Tues Nov 29th
Emotional Eating! Let's talk about Happy/Reward eating today.
Since I've started this Blog there has been a theme that has resonated throughout posts from a lot of you...EMOTIONAL EATING. Whether it be Happy or Sad, Depression or Rewarding, we seem to eat with our emotions.
Today I want to talk about the Happy/Reward eating and then tomorrow we can talk about Sad/Depressed eating.
Speaking from my own personal experiences, I know that when I have lost some weight and or I've had a couple of good workouts or when things are just going well in general I just don't think about what I am putting in my body. Or those times when you are with groups of friends and you go out for late night eating..lol Those of you who know me, know that we will have a tendency to go out after performances and have 1/2 price appetizers starting at around 10pm..Not the best thing if you are trying to lose weight or change to a healthier lifestyle.
When things are going well in your life one of the last thing you probably think about is what you are eating...who care?!?
Life is good!
Who cares if I put on a few extra pounds?!?
I'm so busy now I just don't have time to workout.
My spouse loves me the way I am and just doesn't care if I put on a few extra pounds.
I hit my weight loss goal so now I can celebrate and reward myself for doing so good. :)
This is why I lost this weight, so I can eat this piece of cake. ( I feel like Dr.Seuss )
"Food is my friend, it's always there for me".
It's Christmas time and Christmas cookies don't have any calories! YEAH!
I love to cook and the family loves Mac & Cheese and Fried Chicken which is my specialty, and it makes me so happy to make it for them. (Just used those foods as an example)
"I have been so good lately........"
Have you ever said these things or thought them in your head? I have, many, many times in the past. I find it's so easy to slip back into the way things use to be and that's exactly why I have failed to keep the weight off.
I let either my happiness or my emotions get the better of me and change my lifestyle without me even noticing that it has been changed. And by the time I realize that I've gained back the weight I'm now depressed about it and then I eat to make myself feel better.
It is a viscous cycle.
What do we do to break this cycle and change our mindset?
Answer: "I DON'T KNOW!"
There, how's that for honesty. If I had all the answers do you think I would have this problem and need to lose a 100 pounds!!!!
I do think that exercise helps my mental attitudes, by helping relieve stress and by keeping my metabolism going. And it helps by releasing endorphin's that help by making me feel good...naturally! Obviously there are many benefits to exercise, all I know is I feel so much better after I'm done. I feel better inside and I look better on the outside so the benefits of working out far out weigh the consequences of not putting the effort into working out.
Now ladies please be kind to me....I am a man and I'm sure you all have more and better explanations of emotional eating than I have given here....so PLEASE feel free to share your thoughts and stories. It will help you to share, not only for your well being but other people may find their story inside of yours. And trust me when I tell you OTHER PEOPLE ARE READING THIS BLOG....and I have had so many comments from people telling me just how much it is helping them to become motivated and take action to change their LIFESTYLE.
With over 700+ hits this Blog is catching on and people really are reading it.
Tomorrow...let's talk about "Emotional eating, the Sad and depressed reasons for eating".
Thanks again for reading...Let's keep this thing going and share it with someone you love or someone you think my benefit from what we are talking about on here. I look forward to your posts today.
Have a wonderful day, stay motivated, stay strong and stay positive!
BTW...you might notice that I have changed my profile picture. I did this to remind myself and even others that "YOU CAN CHANGE". And I do NOT want to go back to being that big again. And trust me, that picture is not at my biggest either...add another 40+pounds. We are sharing all sorts of things on here lately aren't we. LOL
Ah, one of my favorite topics because I, folks, am indeed the QUEEN of Emotional Eating. During the summer of 2006, I ate myself stupid due to Emotional Eating. I went from 175 lbs. to over 190 lbs. in a only 3 months!
ReplyDeleteSo, let’s talk about Emotional Eating and dissect it a bit.
WHAT IS EMOTIONAL EATING?
Emotional Eating is an attempt to manage mood, positive or negative, with food.
ARE YOU AN EMOTIONAL EATER?
Emotional Eaters
…are people whose minds repeatedly move their hands toward food even when they are not at all physically hungry.
…are not always overweight.
Emotional Eating
…is compulsive and the emotional eater feels unable to control their eating.
…may seem self‐destructive but it is always an attempt at self‐help.
…frequently leads to a serious eating disorder, if left untreated.
…can be OVERCOME.
WHY DO WE EMBRACE EMOTIONAL EATING?
From birth, we associate food with enjoyment, affection, and nurturing. Food often accompanies emotion-filled events, both happy and unhappy ones. Eating for comfort is a common behavior—and comes from this deep connection between the experience of eating and the sensation of comfort.
EMOTIONAL EATING AND WEIGHT
Professors at the University of Birmingham conducted a study on Emotional Eating that included both overweight and underweight subjects; it was found that those who weighed more were more likely to eat in response to negative moods and situations.
Good moods and happy events (as Dan discussed in today’s blog post) can also lead to overeating for those who eat from emotion. Professors at Vanderbilt University evaluated overeating in a group of obese women; larger meals were eaten in response to both good and bad moods when compared to those mealtimes when the women's mood was neutral.
EMOTIONAL EATING AND WEIGHT-LOSS SUCCESS
Emotional Eating can destroy weight loss success. You're probably thinking, “We know this, Jen. And Dan said it in his post. So what’s your point?” My point is if you are an Emotional Eater, you NEED to hear it again, and again, and again. You may be AWARE of the impact Emotional Eating has on your weight loss success, but you may not UNDERSTAND the connection between YOUR emotions and eating. If Emotional Eating is an issue for you, developing ways to cope without food is vital for lasting weight loss.
HOW DO WE STOP EMOTIONAL EATING?
Emotional Eaters must learn how to cope without food. One solution I learned at Weight Watchers that worked for me is called REFRAMING.
There is a positive intention behind everything you do. Sometimes, though, bad habits seem to get us the things we want. Reframing will help you find ways to realize your intention with a positive action.
Here's an example: When Jen feels stressed, she overeats. Her intention is to relieve stress. She's relieving stress with a negative action. What else could Jen do to relieve stress?
Use REFRAMING
•When you want to stop a negative or unwanted behavior.
•If you let your emotions govern your food choices.
•If you eat under stress.
The questions you need to ask yourself in order to reframe a negative behavior are:
1. What behavior do you want to change?
In Jen's case, its stress eating.
2. What does that behavior get for you?
Jen eats when she's stressed out because it helps her relieve stress.
3. How else can you get that benefit?
Jen makes a long list of other ways—positive ways—she can relieve herself of stress:
•Play piano.
•Put together a puzzle.
•Read a book.
•Call a good friend and talk about it.
Make a list for yourself. What things do you think you could do that would give you the same results as the action you want to change?
4. Which of these new behaviors would you be willing to try?
Decide which things you'd most enjoy doing to satisfy your positive intention. Let your list be a resource to refer to when you're inclined toward negative behavior that may sabotage what you truly want.
ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR EMOTIONAL EATERS (courtesy of Weight Watchers)
ReplyDelete1. Allow occasional treats. Deprivation often leads to overeating, so don't totally cut out foods you feel are "forbidden" (such as those donuts that you love), simply control your portions or opt for a low-fat version if available.
2. Reward yourself for every win — how about a bath or a walk just to enjoy a sunset rather than a reward consisting of junk food.
3. Plan ahead to stay in control. Facing a big test or other ordeal that you fear will send you straight to the cookie jar? Try to keep healthy snacks around to nibble on instead, and exercise to offset your munching — and calm you down, too!
4. Share your feelings — sad, bad or otherwise — with family or friends.
5. Seek support from others trying to lose weight — family, friends, or online supporters. They're there to help, and want to see you succeed.
6. Look to calming alternatives if stress is your trigger. Anything from deep breathing to yoga to arts and crafts could help. And don't forget: Exercise is a great tranquillizer. (It also reduces your appetite!)
7. Count to ten. Is overeating your way of coping with anger? Consider other ways of dealing with negative emotions, such as learning assertiveness techniques.
8. Find other ways to fill the void. If you typically overeat when you're looking for emotional nourishment; stop. Feed your spirit by caring for yourself as well as you can during times when you feel unloved, under-appreciated or unworthy. Be your own biggest fan and try to focus on your successes, not to the occasional lapse.
9. Be patient and forgiving of yourself. Long-established complex habits won't change overnight.
10. Avoid all-or-nothing thinking, such as "I've already blown my weight loss plan, I might as well finish off the box." Accept that you may go off the rails from time to time. So you've lost six pounds and regained three? It's important to congratulate yourself for the pounds that you lost. You're doing a great job!
-----------------------------------------------
The most important thing to remember about Emotional Eating is that you can OVERCOME it. Hang in the fellow Emotional Eaters!