I had a really crappy day yesterday, and I totally went overboard with my eating. I know this is a problem for me because I am an emotional eater and I really need to get a handle on things. There are a million things out there that can upset a person and I need to learn how to deal with upsets by doing something other than eating. The problem is, is that it is such an ingrained thing for me ever since I was young. In the past, I have tried to do other things, but I always seem to go back to eating. So, for anyone who has dealt with this particular problem, I'd really love to know how you overcame this obstacle.

By Stacey on Sunday, July 8, 2007 - 05:10 pm:

Hi Sandy! I hope you are having a better day then the other day. I deal with similar issues myself. I am an emotional eater and a binge eater. It's horrible and I don't know what to do about it. All I want to do is loose weight, but I just came seem to do it. I am that person that always starts their diets on Monday. It's pathetic, I just keep lying to myself everytime. I really don't have much advice for you, but I will say that you are not alone. It's a touch obstacle to overcome...I deal with it everyday of my life! Hang in there!

By Musicmom on Sunday, July 8, 2007 - 09:49 pm:

Sandysmom, I totally get you and I have been get at taking control in the past and actually trying to get control again. One thing that I am trying to do is get the word diet out of my head. I'm not getting any younger and so my chance for my weight to get where I would be healthier is getting harder so I need to really change my lifestyle and that's a hard thing to change. I have gotten grumpy when I have really really worked at changing my habits of how I deal with my emotions. I have a paper that talks about suggestions of things to do instead of eating to either express the emotions you are trying to quite down with eating or get your mind off the food thing. I'll try to post it later.

By Debbie on Monday, July 9, 2007 - 05:29 pm:

Well, I used to be a big time emotional/stress eater. I haven't completely overcome it, but I am much better then I used to be. Here are a couple of things that I do. First, if I know I am emotional or stressed, I start journaling. I write down everything I put in my mouth. It is one thing to eat it, but another to write it down, and actually "see" what I am eating each day. It really helps me keep things under control. Also, I try hard to stick to 3 balanced meals a day, and 2 small snacks. If I want something else, I make myself wait 15-20 minutes before I eat it. Usually, the urge goes away. The few times that it doesn't, I eat what I am craving, I just eat a very small amount. Also, a lot of time we think we are hungry, but we are really dehydrated. So, I also make sure to drink lots of water now.

Hope some of this helps. I think you are on the right track to overcome emotional eating...you have admitted and know it is a problem. Now, you just have to try different things, to see what works for you.