Emotional Eating

Hello All,

  I have not been here in awhile but I really need to check back in.  I have been struggling with emotional eating lately... lots of family health problems (not me) and I am stressed and find myself shoving food in my mouth.  I did gain 2 pounds - now 133 - not a pity party - but I honestly feel it in my jeans!  I do not wear any elastic pants - I want the pants to keep my butt in check.  I am worried about my family and have not kept myself inline.  I need to get motivated again.  I feel frumpy, and unmotivated.  

I guess I need some tough love and advise - I never want to return to 280 again.  I can't believe I feel 2 pounds in my jeans!  I feel so unattractive :( especially since I have two rolls that won't go away and inner thigh left over - can' t afford plastic surgery nor do I really want to do that to my body.

How do I get back into the groove of eating normal again and exercising and resisting the evil stuff?  I feel weak too; like I lost my muscle power - it really shows when you work out and when you don't.

Please help!

Thanks

If it's emotional eating, support groups or therapy might be most beneficial.  It's great that you recognize this now rather than waiting until it's out of control.  It's great for us who are still in weight loss mode to see how easy it can be to slip into bad habits.  I hope you find a solution.

Thanks for posting  

Do you have any pictures of yourself when you were you're highest weight & feeling frumpy? Maybe pasting that picture on the fridge or bathroom can be like a visual clue to remind yourself of how far you've come & to not go back. 

Maybe seeing a therapist or going to support groups might help. There have been other people in your situation & surrounding yourself with people who have been there might help. It's good that you recognize the problem now rather than waiting for it to get out of hand. 2lbs is easier to deal with than 20 or 200. Best of luck to you.

Sometimes I just... eat... but - I do make sure that the food is the good for me food... homemade meals - full of proteins, good natural fats (yes - I eat bacon), high quality very dark (86%) chocolate.. etc. 

when my body is stressing - limiting food - or going extremely low calories or low fat - backfired for me more than not. 

I would make food-snacks - that I call "no-limit food" that I eat when I am stress.

My new "plumbing" is controlling the qty - I control the quality. 

i.e baked or broiled chicken and sauteed low carb veggies,  pork loin, steak,  NSA pickles, cucumbers, lettuce, zucchini, cauliflower, etc...

I also have a rule that I can eat (slowly) for 30 min or until full... Then wait 30 min.. and if i want to eat again very soon after ...I need to drink at least 16 oz.. (water, coffee, tea) 

typically - eating really good food... and as much as I want - is more that enough for my body to relax ...

I agree that support helps with every challenge.  It really helps to get help.  You feel more in control.  Also, try to keep it simple.  Just keep lot's a chicken breast, steak and fish in the house and eat as cleanly as you can for a few weeks until you get back on track.  It really helps me when I begin to lose resolve and let emotional strife take over my food choices.

Good luck. I hope everybody feels better and you can catch an emotional break. 

Thank you all for your thoughts... Probably support group will be best. Hopefully I can find one after work hours, the one that I have attended in the past meets once a month and is when I teach swimming, so I miss it:(