Q.O.D. 3/26

Happy Friday everyone Today's question is: Are (or were you) an emotional eater? What do you think contributed to your being morbidly obese? How are you dealing with this post op? Jackie

YES....but I am an "all" emotions eater...happy, sad, especially angry. My whole family is M.O. so I think it is a combination of nature and nuture. I am having a hard time dealing with this post op...as long as I am losing I am okay, but when the scale stops (as it has done for the last few weeks) then I feel discouraged and want to feel better, which of course in the past would mean eating, so now I am just left "feeling" all these emotions and it is no fun. I am hoping that someone will have a good answer for this

Boy that is a REAL good question Jackie!! I don't believe I am an emotional eater but if I sit too long and stay idle then I want to snack. Of course MO runs in my family also so I'm like you and believe genes play a BIG part in it. Right now I'm concentrating on exercise and finding "other" things to keep me busy (especially at night), i.e. rubber stamping, cross stitching, exercise, etc. I too feel that when the scale is moving I am quite excited but when it's not (like right now) I start to feel like I've failed BUT then I talk myself right out of it. I am doing everything humanly possible to lose so when my body is ready it will go!! Thanks - God Bless. Jill

I too am a major emotional eater......Me and my hubbys first fight after surgery was very hard to deal with.....normally he just runs to Taco BEll for me and I feel all better.....well he can't make me happy with food anymore and I am finding it hard to deal with.......When I am majorly stressed it really bothers me....I reach for crackers....horrible habit!!! I am dealing with it one day at a time....sometimes are good....some not! My family is heavy but I am by far the worst so I don't know I got so big! Jesi

I eat when I get bored and when I get stressed out! I have been trying to stay busy and now that the weather is getting nicer it should be easier to keep busy and get more exercise.

I am definitely a BOREDOM eater....and when I am depressed...and of course it is a way to celebrate and entertain Going out involves eating, getting together with family involves eating...weddings, parties, everything...we are inundated with it. I wake up thinking about it.....I think I must be obsessed. Even after BUYING smaller pants last night (18/20) and realizing how fat I still am.....I still think about food! What am I doing about it? I have learned that I can be satisfied with 1-2 bites of something. I know I can't eat that big of a portion so as much as I dream about something I can't eat that much of it. AND since I am sooo paranoid about food getting stuck I over chew sooo much that the FOOD that tasted soo good in my MIND really doesn't taste that good after I have chewed it 20-25 times. For example...today I am headed to the mall food court for lunch. SOOO many choices. What I really really want is the Great Steak company philly cheese steak with mushrooms but the BIG squishy white bread is very intimidating. PLUS at 7 bucks...I would waste 90% of it. BUT I am not in the mood for Chick Fil A nuggets OR a Subway Wrap. NO clue what choice I will make once I get over there.....probably end up with the wrap but not be happy with it. Other choices are chinese but I am afraid of how much sugar might be in the sauces. Pizza place....orange julius, mcd's (ugh) bad experience with grease last time think I will pass on them for a while!, I don't think that leaves any other options.

I come from a big Italian family, so there was always tons of food all the time. I am (or was ) a quantity eater, so this surgery should take care of that!! But I also eat out of boredom. I rattle around the house, walk by the pantry and grab a handful of nuts. Then I grab a slice of cheese and sit at the computer while I check out OH!! Fitday.com helps me keep the snacking in check, and when I feel down about not being obedient to all my rules, I think back to what a day of cheating would have been, and my nuts and cheese don't look so bad! Lisa G

I used to eat at any kind of emotion. Post-op it is not possible to do that any more.I still get stressed,happy,sad,angry, but I am dealing with that the same way anyone else would.(I guess)I am smoking again and I guess that is my coping device.I will quit again soon. steve

I really don't think I am an emotional eater. I mean, I guess at one time or another, we sometimes all eat at times of great emotion. However, I don't see that it is a coping mechanism with me. I ate out of boredom, or just because I liked the taste of the food. My entire family on both sides was/is morbidly obese and I had a grandmother who always said "don't you want some more"....and so I did. I learned to love the tastes of high fat, high calorie food. As a post-op it is sometimes hard for me not to eat large quantities of food. But, I sometimes just don't eat something at all because I think that it isn't worth it when all I can have is a spoonful or so. I guess that's the positive way to do it. Fortunately my tastes have changed some too and I don't want the foods I wanted before. Christy 336/218/140

Not only am I an emotional eater but I also eat when bored or stressed. Let's face it...I just ate and now I am having a hard time dealing with not eating all the things I should. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't take back my surgery... EVER, but like you guys have said I have my good days and my bad. I really need to get my tail out of the house and do some exercise when I feel this way! I just find that hard at night when the little ones are here and I don't have a sitter. ~Rachel