How to Stop Emotional Eating

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 0 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #36,511 in Health, #354,799 overall

Emotional Eating

Emotional eating, binge eating disorder (BED), compulsive overeating, whatever you want to call it... it definitely used to be a problem for me.

Question: So what causes someone to struggle with emotional eating?

Answer: The inability to deal with emotions in a healthy manner.

When an emotional eater begins to have unwanted emotions; FOOD comes to mind immediately. But why?

-The act of eating is a distraction.
-It makes the emotion go away (at least temporarily).
-Eating releases endorphins.
-Eating provides a burst of energy.

But the problem is that the unwanted emotions surface again, and again, and again. That's where the cycle keeps going around and you feel out of control.

So is this considered an addiction?

Being Addicted to Food 

What is it like?

When food becomes more than physical nourishment, you have a problem...

I'm not saying that the occasional bowl of icecream means you have B.E.D..

This is what www.helpguide.org says:
(the symptoms in italics are the ones that I've experienced)

Behavioral symptoms of binge eating and compulsive overeating

  • Inability to stop eating or control what you're eating

  • Rapidly eating large amounts of food

  • Eating even when you're full

  • Hiding or stockpiling food to eat later in secret

  • Eating normally around others, but gorging when you're alone

  • Eating continuously throughout the day, with no planned mealtimes



Emotional symptoms of binge eating and compulsive overeating

  • Feeling tension that is only relieved by eating

  • Embarrassment over how much you're eating

  • Feeling numb while bingeing-like you're not really there or you're on auto-pilot.

  • Never feeling satisfied, no matter how much you eat

  • Feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after overeating<

  • Desperation to control weight and eating habits

What do you think? 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Is this really an addiction? 

It can literally feel like a ball and chain. Like you're trapped with no way out!

Some say "yes", that emotional eating is an addiction, and others say "no". But quite frankly; either way it doesn't much matter.

Either way people are dealing with emotional eating every day.

As a stay at home mom, I used to use food as a crutch to buffer the reality of motherhood. If I felt stressed or overwhelmed I turned to food for that quick fix and comfort.

It used to be bad enough at times that I would already be thinking about what I was going to eat next after I had just eaten a full meal.

Or when I would have a bad day with kids, I'd crack open a bag of chocolate chips and keep going to the cupboard for handfuls during the day. Before I realize it, I've consumed a full days worth of calories within a couple of hours!

I almost never used to be hungry because I snacked all day, and I had full meals too!

Binge eating is very real! Although I have struggled in the past things are much better now!

I want others to know that you are not alone in this! Just keep moving forward, and reach out for help.

Overcome-Binge-Eating.com may be a good resource to check out.

Inisight to an emotional eating episode 

Garbage Eating: The Secret Shame of Binge Eaters

Visit http://www.healyourhunger.com/ to get your free Jump Start Kit! Tricia tells the true story of just how far binge eaters will go to in order to get their "fix." Be Totally Free! is a non-profit organization focused on helping people overcome not just one, but all addictions, obsessions and compulsions - including overeating, emotional eating, anorexia, bulimia, alcoholism, drug addiction and other compulsive/addictive behaviors. This help is provided by people who have actually overcome these many various addictions themselves.

Runtime: 591
15267 views
75 Comments:

curated content from YouTube

Dont give up! 

emotional eating is conquerable

Emotional eating doesn't have to occupy all of your time. You have a life to live, so go on and live it!

You're not going to wake up one morning and be "healed". It is a process of re-learning how to eat and deal with emotions.

It becomes a series of baby steps, until finally you are free from emotional eating!!

Here is a Lens to show you how: Best.EmotionalEatingSolutions.Ever.com

Weight loss on Amazon 

100 Days of Weight Loss: The Secret to Being Successful on Any Diet Plan

Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 01/07/2010) Buy Now

Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir

Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 01/07/2010) Buy Now

Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: Over 140 Delicious Low-Fat High-Protein Recipes to Enjoy in the Weeks, Months and Years After Surgery

Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 01/07/2010) Buy Now

New Guestbook 

submit

by kurtnstefanie

Sign up for my Free e-course on How to Stop Binge Eating.

Hi, my name is Stefanie. I am a stay at home mom. I have two beautiful girls ages 5 and 2 w... (more)

Explore related pages

Create a Lens!