Emotional eaters

[chell_needs_to_change]

After years of beating myself up for being an emotional eater/binger I have finally discovered that a low carb diet makes ALL of these symptoms disapear. Inside your head OR physical reaction to the wrong diet???

 

[Wrinkly]

I used to be an emotional eater but not any more, I don't know why but now I just overeat. My portions are too big & I have no 'full' switch. Atkins helped me but now I have CKD & I've been told a high protein diet - which I much prefer - doesn't help. That's why I bought Gillian Riley's book.
Good luck on your journey to everyone here.

 

[Just Peachy]

Ah, reading this brought back memories of when I would go to the supermarket and buy a whole carrot cake and I would leave it in my purse, undo my other groceries, and go straight to my room and eat the whole thing in one sitting. I would even throw the box out when no one was home so they wouldn't know I'd eaten it all to myself. Or when I would buy a few boxes of caramel shortcakes a week and hide them in my drawer. Or when I would come home from school and no one was there, and I would eat half a box of cookies to myself. I would get up, get 2 or 3, and then go back to the cupboard up to 5 times to get more. I always told myself it was enough but could never manage to stop. I'm sure my mum noticed how fast we went through all those boxes of cakes and cookies, yet she never mentioned anything and just kept on buying them. I kind of blame her a bit, maybe had that not been there, I would have dealt with it differently.. not necessarily better. It's not her fault but it definitely didn't help. My father was dead set against in the first place and got me a dietician when I was 8, but I had no idea what was going on, I was far too young. An 8 year old kid barely has control over what they eat, they have what they're given anyway, you're instilling habits here. I wish I could work up the courage to tell them that a big part of my bad eating habits were their fault, not mine. Now I am responsible for them, that's fine, I am working on it. But when I was a child, it couldn't have been my fault, I had no clue. I think I associated all of that with dealing with issues as it wasn't all peachy keen and I had to grow up faster than I should have and that's the only sort of outlet or emotional expression I had. How shitty! I never want my kids to have to go through that. Sometimes I would rather have gotten into drugs than be fat all my life. How f'ed up is that?

 

[camsmum]

Peachy, you are not alone, i had a similar start to my weight problem. I too was taken to see a dietican when I was 8 and I didn't have a clue either. I was basically told to go away, eat properly which meant boiled potatoes, boiled veg and lean meat and fish. Not really ideal for an 8 year old. I also feel that my weight was not helped by my family, but that is a whole other story. The crazy thing is that I know this wasn't all my fault but I carry all the guilty and always blame myself, its not easy hating yourself every single second and I have dealt with it by eating. I can remember having a day off work, my family was out, going to the shops, buying an enormous amount of food and sitting on the floor in my living room and eating the lot. All I achieve was a feeling of total disgust which made me want to eat more. Ah the joys of the vicious circle.

I would love to end that circle but I am now in my late forties and although I have had time when it has been better, I still binge and still am obese. I also know what you mean about being a drug addict I have thought many times that it I wished I had been a drug addict or alcoholic, its not easy wearing your addiction for all to see and to judge. I don't have any answers I just wanted you to know that you are not alone in the way you act and feel and its not a simple case of just losing weight it is much more complex than that and goodness knows what the answer is. I just know its a war and all I can do is fight one battle at a time and who knows one day I may win the war.

Just remember honey, you are as good as anyone else and you deserve the same respect. You need to look after yourself because at the end of the day you are the only person you can rely on. Try and be strong and take it one step at a time. x

 

[Wrinkly]

Camsmum, & Just Peachy, I could weep for you both. I used to eat like that, not as a child because it was war time & all food was rationed. My binges were in adulthood and right up until recently. I will not express my opinion of any parent who sends an eight year old to a dietician. Suffice to say 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'. May I give my best wishes to you both.

 

[chell_needs_to_change]

It's not easy is it? Everyone has their achilies heel and I guess for most of us on here this is it x x x

 

[Bobbi]

I am going to jump in here - I think the moment I changed was when my estranged father came back into my life ... he bought this huge bag of jaffa cakes and encouraged me to eat some, then more, and more ... he sat there and ate a load too. I was 20 something, after that I copied what he did and him being a grown big man he could handle this additional food I couldnt. After that it was as if he gave me permission to binge ... stramge I know but that to me is what I have to shake off.

 

[Wrinkly]

Bobbi, I was about to say 'what, at 20 something?!' When I remembered that my son started smoking aged 22 encouraged by a girlfriend and is of course addicted.

 

[halo1984]

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