Emotional Eating threatens all my hard work!

[Maria_L]

Hi Everyone,

I am new here but not new to the low carb lifestyle which I think is fantastic. I have dropped 3 dress sizes from 16 down to 10 since August and have been doing well up till now. I have always been an emotional eater. Food has always been a comfort to me in the past and I had to learn to deal with that when I was diagnosed by my endocrinologist with Syndrome X and elevated testosterone. I was told I was on the road to diabetes if I didn't change my ways. This news jolted me into taking this lifestyle seriously and I of course bought Dr Atkin's book among others, and started from there with amazing success but I have been horrible for the past month.. eating all the foods that are wrong for me and because I haven't been able to cope with my very stressful life (which has driven me to therapy for the past 2 years) I have given in with no regards to what I am doing to my health. When I do really care and I don't plan to give up my new lifestyle. Does anyone relate? and how do you cope during times of stress while you are low carbing? Thanks for reading.

Regards
Maria

[SandyJ]

Hi, and welcome Maria. You have done sooooo well. Congratulations. I can't offer you any real advice about emotional eating as I don't suffer from it too much.....I have a tendency to forget to eat thereby sabotaging my metabolism.

But I suppose a step in the right direction is joining this forum. We have all shapes and sizes here so no doubt someone can offer you quality advice.

My suggestion would be to start a diary and contribute to it daily. That way you can share your troubles and maybe halve them. If you check out a few diaries you will see you aren't alone and a lot of people suffer similar challenges. And there is fun to be had too.

Again, welcome.

[Leonie]

Hi Maria

Try to recognise the situations in which you are likely to emotionally eat, and figure outsomething else to do- go for a walk, call a friend, log on here.

I guess it comes down to a choice between looking and feeling great and enjoying all your hard work; or overeating, which might taste good for a second, but make you feel so guilty afterward- surely it's not worth it?

Try getting out some 'before' photos and tacking them to the fridge. I think results are the best motivator.

[kegs]

Originally posted by Maria_L
I have dropped 3 dress sizes from 16 down to 10 since August

Thats awesome Maria, well done!

Yes, start a diary and write down what you eat and how you feel. There are tons of people here who will support you and our ears are always open for you!

Welcome to the forums, hope to see you you around!

Kegs:D

[Moonie]

Hi Marie,so glad you found us.You have had great results so far,it shows you can get past emotional eating.
Sounds like you are having a bad time right now ,but thats were this forum helps, most emotional eating is done when on your own,but on this forum you are never alone,there are so many people to help you through.Even if no one else is on at the time there will be heaps of posts to read,and you can post your questions.
Like the others said start a diary, read other diary's or put emotional eating into the search on this forum, and see what comes up..
Be good to yourself;)

[makeely]

Originally posted by Maria_L
amazing success but I have been horrible for the past month.. eating all the foods that are wrong for me and because I haven't been able to cope with my very stressful life (which has driven me to therapy for the past 2 years) I have given in with no regards to what I am doing to my health. When I do really care and I don't plan to give up my new lifestyle. Does anyone relate? and how do you cope during times of stress while you are low carbing? Thanks for reading.

Regards
Maria

hi Maria

Well I too am an emotional eater etc etc. And I am going thru a bit of a bad time myself at the moment but I am staying the same weight! This is what I do...

1. Accept that you are going thru a bad time at the moment and know that you are likely to be turning to food and usually starchy, sugary foods at that. For some reason when you are feeling low, a slab of beef just doesn't do it for you!! I know. Accepting your feelings is the first key to dealing with it! It is OK to feel stress or down so go with the flow, but don't give up!!

2. Be prepared...look up the "sweets" thread and go out and buy the ingredients and make yourself up some treats.....Put them in the freezer in individual portions for you to just grab. Take a couple with you to work etc.

3. Don't try to loose weight at the moment, just try to maintain....you have come so far and are doing a terrific job, I am so proud of you. You will feel better soon and then you can get back onto the serious business of loosing. Just don't sabatage yourself by putting on the weight again. This will only add to your down feelings.....You don't need that!

So summarising, be kind to yourself, be aware of what you are going thru and don't beat yourself up about it, just try to maintain your current weight which really is not hard, truely, you can do it! You just don't need that extra pressure of having to be great at loosing weight at the moment! You know that you can do it, you have proven this to yourself and others I am sure, so there is no problem.......

go for a 1/2 hour walk everyday which is both great for the body and the mind......

You are great, you have done so well, you will continue to do well, you just do it in your own pace.....You are doing this for yourself, so nobody else really cares. You choose to feel how you feel....BE KIND TO YOURSELF and recognise how Brilliantly you have done so far.....

Good on you...Yiippppppeeeee!

Get a diary started my friend and welcome to the best site in the world.....:D

Have a great day
Love makeely:D

[Bartman]

Hi Maria,

OK, I'll be the 'token male' here.

My wife has struggled for most of her life with her weight. Been on every weight-loss programme know to man, with limited success here and there.

And every time she 'fell off the rails' (which is normal and expected), she'd end up gaining more weight than when she started, become more depressed, and started eating bad foods again. As a husband, I didn't care what size she was, what was tearing me apart was seeing my loved-one depressed and rarely happy.

She was prescribed metformin for two and a half years for PCOS, and was told this would assist in losing weight. Pigs arse it did.

My wife has seen myself and many others gain great results from Lo-Carb, and tried to do it as well - but the metformin didn't agree with it. We spoke to the endocronologist (I ended up in an auguement/debate about hormones and diet esp. lo-carb) - we don't see that endocronlologist anymore.

So without any advise from doctors, my wife has stopped taking metformin (yes, this is not recommended!!!) - however, she is starting to see results. Not in weight at the moment, because of her period. But her pants are looser, she doesn't have to breathe in as much when zipping up her pants. The smile on her face is worth a million dollars, and her confidence and zest is coming back.

My wife often says 'food is my friend'
These days, food is now an aquaintance. I know there are times when outside factors make you feel shitty. When this happens, i tell my wife 'lets buy you some new clothes' (and try to keep her away from the fridge) Trying on new clothes and seeing that they fit better, feel looser etc, boosts her spirits immensely (but she won't buy anything - she says the new clothes will be too big for her in two weeks!!)

Also, as mentioned in a previous thread - only keep suitable food in the house - if you feel like straying, you won't do too much damage.

Lastly, stress is a natural part of life, but nobody needs excessive amounts of it. Where is this stress coming from. Are you able to avoid the situation(s) that place this stress on you. If the stress is caused by work, are you happy at work, would you rather work somewhere else? Do the people around you realise that you are becoming stressed? I know this is a bit general, but, if work sucks, don't go. Regardless of the un-employment figures, there is still work out there for those willing to work.

I hope this helps, even just a little.
There is a little of help and inspiration on these forums, so try to visit regularly (esp. when you're feeling down, you can browse the 'jokes' thread for a laugh)

Wishing you the Best of Luck!!

Bartman

[MelK]

Originally posted by Maria_L
Does anyone relate? and how do you cope during times of stress while you are low carbing? Thanks for reading.

Regards
Maria

Hi Maria,

You have no idea how well I relate to your story! I also have been an emotional eater most of my life and that's probably been the single biggest culprit for my weight problems. When I'm happy, I'm thin. When I'm going through a tough time, it just piles on and it's no secret where it comes from: all the high carb junk food I just seem to stuff down my throat! This behaviour actually turned into bulimia at various points in my life because I couldn't handle the total disgust I felt once I've stuffed my face, then I'd want to correct the whole mess - which made me feel even worse! :(

It all took a turn when I realised that nobody but MYSELF can help me with this problem. It doesn't really matter what people say, it's still YOU that have to convince yourself that it's not worth putting yourself through this emotional rollercoaster. As various people have mentioned here, binge eating does not help you emotional down at all, it just makes it worse.

So, what will make you feel better when you have an emotional crisis? It differs from person to person and you have to make a list of a few things that make you feel good. Here are some of the things I now do when I feel down:

- I go for a run or a walk, it's amazing how the endorphins produced by exercise lift the mood!
- I run a bath, grab a book and slam a facemask on my face
- I phone somebody who can cheer me up - usually my mom! :D
- I get in my car and go somewhere, like a shopping centre, just to be out of the tempting environment where I can binge
- I ensure that I don't keep any binge food in the house. This one is tough, as I have been known to get in my car and drive to the shop to do binge shopping, but it makes it so much less tempting if you don't leave the tempting stuff lying around.
- This one works wonders: I tackle my closet and try on all the small clothes that never used to fit me when I was bigger, this boosts my desire to persist and NOT give in.

Hope this helps, Maria. It's a tough battle - just take it one step at a time, initially I was very proud of myself if only one day passed that I didn't give in. Tomorrow is a new day, but today is the day to get through and still be proud of yourself!!

Good luck....

Mel

[Essie]

Hi Maria

Ditto all the above. I have been under a lot of stress at work and decided to take some time off. Worked wonders as I really was fooling my self as to what I was actually eating. I am actually going to start to see a psychologist, mostly for work issues, but hopefully will be able to sort out some strategies to deal with the stress at work and in my life. Mental health issues still get a bad wrap, but you don't need to have a 'mental illness' to benefit from someone like a psychologist.

Someone once said to me I am the only person who makes the decision to put food in my mouth, I am the only one who can contol it. I told them at the time to buzz off as I was a bit offended (and in denial) but now I try not to blame situations as I still am the only person that controls what goes in my mouth. It's hard, we've all been through it, this forum is great and a diary may be a positive step.

Essie

[Marg]

Hi Maria, Just wanted to say hi to you, but unfortunately I can't add any more to what has already been said to you. Only that I am in the exact position you are at the moment (I am sure that doesn't really help you) I worked hard to get down to my goal and now the weight is creaping back on and I know it is totally up to ME to get myself sorted out and back on track.

I am so glad I stumbled on your thread as I needed to read all your responses so I am actually thanking you for starting it and thanking everybody for answering it so honestly. I hope you don't mind...............

[Maria_L]

Hi Everyone,

You guys are great! I am so glad I found this site. Although I am feeling the after effects of slipping up (feeling crappy) I am feeling better psychologically. Thank you so much!

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions. I will post what has helped me along the way where appropriate too.

All the Best
Maria :)

[katyblue]

Hi Everyone

Ive just been reading through this thread and I empathise with you totally. When I'm feeling this way and craving (or is it just wanting) something i know will not be good for me i give myself till the afternoon and if i still want it i have it and tell myself that guilt is a totally useless emotion. Just keep on track and remember how awful it makes me physically feel.

I often wonder about people that don't have a weight problem besides the obvious that they most probably have a better metabolism is the fact that there is no guilt attached to their eating. Is guilt some unknown factor in weight gain. Because "skinny" people binge, overeat, eat all the wrong foods etc etc but they dont seem to worry. (I know that is very generalised.)I just mean they are like everyone else. How often have you sat with friends and you sit there and wonder "i dont eat half that amount its not fair"
Maybe because its not an issue with them.
Gee I hope this makes sense to someone else other than me i often know what i want to express but cant find the right words to do it.

[Sherrie]

I used to be one of those people that never had to watch what they ate and not put on weight.
But after I had my son, I was'nt working anymore etc... and my activity level started to drop and as a result so did my metabolism gradually drop which also meant I slowly started to put the weight on. Took a long time but it happenned.

Unfortunately just increasing my activity levels again to what they we're was'nt enough, believe me I tried that first.
So here I am, it's funny though with the way my diet has changed so much since how it used to be you'd think I would've lost 10 times more by now, it's funny how stubborn our bodies can be when they want to.

[katyblue]

I know this is a bit deep but is it our brains sabotaging us. Is it the stubborn one not the body.