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I think the bolded above is an important key (just one of many imo) to emotional eating... that we associate food with love. The following 2 videos address why we love certain foods (and hate others), and how to eliminate the emotional charge/attachment or aversion we have towards various foods.
Of course, for many of us who've been overweight most of our lives (myself included), it's a complicated issue. But, I think this process can go a long way towards chipping away at the issues involved.
T
He has a ton of FREE videos on Youtube, many dealing with various aspects of weight loss and food addiction. By watching the videos, it's possible to learn how to use the process he uses for yourself. I'm just in the beginning stages of using them and am finding them helpful, so thought others might find these to be a useful tool in addressing the emotional side of overeating.
I'd love to hear what others think about them.
his strategy actually has been working for me. Two weeks ago, I went through a brownie and biscuit phase. They were big biscuits. Of I feel heavy and crappy, and I gave into one yesterday. However, I thought about it, I only like the middle buttery part, and I actually compiled the last 10 times I ate this biscuit. Only one out of ten times was actually heaven. The rest of the time the taste was ok to not great.
This has helped me kicked that habit and tempation when I see one at the store. I realize this thing has a ton a calories, no nutrients and 90 percent of time it is going to even taste that good.
On the other hand, I have not given up my whole foods pizza. This stuff is worth it almost every time I eat it. But I eat half the time or divide it up.
The only reason I have not blown up because one I actually like to workout and be active. I squeeze in sprints while catching the train and walking up the stairs. I also hike, play volleyball and walk a lot. This is fun to me and I am 5'11. I always wanted to get my emotional eating together, but I know I would look amazing if I could conquer this for good.
The only time it worked for me was college. I was 5'10" 6/8 and had an awesome body, but I was so happy in college. I am actually going to watch this video
Your diet is so sad.
I have lost weight and I continue to lose weight and my food taste amazing and I can even occasionally have sweet treats and not gain for feel guilty.
If you want I can DM you some of the stuff me and TG make. You won't feel so sad eating it.
What amazing food do you make. I am interested, but I know that would help a lot people. I enjoy healthy food believe or not more than junk. I just bored with meal making and not that creative. However sometimes, I am going to dig in have a cheese pizza but nothing cheap like Domino's or any national chain. I am picky with my unhealthy choices. lol
I was thinking about this earlier this week and realized that there is another emotional side to eating and weight loss as well and that is that at times we perceive that it's "safer" to be overweight. In my case I think that at times I don't like myself as well when my weight drops in that I tend to get very focused on it and I get more vain and start thinking too much about how much more attractive I might be getting and comparing myself more to other people and thinking thoughts about them and how they would look so much better if they would just lose some weight. It's almost like as my physical self gets prettier, my spiritual self gets uglier and I don't like that tendency in me and I'm afraid that if I can't manage to address that then I will always be struggling with my weight, as it's not a healthy kind of focus and not very nice.
Also, another "safe haven" in fat is that I get more interested in sex when I'm thinner and much more so at times, but as I'm single and not dating anyone in particular I don't want to be too interested at the moment, if you know what I mean. So, keeping a layer around my middle keeps me less attractive to the opposite sex and it keeps my other appetite in check and I'm not sure how to get around this one. Anyone else stay plump for this reason? I think this may be why I gained so much weight while I was dealing with my mother's health issues--at that time I really could not take time out to think about anything else except how we were going to get her the care that she needed.
Your diet is so sad.
I have lost weight and I continue to lose weight and my food taste amazing and I can even occasionally have sweet treats and not gain for feel guilty.
If you want I can DM you some of the stuff me and TG make. You won't feel so sad eating it.
I don't get this. I never said what my diet was.
I don't think you quite grasped the point of the thread. I can make wonderful food. It was the emotional side of giving up the stuff that isn't good for me that I use for comfort that I was looking for conversation on.
I have always struggled with my weight. I've been "chubby" my whole life. I'm 5'3" and I weighed 135-140 throughout my 20's - which is technically not overweight but borderline. Then in my 30's my career picked up (and stress too) and I started gaining more weight. My highest non-pregnancy weight was 150-152 which still isn't huge but to me it felt horrible. I gain weight in my face, and a chubby face can't be hidden in clothing.
I've almost always been on some sort of "diet" (usually calorie counting or weight watchers) which probably has kept me from gaining even more weight. I have a huge problem with emotional eating. I know what to eat and how much to eat, but I love junk food and tend to go overboard with sweets & carbs.
What has really helped me is reading "The Beck Diet Solution". It's about changing behaviors to help with weight loss. Using a combination of Weight Watchers and the cognitive therapy techniques from the book, I have lost 8 pounds in the last few months (currently 142). Another thing that helps me is keeping a journal (I was doing this before reading the book). I write out my feelings related to weight loss, relationships, job stress, etc. It really helps me vent a little and sort out my feelings. I actually use a Word document on my computer that is password protected to make sure no one sees it.
This is such a DUH to me. I'm a writer (can't quit the day job) by it being my first love, even more than chocolate.
Thank you for what should have been an obvious suggestion to me!!!! I think I will keep a journal specifically for the feelings about food.
I might check out that book, too.
Tried WW once, by the way. Doesn't work for me. I was just always starving.
While I need to lose a good 50-60lbs at the moment, I will tell you what worked for me before in the sweet catagory... Hershey Kisses are your friends. And gum. Lots of gum.
I am an emotional eater too, and have been under an abnormal amount of stress in recent years so have gained alot of weight over the past 11 years, especially after my first two children were born (2001 and 2004), I miscarried twins (2006), and my mother passed away in 2008, and various other issues I am now dealing with. 3 years ago something clicked in me that if I wanted to have a third child, I needed to get in shape as we were having difficulty trying to get pregnant. In 2009, I lost 15lbs in 2 months and got pregnant. I was eating right and only exercising for less than 20 minutes a day. I had my usual coffe with milk and sugar in the morning. But I allowed myself 2-3 Hershey Kisses after each meal (I love dessert) and that was enough for me to stop the craving. I also allowed myself Friday nights off from my diet and truthfully saturday nights too. Why? Because my husband and I get a special yummy, melty, gooey amazing thing every friday called an Insideout pizza. I cannot even explain the deliciousness of these. Anyway, I still ate right during the day on weekends, but saved the yummy treats for later. I ate right during the first few months of my pregnancy and actually lost too much weight, from being sick, so the doc told me to eat a little more. I also gave birth to an almost 11lb baby. Gained 25lbs with him and after got it all off within a week of giving birth, but have gained alot back on top of what I was trying to lose prior. He is 2.5 now and I am still fat. Food is the only comfort I can find on most days, its my friend and it doesn't judge me and always makes me feel better. I know where you are with the emotions, I totally get it...I'm with you.
So, back to how I lost the weight...there are so many flavored gums out there that also satisfy the craving for sweets and for chewing. I find lots of little tricks here and there help. I work at a desk for 8 hours a day, so everytime I had to get up, I did 25 squats in my office, even in my heels. I would make myself get up every hour on the hour and move around. Walked from one end of the office to the other and back. I also have a large walk in closet in my office which holds my exercise ball. I would go in and do 20-30 crunches on that before sitting back in my chair. I would walk at lunch or close my door and exercise right in my office. Great energy boost for the mid day too. I drink tons of water. No soda at all except one on friday night.
I just re-started this today and hope to get most of this weight off by Christmas. I have a hard time finding the time to workout now since my youngest is so small and still needs constant supervision. My two older kids are 8 and 11 and are self-sufficient. I used to work out as soon as I got home from work before dinner. I don't know how that will work now, but giving it a shot.
Here is what my food consisted of:
Breakfast: Special K with fat free milk, large cup of coffee, about 4oz of OJ. Lunch: salad with an egg, low fat or spray dressing, Hershey kisses Snack: Some sort of fruit, carrotts or a teaspoon of peanut butter, or granola bar Dinner: a Weight Watchers Smart Ones dinner with added veggies, grilled chicken and veggies and Hershey kisses
And NEVER eat after 6pm...well I did on fridays, but that was my night off
I drink water with each meal and chew gum in between. I also find that brushing my teeth after each meal helps curb my appetite. Don't know why, but it worked for me.
I have some small hand weights and a stepper in my office now so I can at least get some sort of something in at work. I ahve the Zumba DVD's and want to do those at home too, but I have to work my way slowly into those.
Good luck! Everything in moderation. Let yourself enjoy your sweets, just don't overdo it. We'll get there.
Last edited by Flamingomo; 07-31-2012 at 11:02 AM..
I was thinking about this earlier this week and realized that there is another emotional side to eating and weight loss as well and that is that at times we perceive that it's "safer" to be overweight. In my case I think that at times I don't like myself as well when my weight drops in that I tend to get very focused on it and I get more vain and start thinking too much about how much more attractive I might be getting and comparing myself more to other people and thinking thoughts about them and how they would look so much better if they would just lose some weight. It's almost like as my physical self gets prettier, my spiritual self gets uglier and I don't like that tendency in me and I'm afraid that if I can't manage to address that then I will always be struggling with my weight, as it's not a healthy kind of focus and not very nice.
Also, another "safe haven" in fat is that I get more interested in sex when I'm thinner and much more so at times, but as I'm single and not dating anyone in particular I don't want to be too interested at the moment, if you know what I mean. So, keeping a layer around my middle keeps me less attractive to the opposite sex and it keeps my other appetite in check and I'm not sure how to get around this one. Anyone else stay plump for this reason? I think this may be why I gained so much weight while I was dealing with my mother's health issues--at that time I really could not take time out to think about anything else except how we were going to get her the care that she needed.
Obesity and weight problems are a very major concern these days, with the kind of stressful life we get into, the load of work, everyday issues, it doesn’t seem this way to many people, but there’s a very intense connection between your psychological and physical health, both reflect on each other. It is right to say that in order to have a healthy body you should have a healthy mind, if you are feeling good about yourself, you have your thinking straight and there isn’t much stress of course you’ll have a healthy body.
People who face such problem they want to lose weight, and sometimes they stress themselves over it, that doesn’t help at all, rather makes things worse. It’s hard to do something right when you stress yourself over it, just like if you have to complete a task and you have a deadline coming, putting pressure yourself over that might get you the quantity, but not the quality. Just the same way if you go for a rigorous diet plan to achieve quick result, you might end up losing the weight, but on the cost of welcoming health problems, like dizziness, loss of concentration, mental inactivity, because you lost weight faster and more than your body was ready to, always plan a reasonable amount of to be lost and within a reasonable amount of time. Diet pills are always recommended whenever you go for a diet plan, but these diet pills should be taken with precautions, and should not be the sole reliant, you should also plan your meals accordingly, skipping meals is not the way to lose weight, that is a way to lose health, have your meals, go for a healthy diet and eat as much as your appetite needs. Go for an ample amount of vegetable in your diet they have high fiber values helping you stay full for longer and less calories. Fast diet pills, as the name itself suggests are a fast track way to achieve weight loss, but still they don’t work miraculously, of course they are a good way to lose weight fast, maybe the best, but still you require your healthy meals, time management of your food, manage work outs too with it.
I was thinking about this earlier this week and realized that there is another emotional side to eating and weight loss as well and that is that at times we perceive that it's "safer" to be overweight. In my case I think that at times I don't like myself as well when my weight drops in that I tend to get very focused on it and I get more vain and start thinking too much about how much more attractive I might be getting and comparing myself more to other people and thinking thoughts about them and how they would look so much better if they would just lose some weight. It's almost like as my physical self gets prettier, my spiritual self gets uglier and I don't like that tendency in me and I'm afraid that if I can't manage to address that then I will always be struggling with my weight, as it's not a healthy kind of focus and not very nice.
Also, another "safe haven" in fat is that I get more interested in sex when I'm thinner and much more so at times, but as I'm single and not dating anyone in particular I don't want to be too interested at the moment, if you know what I mean. So, keeping a layer around my middle keeps me less attractive to the opposite sex and it keeps my other appetite in check and I'm not sure how to get around this one. Anyone else stay plump for this reason? I think this may be why I gained so much weight while I was dealing with my mother's health issues--at that time I really could not take time out to think about anything else except how we were going to get her the care that she needed.
I agree with this 100%. But that is my problem, I lose weight so I can be more vain and look around and say I look better than most people. I get enjoyment out of that. Oh I definitely feel you on the sex thing. I got into a lot trouble with the wrong type of guys when I was thin.
I've only become overweight in the last 4 years or so and I have found it SO hard to lose and then maintain any weight loss.
I'm very much an emotional eater and food is my 'drug' so to speak.
There are several methods I have used to lose weight eg intuitive eating and calorie counting, but my problem is sticking to them.
There is no secret in losing weight, all we need to have is discipline and motivation in order to fight against any temptation.
As for me, losing weight it not that difficult, what we should think is the main reason behind it, and the reason is food.
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So, keeping a layer around my middle keeps me less attractive to the opposite sex and it keeps my other appetite in check and I'm not sure how to get around this one. Anyone else stay plump for this reason? I think this may be why I gained so much weight while I was dealing with my mother's health issues--at that time I really could not take time out to think about anything else except how we were going to get her the care that she needed.
