Techniques for avoiding emotional eating

Gwella

Silver Member
Hi all.

I'm sure there are plenty of people on this forum who have struggled with emotional eating, and issues like anxiety and depression. Myself I've been on antidepressants for 7 years and had a little bit of CBT and counselling but not much.
I've really noticed that in weeks when I get quite depressed, which is happening a fair bit at the moment due to general dissatisfaction with life and hating the dark winter months, I find it particularly hard to stay on track - it's almost like an alarm bell for a bout of depression when my daily syns start creeping up to 20 and beyond!

So far I'm trying to use 'positive self-talk'. I think to myself 'I don't care if I eat a load of chocolate and a bottle of wine. Nothing matters, I just want something nice and a drink, there's nothing else good in my life!' but then I have to stop and think 'I do care when I don't lose weight. I want to get to target as fast as possible. Actually, losing weight is one of the best things in my life at the moment, and getting to goal is one of the few things I have to look forward to.'

Has anyone with similar problems - emotional eating or mental health issues in general - got any good techniques for talking yourself into staying on plan when it hits hard? Thank you.
 
Ever tried to keep a diary? That way you could pencil feelings down, close the diary and have something syn free to eat, like a bit of therapy?!
 
I too have had CBT and it worked amazingly well for me. I had private treatment and the counsellor came to my house which was great as I felt so comfortable in my own home. I would suggest keeping a diary so that you can externalise all of the feelings you have... I have times when I write down 3 and 4 pages of just waffling but afterwards I feel much better. Don't read back over it and dwell on what you have written.
Self talk has really been the way forward for me- I have to be really honest with myself and kind of snap myself out of feeling so down and anxious and I have had times when I have self talked out of an anxiety attack. This year I am not going to let my mental health get in the way of me losing this weight- its controlled me for too long and it's only now that I am ready to take back that control- I'm sure there will be slip ups along the way but that's when I need to dust myself off and keep going rather than feeling defeated and just giving up.
Good luck with your weight loss and if you want a chat you can message me if you like x
 
Hi there,I've suffered depression and have been on anti-depressants for two years, although finally have managed to wean myself off them. Emotional eating is the cause of my weight gain and I think you first need to be aware aware of what it is that triggers you off (for me its either one of those toddler melt down moments, being really put on at work, or feeling under appreciated at home) what is working for me is to know full well when my binge attacks will loom so that I'm ready for them, and to know that i 'm only craving an entire tub of ben and jerrys because emotionally I can't cope with the situation i' m in and eating that ice cream is my way of a temporary escape. I too, talk to myself and say that enough is enough and that if I can just look at a way of practically dealing with my difficult situation then I won't need that chocolate / ice cream any longer. I also think keeping yourself busy and your mind occupied helps a lot too. Good luck x
 
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I go through the phases of, oh god I don't care if I'm fat. and then in the same breathe I can think, oh god I'm so fat no one will ever care about me. A lot of the time to avoid ruining a good day can be to have a cup of tea like that and then sit for a while and let it settle. Just sit thinking as though I've had a meal and think about am I actually hungry?? x
 
Beyond Temptation and beyond chocolate by Sophie & Audrey Boss have really helped me. Like others it's when I feel overwhelmed/undervalued that I eat/drink more than I'm happy with.

Keeping a mood diary can help where you write down what's happening before you eat and how you felt/what you ate/how you felt afterwards.

Putting it on a plate, sitting down and acknowledging what you're doing helps too.
 
Hi I also suffer from depression and have put a load of weight on since being on antidressants, for just over a year. I think this is because I am more willing to go out and be who I want to be rather than sitting in the house and feeling sorry for myself!
Anyway I have had a bit of councilling and read some CBT self help books which have helped me. But until now I have still been in the I don't really care that I'm fat mode when any temptation has come my way. Even though I feel bad afterwards.

I NEVER used to go shopping, firstly because I don't like anything on me at the moment, Secondly because I don't want to 'waste' money on clothes the size I am now because I'm going to lose this weight! And thirdly because I am always skint!

The thing that I have found when I want to stuff my face is to go shopping and try on clothes I really like (I went yesterday with 11p in my purse!). Browse on the internet for the things I'm going to buy when I'm thin! It really gets my head back into things and makes me realise I do care what I look like and I can get there and that I don't want to be wearing the same three dresses I have been wearing for the last few months for the rest of my life. I have been going to classes until now and not been losing, very dishartened as its just a waste of money. So I have decided to do it at home, I am saving the weekly fee and will treat myself to something (non-food) after every half stone loss.

Find something that motivates you and think of this when you want to emotionally eat. Hope this helps.
 
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