"Oh the kids have been real little bleeders today, I just have to have that glass of coke with dinner."
*Counts on the calendar* "Ahhh, day 28. Yep, I need a block of chocolate. NOW!"
"Hey, it's Friday night so I don't have to cook. Take away night? No washing up? McDonalds it is!"
"Only one row of Cadbury left. Hmmm. No point in just leaving it, may as well eat it now too."
"I've been bad with my eating today anyway so why not finish to off with some chocolate mousse? Hmmm, maybe a few (read closer, packet!) of Scotch Finger bikkies with my tea later too? I'll start fresh tomorrow."
"It's ok that I ate that crap yesterday, I'll just workout a little harder today."
*Not hungry yet walks into kitchen and without even thinking, grabs something something from the cupboard and walks back out.*
Do any of those sound like they're the words and actions of a girl who does not have a problem with food?
Hell freaking no!
I have been an emotional eater for years, and never realised it. The accidental addict.
The realisation came shortly after I started to make more conscious food choices, and I naively thought that accepting the problem would be the hardest step.
Epic. Fat. Fail.
I am fast discovering that all the exercising and well thought out meal planning in the world will not see me shed the flab until I get a grip on the way and think about food. It is my comfort. It is how I treat myself. It is my undoing.
In my mind, I am determined and motivated to overcome this and yet when a moment strikes where I am feeling bored and or anxious, I find myself back in front of the cupboard. Searching for something to make me feel better.
Reading various articles and personal recounts, this is such a common occurance. There are so many accidental addicts out there, all seeking solace in calories. How does one break the addiction? I am at a loss.
Any thoughts?
*Image from here
For me it has really been logging everything I eat (even the stuff I'm ashamed of) and trying to make conscious food choices rather than just eating my feelings.
ReplyDeleteNov 2nd was the 6th anniversary of my Mom's death and it's the FIRST time I didn't pig out and have an emotional meltdown.
As I've been logging my food choices, I've found my cravings have been easier to deal with and I am measuring and weighing what I eat and have started to re-train my body to realize what proper portion sizes are.
Omg I have said all of those more then once in my lifetime!! I am a big time emotional/comfort eater too.. also treat myself with food.. saturday night for example "Oh you have done so well studying today I deserve this WHOLE BLOCK of chocolate." *2 hours later* "Meh, ruined the diet anyways.. mmmm WHOLE BAG of chips, I'll just restart this thing tomorrow.."
ReplyDeleteummmm pass. Am not the one to ask for advice on anything that does not involve instant gratification. And now I want McDonalds!
ReplyDeletei think you have been spying on me. This is me down to well everything. I can come home from the supermarket and wonder how all the crap got in the bag, I do it without even knowhing
ReplyDeleteAh yep. Day 28 on the Hormonal Calendar sounds familiar. I'm sure that approximately 100% of women have said one of these things to themselves at some point.
ReplyDeleteMy own personal favourite is, "oh what the hell, I've already opened this block of Cadbury, may as well polish it off now so I'm not tempted later". That mentality makes heaps of sense.... oh wait, no, no it doesn't.
Personally, I'm getting better at the whole self-control gig. I think it's all about reshaping old habits. The thing that I always ask myself when I'm craving junk is, "HOW WILL THIS MAKE ME FEEL TOMORROW?" <-- Just that little reminder has stopped me from lurking in the chocolate aisle at Coles, or resorting to Maccas.
The other thing that has helped me is drinking tea whenever I have a craving or whenever I'm bored. Although it took a while to train myself to NOT have 12 Tim Tams to accompany my tea, it works. Fills me up and takes my mind off it for a while.
You've done amazingly well so far, Miss Holly. Keep taking baby steps. You'll get there soon enough xx
I do the maccas thing more often then i care to admit. Like last night.
ReplyDeleteGood luck my dear you'll get there.
28 days? I only get 25, no wonder I'm so fat, I'm eating chocolate more often than everyone else!
ReplyDeleteYou took the thoughts right out of my brain Holly.
You can do it!
I seem to reward myself for having made it to the weekend being good (even if some times I don't make to the weekend being good!). Red wine, dark chocolate ... it's all antioxidants, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI seem to reward myself for having made it to the weekend being good (even if some times I don't make to the weekend being good!). Red wine, dark chocolate ... it's all antioxidants, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI do the maccas thing more often then i care to admit. Like last night.
ReplyDeleteGood luck my dear you'll get there.
ummmm pass. Am not the one to ask for advice on anything that does not involve instant gratification. And now I want McDonalds!
ReplyDeleteFor me it has really been logging everything I eat (even the stuff I'm ashamed of) and trying to make conscious food choices rather than just eating my feelings.
ReplyDeleteNov 2nd was the 6th anniversary of my Mom's death and it's the FIRST time I didn't pig out and have an emotional meltdown.
As I've been logging my food choices, I've found my cravings have been easier to deal with and I am measuring and weighing what I eat and have started to re-train my body to realize what proper portion sizes are.
Girlfriend, we LIVED on Maccas when O was a newbie!
ReplyDelete25 days? Isn't it great being a girl? *gag*
ReplyDelete"HOW WILL THIS MAKE ME FEEL TOMORROW?"
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty damn awesome mantra to live by!
I'm hearing you girlfriend, the poor eating becomes a habit and habits can be tricky to kick. We can do it though!
ReplyDeleteI've been umm'ing and ahh'ing about the business of a food diary, but I think the time has come to try. Perhaps it can help keep on the straight and narrow. Thanks x
ReplyDeleteMmmm, cheeseburger! Damn you Mrs W ;)
ReplyDeleteI so do not have the answer and am an emotional eater too. It is so bloody hard but I guess we have to delay gratification. Distraction sometimes works for me, as well as stocking the cupboards with 'healthy' options (there really are only so many apples you feel like eating!). And tracking. Write it all down. Maybe the embarassment might set us straight?
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to read that I'm not the only person doing this! It's so hard to not pig out for emotional reasons. In some ways, it could be harder giving up chocolate, sugar and other junk than say alcohol because we still need food! If you know you're giving up grog, then you just don't buy it. But when you need to eat healthier, you're faced with choices about what to eat OVER AND OVER AGAIN, which makes it hard to be 'good'.
ReplyDeleteAntioxidants never tasted so good! ;)
ReplyDeleteI used to do the whole "I'll start fresh tomorrow" line too babe, but I found I would end up feeling guiltier :(
ReplyDeleteSo true Jacki! I find that meal planning and not buying sweet stuff for the kids helps abit ... but there times when I feel that 'desperate' that I've eaten Aktavite out of the jar or icing sugar. Icing sugar - Who the hell does that? Blergh. I'm hoping that getting these thoughts and feelings out will be a step forward in working out how to control the comfort snacking. Surely once we're in the groove, it becomes easier? *crosses fingers*
ReplyDeleteI started my food diary today, so here's hoping that the embarrassment can become a positive :)
ReplyDeleteAll the above AND feel compelled to eat whatever the kids leave left over on their plate because I abhor wasting food (Grandma always said its wrong to waste! - She also had a pantry full of Kingston biscuits, Mars Bars and fridge full of soft drink AND she was our child care!)
ReplyDeletePerhaps someone should invent a fridge and pantry that only open at certain times a day and only let you take out a certain amount of calories at a time? Or asks questions like 'are you really hungry? Really?'
If Knight Rider can have a talking car we should be able to have a talking pantry and fridge!
something amazing i found out today. coke diet only has like 1 or so cals and coke zero is less! and like .6g fat! some people think they taste different but i had a zero today and it tasted the same to me! so maybe try that instead.
ReplyDeleteAlso when we go shopping we hardly EVER buy chocolate. i know how do i survive? my partner is a health freak so he evil eyes me when i grab it. but i love him for it instead of buy chocie and eating it all in one sitting i grab a yummy tasteing yoghurt like those cheese cake ones or the pudding ones that are like 99% fat free so i eat them. i know its not excatly the same but try it next time u shop.
just skip that junk food isle dont even look down it! (i know its hard and takes some time getting use to) But in no time, when you just go to the cuboard without thinking you will grab something healthy instead. and pigging out on healthy stuff is alot beter that bad stuff :)
dont worry you will get their good luck x
Don't buy any crap food! If I have bad stuff in the house I eat it and I've found by doing the Boombah my Husband and I have had to stop buying treats. We have 70 per cent dark chocolate in the house which is really yummy and doesn't have as much sugar. But, it is really hard. As soon as I lose weight I think it's ok to treat myself, so now I have a few "planned" treats to get me through! Good luck x
ReplyDeleteTwo words - Weight Watchers
ReplyDeleteI'm serious, it's brilliant, you can still snack all you like, and there's room for sweets, but if you go over in 'points' you can go for a walk at the end of the day to make up for the extra, and you learn heaps about food choices and portion sizing. I found I could fit most of what we cook at home into the 'diet', just cutting back on full cream dairy, bread, butter and takeout. I lost 7kg in 13 weeks last year, and will start again after my bub arrives to get back into good habits (WW allows for breastfeeding mothers)
My problem is that the roof over the tool shed keeps growing even though I've cut down on the fuel and increased the exercise. Maybe I'm just getting old.
ReplyDeletethen tonight.. waaaaahhhhhhh i've had bad aunt flo cramps all day boo hoo... mmm comfort food (ie lamb and gravy roll..)
ReplyDeleteI need to see some sort of shrink or something, i know i am going to be devo tomorrow.. also need to get off my fat a** and exercise!! spent $200 on a bike and its going dusty.. fml why does this shit have to be so hard??!
I know exactly how you feel!
ReplyDeleteI keep in my wallet a page I cut out of a magazine that says basically:
Every extra pound on my body, every roll, represents a choice I made. A choice to eat something unhealthy, a choice to eat more of something then I needed, a choice to stay sedentary instead of exercising.
but-
Every pound that I lose represents the same type of choice. A choice to eat something healthy, a choice to eat only what I need to feel satisfied, a choice to move my body instead of taking a nap.
It has been so helpful to me to stop and think about that when I am trying to feed my feelings, or when I'm about to eat a candy just because someone near me is eating one, or when I am bored and just feel the need to chew!
I remind myself that it was my poor choices in the past that have brought me here (unhealthy, overweight, tired, etc) and either I change my habits or I'm going to be unhealthy forever.
That certainly puts things in perspective for me.
Ah crap. I had just typed out a big comment singing the praises of Weight Watchers and then I lost it! Grrrr
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo ... i see someone else has already suggested it, but you should consider Weight Watchers. I started it a couple of weeks ago only and it's working really well for me. I like it because, so long as you stay within your points allowance, you're still allowed to treat yourself. For instance, last night I had quite a few points left over so I had a mars bar ice cream - no guilt attached! I know as well that I'm a comfort eater and will eat snacks without realising it, or opt for a chinese on pay day etc ... But with Weight Watchers you write everything you eat down, so you're always aware of what's going into your body. I've been doing it for 2 weeks, have lost 6 lbs so far, and I'm never hungry!
I am a big sweets person. Since reliving the Hubba Bubba craze, I've steered clear of many a chocolate frog/50c cone/vanilla thickshake. I just have a piece of that grapey goodness and all my sweet-cravings are gone.
ReplyDeleteAfter YEARS and I mean Y.E.A.R.S of fighting the flab (both as a 'normal person' and as an athlete being weighed in public every freaking day and fat tested every month), I have found the only way is to deal with the psychological cause of the emotional eating. Deal with the baggage. See a really good psychologist and let go of the shit that compells you to reach for the chocolate and back it up with an icecream, a pack of Tim Tams, a burger and a pack of chips (because we all know that you have to balance your sweets with your salties, right?). It is an addiction like every other and needs to treated as such. Ask an addict of any other substance and they will tell you that simply swearing off it and quitting cold-turkey doesn't work. You have to eliminate the cause.
ReplyDeleteI am an emotional eater 100%.
ReplyDeleteAll of those statements above are falling out of my mouth daily.
It's so hard when they make food so damn enjoyable! Lol.
YES!!!! in that case, My Name is Mich, and I am an emotional eater. Welcome to EE's anonymous.
ReplyDelete