Emotional eating...best ways to avoid it?

[TTCinBC]

So I've been on and off weight watchers since september of 2012...i have lost a total of 20 lbs. Not good. I'm a huge emotional eater and I've been trying very hard recently to get that under control and it was going well...but of course I wasn't under much stress. Well this week has been crap. I have some really tough family stuff going on that is very sad/upsetting and to top it all off I head back to work from mat leave on saturday after having been off work for 15 months. So I'm also dealing with anxiety about that and I'm finding I'm right back to emotional eating...What can I do? Any tips or advice would be greatly welcomed!!

Thanks

 

[Tink_]

Hey,

I can relate a lot; I'm a massive emotional eater as well and it's difficult! It must be harder for you as well because I was going to suggest not keeping certain foods in but I imagine with the two little ones, you have to have some 'nice' foods in for them.
As one of the things I do (I'm still TTC) is just keep in the house exactly what I need - like making up a meal plan for the week and planning my food. I include treats but I buy the treats on the day, that way I can't binge because of my emotions.

Do you find writing helpful? When I'm stressed/emotional I find it helpful to write out what is going on for me and that takes sometime so is good as a distraction from eating and hopefully helps to de-stress as well.

All distractions are a good thing if you can find some!

Another idea might be to have some healthy but tasty snacks in to binge on. No use cutting up carrots because I'm guessing you probably won't crave them if you're like me hehe. But perhaps freezing some chocolate yoghurt or something because that will take you a long time to eat but will satisfy chocolate cravings etc.

Hope this is of some help. x

 

[Ali33]

Another emotional eater here .. Well I was anyway.. I lost my son at 24 weeks in May and I was determined not to drown my stress and anxiety in food. I started working out every time I felt stressed or sad. I am now down 30 lbs. I feel so much better working out when I need to just release emotion or stress...It's hard at first but you feel so much better when you get into it.. xx

 

[LoolaBear]

another emotional eater here (or ex emotional eater!)

as a PP said working out is a good way to get the emotion out instead of keeping it in through food.
i have found that has helped loads. also distractions. you find yourself having the urge to eat then distract yourself, read a book, go for a walk, think of the following weeks shopping list.
also i try and keep a bottle of water with me so if i get the urge i just drink as much water as i possibly can i then feel so full of water the thought of eating disgusts me lol, by the time the feeling has passed i no longer have the urge to eat.

i have huge emotional 'come downs' on the last day of my period when my hormones are rapidly changing gearing up for the next cycle (made worse by being on the pill!) these make me just want to eat and eat and eat so i tend to distract myself with the children or if i can't resist the urge i eat popcorn! very filling and very low in calorie (if you go for the savour kind instead of the sweet, but even then the sweet kind isnt too bad)