BOTT Question: How do you avoid emotional eating?

 I started making sure I was getting in at least 90 grams of protein a day and my carbs. come from fruit and vegetables.  I only eat 3 times a day.  I also eat on a saucer.  I walk at least 2 miles at least 3 times a week.  With doing this I've lost 43.25 pounds last year and so far 12.25 pounds this year.
In friendship,
Mary Alida Ward
Holdenville, OK
281/160.25/163.6/148  (5'6" tall) 

i had my RNY June of 2008 and have gained 30 lbs in the last year. I originally only lost 70 lbs. so I am almost right back where I started from. How do you start to get back on the right track. I am so frusrtated. I am getting depressed over it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated by anyone.

 I realy enjoyed what you wrote here thanks for sharing

recently I had one of the worse emotional months, my parents were staying with us for 21 days, my mom is a fight or flight person, so I have to be extremely careful of everything I say.  after some weeks, it was so intense, I would bolt from the house and walk really really fast around the block. at one point even that was not possible, I ended up putting a shot of vodka in my morning coffee so that even if she was getting too intense, I could just ignore it and not care.  confrontrations with her are non-productive and no amount of 'talking' will bring us to a point of non-contention, so for the obglitory visit every 24 months for the sake of the grandchildren requires this type of coping mechanism.

I was a recent advance leader training program with extremely limited food choices at each meal.  I packed enough protein bars and dried fruit to get me through rather than starve.  they did offer a salad twice a day and fresh fruit so there was no 'starving' but I didnt know that would be provided, so I came prepared.  over all, it is better to be over prepared rather than under.

Oh geez... I am a bored eater bigtime.. and stress eater.. and what I crave is carbs!!!!!!!!!!!!! Which is totally bad. However, if I'm having a busy day - I can go all day and not even realize that I've not eaten - just as long as I've got liquid.. so maybe that's what I need to do to break the carb dependancy.. high protein liquid diet for a couple day.s.
Anyway - food has always been a comfort point for me..so was smoking.. quit the smoking. Now it's time to quit the bad food.

I do so good during the day and then it is all down hill for me after about 7pm.  I get up all during the night eating.  I have not found anything that works.  It is a horrible habit and one I have set out to break for the last 15 years and have not been able to.  I have great intentions but when it gets time to actually follow through, I cave and always tell myself I will work on it tomorrow.  I lost 71 with lapband and have gained 30 back.  I feel like a big failure. 

i have the same problem of nighttime eating..don't feel like a failure.  i really have to keep myself from going into the kitchen when i get up in the night..it is really hard, but if i just get a drink and tell my self that i am only thirsty and go back to bed then usually that is all it really is. sometimes i really have to force myself to keep from going into the kitchen. then when i get up the next day i try and pat myself on the back and tell myself that i made it thru the night without eating.  but if i do really need to eat, i try and eat just a tiny bite or two of something healthy like cheese or a carrot stick, or a bite of cottage cheese--mostly something protien to assuage the desire to eat. that is how i gained most of my weight and consequently have lost some of it by breaking the nighttime eating habit.  you can do it..just tell yourself that every night before you go to bed.  try eating a light snack before bed--high in protien like peanut butter celery or cheese or cottage cheese...that helped me.

Hi Cathy,

Thank you for asking me to join your group. i"m very depressed these days because I have gained 50 pounds back, never quite got to my goal in order to have the tummy tuck and had major ankle surgery last July and Sept and was just this past week given the okay to drive. I still can't walk very well, can't exercise very well either, insurance is done paying for PT, have to try to do it on my own now. So, sorry to say I'm not a really happy person right now and probably not what you all need to be hearing from. I did like your ideas though. When you had your surgery were you told to eat six small meals a day?  I seem to be grazing all day long. rying to eat healthy snacks but stressing out horribly.  I will be seeing my therapist this week. Besides all that is happening with me, my husband is not well either so we have been dealing with his stuff too.

Well, maybe next week I'll be in better spirits. Take care and keep up the great work.

Lorraine

Ah yes, the head hungeries - seems they are just waiting there to give us a shove to get us off track when we are the most vulnerable.  Right?  That's  just the point - it's that vulnerability we used to soothe with food that is the hook.   So......as we think so shall we eat.  I do whatever I can to change my thinking.

1.  Use hunger does NOT = emergency.  I say this over and over and over.

2.  I sa, "No one has ever fallen over in a heap dead because they did not give into a craving."

3.  I look for someone to talk to in person.

4.  I climb stairs

5.  I post on BOTT and check MY OH to see if any of my friends haave been there

6.  I give at least one heartfelt compliment/appreciation/support   I share I am struggling (takes a lot of power out of temptation)  In short, I call on BOTT POWER

7.  IF it isn't obvious, when I get myself a bit "de-hungeried" I do my best to figure out what on earth triggered me to want to eat.  (Sometimes it began as long as a day and a half before)

8.  And, sometimes, I just DON'T EAT - that can be a full time jo!!!!!

9.  I reach out and try to help someone - with a task or with their thinking

10.  I remind myself I AM GOOD ENOUGH

It will be so great getting new ideas from everyone!  In fact, this is my topic to present to this month's meeting of my bariatric support group - so, please, bring on those ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Stuff that works for me?  #1 is crochet. Having my hands full of lovely yarn and a hook keeps me from reaching for the munchies. Everything else is common sense. Waiting, hydrating,eating "smart" etc. Now that it's warming up I can start eating shaved ice with crystal light (fixes the "munch" hydrates me, and makes me happy)