emotional eating

All of my life I have been an eater. I was rewarded with food, scolded with food (i.e. if you don't eat all of the food on your plate you have to eat it the next day for breakfast -or- if you don't eat all of your food, you won't get desert)

My point is that I have always been overweight and that isn't the problem.. a couple years ago I lost 100 pounds.. I was doing great, working out, eating healthy foods, drinking lots of water, and was very motivated.

After Sept. 11th the depressing led me into my Emotional Eating habits again.. and although I was working in the health/fitness industry I was yo-yoing.. I am even a Certfied Personal Trainer now.. I continue to work out.. but my problem is deeper than this.

I've gained 50 pounds in a year, could be more or less because i've lost some and gained some..but the fact .. I am sitting up here eating and eating and eating and I just can't stop.. I know what I need to do and how to do it.. I will be so motivated one day and will do great for about a week, sometimes 2 or sometimes a month and then next thing you know my mind will somehow just give me amnesia to the fact that I know that I don't need food to feel better about myself in any ways..

Believe me, I am a tall, beautiful, confident plus size women (a model too).. but I don't mind being big.. I just have to get past this emotional eating.. it is hurting me mentally more than anything and I don't want to continue gaining anymore weight.

Does anyone have any tips other than exercise or nutrition.. because I know all about that.. I just need some advice on the emotional eating aspect.. it is really hard.. for instance today I must have ate 4 donuts, a burger combo for lunch, and four-five slices of pizza for dinner, then turn around have soda, cookies, and watermelon.. (this is not me.. I don't want it to be.. I really need help, but can't afford a therapis)

Thank you!

Hey. First of all. Work out why you feel emotionally inclined to eat. Do you just get depressed every now and again? Or is there an on going emotional conflict within you about something specific? I need more information. If you feel depressed about something, work out what. Do you feel lonely, unwanted, overwhelmed? I would predict that in your circumstance, seeming that your distress has little to do with your body and more with your mind, there is something missing from your life that your mind tells you may be completed with food. Find this problem, and talk about it. Thats what this sites about.

I sometimes don't know.. I think it could be that I have so many goals and because growing up I didn't have the emotional support and still it's hard for me to really grow up (mentally).. and for me the more that I do, the more I eat for comfort.. it's natural for me to do it.. I just don't want to do it anymore.. it is super hard!

I am slightly depressed.. I've never been diagnosed with depression, but I know how I feel.. I have been getting very moody lately too.. I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder last year and that is really hard to deal with sometimes as well.. And lately I have been fighting my sleep because of laziness and I don't know if that counts as insomnia, but i've been waiting until I get so tired that my eyes feel like they are burning and then i've got only 2-4 hours for sleep before work.. then with the junk food on top if it.. I feel disgusting.

what's making u so sad.... to the pt of emotional eating binges ...do u feel lonely, concern about something? u seem to have a good self esteem...so feeling unpretty shouldn't be an issue?

I think u should find teh root of ur prob... and realize that food is not goingt o help u with it... i have heard that pp sometimes bing because its their way of feeling they are in control of something in an ever changing environment... i dont know if this makes sense.

for now i suggest not keeping junk food around in ur house (donuts, soda, cookies, ice cream etc.............. i know that when i broke up with my 1st bf, my bestfriend and i walked in my house.... i asked her if she wanted ice cream she said yes so i served her and continued to eat rt froom the box). The food that u do keep..make it so that it takes time to prepare...that way u kinda have to work in order to eat...

keep busy..go out....volunteer in ur neighborhood... this not only keeps u busy but makes u feel good inside... but definietly try to get to teh root of ur prob.... ur sadness....... what drives u to bing...

question: does binging make u feel better?

Good luck ... be strong .... u r not alone... i've had issues with sadness and food and a close friend of mine ..told me a yr ago that she is bulimic....

PS: If u find something that works for u (control emotional binges).... do share ... i have yet to find a way to get my friend to stop ..she too has no money for therapy... it has gotten to the pt where her voice has changed... she has a deep voice now..... and all her family and her close friends know... but we don't know what we can do ....

If I find something out I will sure post it.. thanks for your posts..

To answer your question.. yes, it does make me feel better while i'm eating, but then when I stop I feel bloated and bad for what I did and it drives me (like a drug) to do more, eat more, etc.

Today I found a pooch on my upper abdomen.. normally I have a small waist and not a pooch up top..

I didn't know what drove me to the emotional eating before, but this time around I think it is more because of the fact that I once had so much control and now I can't seem to get ahold of it.

Where do u get all the food from , I mean do you keep it stocked in your fridge or order it from outside

If it’s the fridge keep healthy food in it , its all about acquiring a taste for food , I used to love mc Donald’s eat there constantly then I gave it up for a few months lost weight and I haven’t eaten there in over a year , cant stand it now .

It all about craving, deny your body initially a certain kind of food and it will learn to do without it , I know its tough initially but maybe u can replace ur habit by doing other things like when u feel like eating , don’t think to hard about what u want to eat DON’T PICTURE IT IN YOUR MIND just say hmm I am really hungry ..open the fridge and hog all the healthy stuff (just a theory)

Good luck

Alright. Following on, do you have a boyfriend? It may seem like an irrelevant question, but I know how you feel, but it wasn't food for me. I think you need someone to talk to. REALLY talk to. When I was young my parents raised me in a good environment, but I lacked emotional support.

I've never talked to anyone, and I began to feel emotionally sick. But one day I found this girl who completely understood me. If you have someone like that, you need to talk. You need someone more real, someone who knows you well, to talk to. Trust me, if anyone has an anxiety disorder its me. I just think you need to find a friend you truly trust. Someone whom when you are around you don't feel anxious, exploited or betrayed. Good luck