Weight-Loss support for emotional eating

Weight-Loss
T

Tink

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I am not sure if this is the right place to post this so if its not please move it to the right place!! ( or if a thread like this has been started plz direct me to it.)


It is kind of a challenge but not like the others here as there is no starting and end date and no weight ins or amounts of exercise to do.


I am overweight because I emotionaly/binge eat..sometimes on healthy food which i can live with, but other times I eat so much to the point i have to spend days not going out as i am too full to literally do anything. I know I use food as method of self harm, along with a million other reasons. I thought it would be helpful if anyone else is in the same boat if we can help each other...so that is the challenge...to post in here when we have the urge and to figure out why and get support from each other. :grouphug:
 
i get really deppressed so when i need to binge eat i eat lots of chocolate instead of a main dinner, i did it yesterday and still lost
 
AI understamd wholeheartedly. That's where my 155 lb phase came from. I just quit smoking cigarettes (today is day 1 of 0 cigarettes) and let me tell you food is just screaming my name!

But I've worked too hard to go back to that...

Exercise is a great outlet for stress and craving. I almost bit someone's head off earlier today and then almost reached for the box of fig newtons but decided to 'drop and give me 20' instead. It's not easy, and I am crabby, but I haven't over-eaten today, at least not yet.

I guess what I'm tryin to say is finding an active outlet really REALLY helps. Whenever I would be faced with a craving back then I'd go out for a walk and fresh air.
 
SageJaguar - i totally get the quitting smoking...I did 3 years ago...see I used to smoke to deal with all the emotions to stop me using food instead...but since I stopped I turned to food again...and piled the huge amounts of weight back on. Sometimes the temptation to return to smoking is there but like you I just cant do that again to myself! And often i think but what is actually worse for my health, being overweight and binge eating, or smoking? How I stopped smoking is I told myself that I always had to give up at some point. And this is like my eating habbits too, I can't go on like this forever.


I know getting exercise really helps I need to get back to it and get some motivation! I find things a lot harder in the winter, in the summer I spend a lot of time outside and go cycling. I know too after exercising you just don't feel like eating as much, and feel a lot calmer. even if its just a slow swim. I have some sort of mental block at the moment about not going to the gym, but its just getting into a routine and once im in a routine its easier.


scottsblue - thats what I do. even if I write down why I feel depressed, sometimes the urge to eat rubbish feels just too overpowering. Hence why I started the thread so when we get it we can write it here.




I KNOW that when I want to binge/overeat it is because I NEED something other than food which I am not allowing myself to have. i.e I may need to relax, or talk to someone, or have a hug, or go to sleep,or cry. Sometimes I just feel desperate for something which comes out as me feeling desperate for food. So I have to think what do I actually need right now? what is it that I want?
 
Hitting the gym with full dedication is the best way to reduce stress and tension. It provides you a new perspective to the healthy life.
 
doing ok at the moment, if i want to binge i do so and vegetables which were frozen so are quick to cook, it doenst feel good to do this tho. Im also eating a bit of protein with breakfast and i think being good to myself in the morning makes the rest of the day easier. i have been to the gym doing cardio a couple of times but after feel really tired and cant eat 2 or 3 hours after so dont know wot drink or protein shake to use. it does really help on the day iv been to the gym.
 
Hey Tink,


Hi all, sounds like a good place to just come and let off some steam, being down on ourselves for the way we have ate. My son got a Wii for Christmas so I play games in the Winter months, that helps me a lot. I love to bowl, or play Tennis. I make sure that I eat three meals a day and eat healthy with counting Weight Watchers points, I don't count my fruit or vegetables now, when I am counting points, so far I don't get hungry. I use little cups of jello with fruit to get my sweets. Eating chocolate a few month back is why I went from 150 to 160 again, it is alright to have a little every now and then. But if we don't watch we will see our behinds, lol Mine went from a size 10 to a size 12 in just a few months, binging, I think I ate a whole box of chocolate at Christmas. But it took me a few days to eat it! I love chocolate:hug2:


AnnaGail
 
Tink, have you tried asking your doctor for help? I heard if one has a binge-eating disorder it doesn't usually get better by itself, and it could get worse if left untreated. I don't have a binge-eating disorder! I can usually lose the weight if I use Weight Watchers points. You can always use your search engine to find "food points". I don't go hungry counting Weight Watcher's points. We all need to seek help, when we need it.


:grouphug:
 
Hey annagail :) The way I am doing things is to not keep junk foods in my flat in easy reach! But to allow myself to eat it if Im with family etc, that way I only really eat it now and again now.


I am doing a lot better now than I was I think being on this forum is helping :). My doctors are not helpful at all, i need to go at the moment to get some cream for my ecsma but am putting that off as I hate going, they are just not very understanding of anything! I have tried to get help for my eating problems since I was 18 ( I am now 26 nearly ) but i have been told there's no help available unless I am underweight( even though at 18 -22 I was dangerously bulimic)Then 3 years ago I was underweight, I got onto a treatment program, this wasnt for eating though, it was for another mental health issue and involved having therapy. I have only just come out of that treatment program where in some ways it was helpful, in others it wasn't, as they didn't understand my eating behaviour! and while I was on this treatment program I put on A LOT of weight.


I have however looked up a free eating disorder place which accepts all types of eating behaviours to help, and I may go there in the future, but I am advised to have time off from therapy right now as I have just come out of an 18 month treatment programme. So in a few months I may access where I am, and If I feel I need it, I will refere myself there.


My eating however has improved a great deal over the years, I no longer starve and am now longer bulimic. I still use food emotionally and for the wrong reasons , but over the last week I have done better. I also have a slightly better body view now too I think, and no longer want to be thin, but just want to be in a healthy weight range, rather than being overweight! so I think I have come quite far, but still have a long way to go.


I have never tried weight watchers! At the moment I am trying to keep things simple and having fruit,veg,cottage cheese,eggs,fish mainly. glad the weight watchers is working for you ! :)
 
Also I am finding getting out each day to the gym ( even if i dont do much!) or for a walk aswell as concentrating on the healthy eating and getting everything that I need into my diet really helps. This way I am not concentrating on actually loosing weight, but more on routine and being healthy and enjoying healthy foods :) I think this forum helps as I think it definitely promotes a healthy lifestyle!



I am feeling a bit low today but Im going to try and cope by

tidying flat

getting out

relaxing

tv/reading/internet

trying to think positively whenever I get a negative though.
 
I am glad you have beat that problem and no longer bulimic! Good to hear from you again! We all have to work at keeping healthy, physical and menially. I need to get back to a steady exercise program.

Keep up the good work!


AnnaGail:hug2:
 
Thanks hun. :) Good luck to getting back to that exercise program, I need to do the same thing! I need some motivation to do some sit ups/squats etc.


Today how will i cope instead of badly eating?

buy healthy foods

go to the gym/swim

tidy up

watch a film

do some art?
 
I'm currently reading a book by Geneene Roth called, "Women, Food and God" that specifically addresses emotional eating. You might benefit from picking it up!
 
Great thanks killeekohnson :)


Im doing a lot better since I have been on this forum! which is awsome...still a long way to go I struggle to cope with food when around family situations...i.e when we all sit down to eat a meal it just turns that binge mode switch in my head. I eat way too much and spend the day stuffed. I think it might be because I feel that I am not in control, I feel I have to eat to be polite where as if I was by myself I wouldn't be eating a big meal at this time. I get a Bit panicy and I cant enjoy the day because all I am thinking is food...it's a horrible feeling.


When I am doing ok with my eating, such as my day was fine yesterday, I sometimes Have dreams that I am binge eating.
 
I am struggling today with emotions...and my mind is in a bit of the mindset of ruining things for myself but I am trying to get through it.
 
Hello,


I sure feel for you.

When I was in my late teens I suffered from anorexia, when people bugged me too much about it, I switched to bulimia since it was easier to do without being noticed.

I vividly remembered the awful feeling, and it was not until I passed out~ after one big binge, that I sat down and did a reality check.

'I am either in or out...and if I am going to enjoy this life, I'd better do something about it.'

It was a long journey, dealing with depressions, but I did overcome it. And you can too!


The great thing is that you have already identified your issue...you know what is happening and what is triggering you.

What ended up working for me is exercise..exercise will give you the 'feel good endorphins'. The natural 'highs'.

Increase your intensity , work out hard, work up a sweat.Set goals for yourself and get excited about your life.


Once I got my life in order I worked as a fitness instructor and personal trainer for 16 years, just loving it.

I worked with many woman and discovered that many woman had depression and self esteem issues. You are not alone in this...but you are the one who needs make the change.

From obsession with food~ to focusing on your quality of life. Discover what you may like to do, who you'd like to be, what you like you're life to be like.


There are so many people here who'd love to support you and be there for you...

Hang in there..

Louise
 
wow louise what an amazing story and inspiration! Luckily a week on I am doing better as I have dealt with what was bothering me. I still emotionally eat bits and bobs of food, but I am very much trying to eat to live not live to eat...and feeling more confident. I am doing a course in NLP which really helps. Last half a week im not having the huge binges I was. that is really scary that you passed out was it just your body dealing with all of that food?


I really worry about the damage i HAVE done to mine by binging/vomiting/overdosing on absolutely HUGE amounts of sugar. I worry I could get diabetes,heart deisease. I get hear palpitations and irregular heart beat and I am having that checked out by a blood test on tuesda but i am scared what the results will show. After I used to have huge binges my heart would go crazy and it was really scary.


How did you get into being a fitness instructor/personal trainer because that must be an amazing job. I imagine that I would enjoy that, I have thought about being one for a split second but then thought no you cant do that with ur background of things! I am thinking of doing a course in nutrition at the moment as the was we can use food for medicine just fascinate me....I think i would find it really interesting, the only thing stopping me at the moment is funding it. For me thinking about food in a different wAY, thinking of it as something that we all need to be healthy, to build muscle, to prevent illness etc is really helping me. Rather than thinking about those foods I used to tell myself I couldnt eat I am thinking about all the foods that I should be eating for optimal health.


I also was thinking last night that there are a lot of triggers that people say to me or I hear in conversations that can easily trigger my eating disorder. such as,"you have lost weight," or " you have got thunder thighs" ( both of whcih comments I have had over the last few days. ) Or it could be something my mum says or people having a conversation about weight in general...all these comments can be triggers for what I see is as a see-saw waiting to be tipped one way or another. It can either be tipped the side triggering me into madly binge eating for months and months, or for undereating and going in the opposite direction.


What I need to learn to do is not listen to these comments. To think I am my own person, this is what I am doing, this is what i am eating for myself for my optimum health.This way the see-saw stays balanced and I don't have the eating disorder! It is very hard to do but I am working on it!


thanks so much for your post. xx
 
Hello,


I am so glad to hear you've been doing all right.

I do not know why I passed out,I started to vomit blood so I knew very well something was really wrong!

It scared me enough to stop on the spot. I joined a gym and started to take aerobics classes and discovered I really enjoyed them. To my great surprise the owner of the gym approached me and asked it I was interested in training under her to become an instructor for the club. I trained like mad for a year, took many workshops and courses and I ended up teaching for many years.

I'll never know what made her ask me, what made her take me under 'her wing' so to speak, since I was out of shape, over weight and extremely shy.

I have been forever grate full for that opportunity.


You are on the right path as well, you are getting your health checked out and making changes.....way to go!!


Nutrition may be a great thing to get into for you as you will really be able to relate to people with those kinds of issues. Have faith that the right people and situations will show up for you too!

Seriously look into the program and who knows you may discover a way to fund it...


My mother always called me a big-boned girl...and I simply took that as the truth, I never even questioned it..It was not until I lost weight and got in great shape that I discovered a whole new body underneath....

I wish the same for you, for me losing weight and getting in shape was easier than creating a healthy self esteem. That was a lot more work for me.I am so glad to hear that you are working on that, you'll need that for the rest of your life.

You are so much more than your body.You are a beautiful person first!...then work on the rest of you...

Good luck at the doctors' this week, I'll be thinking of you.

Louise
 
Thankyou Louise.


That really does sound amazing that you were asked! Id be worried if I looked into doing fitness then on my low energy days ( random or when that time of the month etc ), I wouldnt be able to teach a class. Anyhow I know I want to study some human body things, and nutrition comes in with that, so I am pretty sure it is the right choice for me, I am thinking of saving up a little money and then doing the course next year. for now I have goten some books on nutrition out the library today.


I am only just realising that In order to beat my eating disorder demons I needed to beleive in myself and have some respect and self worth for myself. I am building this up gradually...and Now I think yes I do deserve to be healthy and happy and treat myself well, and I am equal to other people. ( I am still working on it ! ) You can only get your goals if you think you are worthy of them.


That must have been a really hard comment for your mother to make! Because as a child we just except comments like that, for instance if someone told someone else there's no point in trying at maths as noone in our family is good at it, then that child probably won't try at maths! Comments like these however aren't helpful and aren't realistic! ( I learn about this in my NLP class, to be honest I think this has helped me no end. )
 
ok, im really struggling and need some help but nowhere to go. I was thinking so positively and now its like a switch has been switched in m head and I am being negative about my life and future and feeling very low, I have been majorly dangerously binging the last 3 days...and dont have anywhere to go for hlep, it feels out of control that i cant stop it. its like the urge is SO strong that i just have to do it, being in the supermarket is the worst. hope to not get into the supermarket today, dought i will anyway as currently im too full to go out anyway! gowd really need some help feel rather desperate. how can i have changed so suddenly! !
 
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