, why does this not surprise you! While I am walking away from the food/frig, a walk can help. If you work, maybe a walk outside or even around the floor/floors of your building. Get to the gym or your fav exercise program if possible. Once I get moving, it helps me put things in perspective knowing that I am not going to let others, bad bosses, bad feelings rule me & that helps stop me & say, "I AM THE BOSS OF ME, NOT THEM DANG FEELINGS OR THOSE PEOPLE".
I have posted many times about emotional/hormonal eating. This is just one of them, Help for Emotional Eating. You can search other articles by going to the bottom of the left column & under Search, choose advanced search, title & contents and choose all so you get posts from the beginning of my blog. In fact, search other topics here as well.So, back to emotional eating. The reason I choose today to discuss this is because many of us overeat on holidays & then get so upset with ourselves that we start sabotaging all our hard work at eating better & exercising by getting down on ourselves. A I said in yesterday's post, first & foremost, just get back to basics & your regular healthier eating pattern! Don't fall for the "I ruined it so now I might as well give up". This is NOT an option!
The other reason I choose today to talk about this is because whether we like it or not, many family gatherings can end up in arguments & fights that create emotional baggage after the fact. Not a fun thing to talk about but it is a fact & a fact of life. I have my own family issues which I am not going to air on this site but it is a battle to survive the emotional aspect of this when those feelings creep to the surface .... whether that is depression, anger frustration or other.
In my other posts, I offered up many different solutions to help you thru emotional eating. For this post, I am going to only talk about two of them & then I want to leave it open for comments & what helps you.. we can all share & help each other.
(1) For me, whenever I find myself heading to the frig or cabinet for food I know I am NOT hungry for or really doesn't need to eat, food that I KNOW IS FOR EMOTIONAL REASONS, this is what I do: I stop and walk away first & foremost. I get away from the kitchen or food so I can think & talk to myself. I ask myself why am I doing this, why am I heading for this food, what will it do for me after the fact, how will I feel after eating it, do I really need it. Most times I realize what I am doing & why I am headed for that food. I think about what I will have to do to get the weight off from the binge & really if I am even going to enjoy it since I am eating it when I am upset. Most times this helps & it stops me in my tracks. If after all that, I still want something, I choose the option that will cause the least "problem" or I take a bite or two of something I really want & move on. This works for me. The walking away long enough, meaning at least 10 -15 minutes to think it thru, has helped me more than you can know!!!!
(2) Exercise! Yes, why does this not surprise you! While I am walking away from the food/frig, a walk can help. If you work, maybe a walk outside or even around the floor/floors of your building. Get to the gym or your fav exercise program if possible. Once I get moving, it helps me put things in perspective knowing that I am not going to let others, bad bosses, bad feelings rule me & that helps stop me & say, "I AM THE BOSS OF ME, NOT THEM DANG FEELINGS OR THOSE PEOPLE".
I hope this helped some of you that may have hit the emotional eating problem over the weekend or any time at all. Pass on your emotional eating help guide to share with the rest of us!
ok Ive written and deleted about 6 comments which turned into rants
youll have that...
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Emotional eating is something I am very familiar with. When I was obese, I ate to soothe every emotion, both good and bad. I've lost 150 pounds (12 years ago), and in addition to what you suggested I also kept an "emotions journal" for several weeks when I first started losing.
I'd write down what I was feeling at the time when I found myself rushing to the pantry. I began to see patterns, and worked to break them.
This is a great post, because almost all of us have the tendency to eat based on emotions - even if we are thin.
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So true! I don't know how anyone doesn't emotional eat sometimes. I think it's just part of being human. I like your response tho - to ask yourself if you will really enjoy eating it if you are upset.
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I love your posts on emotional eating. I tend to fall victim to it and you have some really great advice. I just sometimes need to just walk away...its sooo hard sometimes tho!
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My trigger points for eating have more to do with if I'm bored in the evening (does this count as emotional?). And even after I find something to keep busy, that monster of a craving is already there. Healthy cereal has been doing the trick. Not too bad, I guess.
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Emotional eating is the bane of my existence so I appreciate any and all suggestions on how to fight it. You have some really good ones here. If I'm able to stop myself from indulging I find I must further distract myself with a chore or puzzle to really put some distance between me and the frig.
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Your two points are part of my strategy also. What seems to make it really work for me is eating clean most of the time. If junk and or sugars get in the tendency to slip into the mind set of giving in is SO much easier. Then it has to be cold turkey, none. Emotional eating had been most of my eating for a while a few years back. Even more than that I have the power over the emotions, I try and remind myself how much I hate the cycle it brings.
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The best way I deal with emotional eating is thinking "is it worth it to sabotage all your hard work?" usually that question is enough. Sometimes, it isn't -- and I'm still working on those times!
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I'm with Yum Yucky...my eating goes so well all day, but then in the evenings, I have to really be on guard. Maybe it is emotional, I'm not sure. Lately, reading weight loss blogs helps get me out of the kitchen.
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Usually if I'm feeling frustrated, I'll go for a walk for 10-15 minutes, or longer, if I have time. This usually clears my head. I used to always go for food, but that made me chubby. Sometimes, like Yum Yucky, I want to eat out of boredom, and that's what fruit and crudites are for.
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