Stress, availability, emotional eating
This week has been busy at work and I took on a part-time job that I found super stressful before, during and afterwards. I have found myself reaching for food - I assume for the role it played during the rest of my life - calming. Thus, I have been thinking about "stress" or "emotional" eating again. In my mind, "eating for other than hunger" or emotional eating seems to have been simplified with inappropriate blame attached. I have always resented that we are told that our obesity is in part due to an inability to handle emotions.
I think everyone eats for reasons other than hunger. I think thin people eat because of availability of something tasty, social situations (e.g. going to a bar), boredom, being tired or cranky and stress (resulting in whatever emotional pattern we tend towards . . . depression, anxiety, anger etc.). I watch my GF do it frequently. But, her portions are SOOOOO much smaller. Though, I think everyone eats more than they should at various times too. I don't think these behaviors are pathologic, though perhaps not helpful or even detrimental in someone with the genetic tendency for morbid obesity. Eating other than for hunger is cultural.
Thin and thick, I think we eat because of availability, social interactivity, boredom, acute stress and chronic stress predominantly. I think many emotions and situations can cause stress. Acute stresses can perhaps be handled using the new eating skills we have been learning. Though, I have not been doing very well at it this week. . . Chronic stresses (crappy childhoods, bad relationships, anger at how being fat hurt) need to be addressed more formally (perhaps by therapy). Physical pain needs to be fixed, if possible. Anxiety (social, performance etc.) needs to be recognized. Boredom needs to be addressed in an active fashion (cleaning, exercising, reading . . . ).
The underlying causes of my recent slip are important but the actual re-emerging eating behaviors are what need modification. I need to get the food stimuli off the counters. I need to stop myself from buying the carbohydrates. I need to make good food choices. I need to control my portions. I need to find stuff to actively participate in like exercise. I need to figure out how to make the stressful situation better - not do the part time job, make my workspace more useable, fix the PC I am using . . . because everyone inappropriately eats in response to the triggers. I just get super fat very easily!
I think everyone eats for reasons other than hunger. I think thin people eat because of availability of something tasty, social situations (e.g. going to a bar), boredom, being tired or cranky and stress (resulting in whatever emotional pattern we tend towards . . . depression, anxiety, anger etc.). I watch my GF do it frequently. But, her portions are SOOOOO much smaller. Though, I think everyone eats more than they should at various times too. I don't think these behaviors are pathologic, though perhaps not helpful or even detrimental in someone with the genetic tendency for morbid obesity. Eating other than for hunger is cultural.
Thin and thick, I think we eat because of availability, social interactivity, boredom, acute stress and chronic stress predominantly. I think many emotions and situations can cause stress. Acute stresses can perhaps be handled using the new eating skills we have been learning. Though, I have not been doing very well at it this week. . . Chronic stresses (crappy childhoods, bad relationships, anger at how being fat hurt) need to be addressed more formally (perhaps by therapy). Physical pain needs to be fixed, if possible. Anxiety (social, performance etc.) needs to be recognized. Boredom needs to be addressed in an active fashion (cleaning, exercising, reading . . . ).
The underlying causes of my recent slip are important but the actual re-emerging eating behaviors are what need modification. I need to get the food stimuli off the counters. I need to stop myself from buying the carbohydrates. I need to make good food choices. I need to control my portions. I need to find stuff to actively participate in like exercise. I need to figure out how to make the stressful situation better - not do the part time job, make my workspace more useable, fix the PC I am using . . . because everyone inappropriately eats in response to the triggers. I just get super fat very easily!
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