Security Blanket

fingers crossed

Silver Member
As some of you know i've had a really tough day today. This is because in the past I used food as a security blanket to keep me safe from the emotions that I didn't want to dealt with. Now that these emotions have arisen while doing SS I've had the choice to face them or to eat. Today I have made what I believe to be the right choice & not eaten but after a lot of thinking have realised that I don't actually know how to deal with difficult emotions as food has been the answer for as long as I remember. I've dealt with it by ignoring them & being busy but ultimately know they will come back.

So the whole point of my ramblings is to ask... how have any of you dealt with similar situations? Those of you who self medicated with food but are now at goal, how have you overcome it?

Theres so much more to CD than not eating in my opinion. I hope I find the answers that I'd never even relised I was looking for.
 
Hi FC, I can't really give any solid advice on this matter as I struggle too sometimes. I have found it hard today as you know. At meal times I make the food but try to steer clear while DH eats his meal. There is a thread about MANTRAS and I find myself saying some mantras in my head when I find my mouth watering so much that I have to keep swallowing. Do you have anything planned for when you get to goal?? Even if it's a shopping trip for some SLIM clothes?? A holiday maybe?? You have to try to stay focussed on why you are doing CD, for health reasons and to look good would be the main 2 reasons for everyone I think. there has been some talk on minimins about various books on eating habits..they sound good, but I've not really thought about buying one yet. Maybe nearer to goal I'll pick one up, maybe you should look into buying one now as it may help with your emotions and attitude towards food. I have been a comfort eater for say 5 years, so it is difficult when someone Pixxes you off and you have to try to deal with those emotions because we can no longer EAT to help us feel better...I was peed off today and didnt eat, because I really want to be slim. Have you ever been slim? IF so, how about digging out some old photos of the slim version of you and stick them about the house, mostly in the kitchen?? If you've never been slim then cut out some pictures of outfits that you like in magazines and put them about the place, you could do this when you are feeling emotionally stressed as it will help motivate you to feeling positive.

If you feel the need to eat, try saying out loud.." I DON'T WANT IT, I DON'T NEED IT, I AM GOING TO BE SLIM SOON" and walk away from the situation, get away from the food.

Go for a walk, or go for a lay down and daydream about being slim..

if you arent gonna scare anyone close by then you could even SCREAM!! This does help take some of the heated emotions away....

FC, I wish you so much luck, I hope I've not rambled on too much, I may have not helped directly with your question but I hope you know that I am thinking of you and together we can be who we want to be...we have to stay strong. Good luck with dealing with your emotions...I hope you are relaxed this evening xxx catch you on the daily tomorrow xxx night night xxx go dream about being super slim xxx
 
Whilst doing SS i kept a food journal and noted when i wanted to eat and why. I found that alot of the time i wanted to eat due to emotions and not hunger. I never thought i was like this. I gained alot of my weight due to medication and went through a ruff time when i was unwell so i never clicked into what was going on with my eating psychologically.

So as well as losing weight with CD i have also identified that i am an emotional eater. I found that i like to eat food, especially fried/junk food as a treat after i have done well at something like exams or revising and i also turn to food when i am sad or angry.

So what i have done when i have been in similar situations is:

* for treats i try to treat myself in another way such as buying some magazines, books, taking a bubble bath with my scented candles and music, pampering myself, getting my hair done etc etc. I found the more i did this, the more i could retrain my mind to think of these options as soon as i thought of treating myself, rather than think of food.

* when sad/angry, i have to distract myself and sometimes even leave the house so i am away from any food. If i'm angry, i find that leaving the house and going for a walk really calms me down and clears my mind. I have time to cool off and think twice about eating any food. If i'm sad, this is really tough, because i used to associate food with happiness so i have to either ring a friend to talk too or again have a nice bubble bath (i like this because you cant eat anything if you are in the bath and all the food is downstairs, along with all the family, lol),or just have a good cry.

It can be really hard to retrain your brain and resist the temptation of food. It so easy to reach for chocolate or buscuits when you want that little boost of happiness, but it lasts for about a minute and after that you are left feeling guilty for what you have done and that lasts even longer.

I must admit at times, i give in too, but you just have to keep trying. I am still working at it now and i still find it difficult. But i find that seeing it as a lifestyle change really helps, so i have done other things too, like take up exercise (really helps you stay focused and more positive) and take time out for me.

I hope i have helped in some way. I am sory that you have been having a tough time with the diet. I went through the same thing when i first started the diet. I remember after my week 2 loss, i cried my eyes out untill they were puffy and red because i only lost 2 lbs (i must of lost an extra 5lbs from how much i cried, lol) and i really wanted to give up. I remember going for a drive with my sisters in the car to help me feel better.

Stay strong because i know you can do it. You have made such a big step deciding to do CD and you have done super well with your weighloss so far. You should be very proud of your achievements. Keep telling yourself that you are a winner and you will continue to succeed. Try to also focus on ways that are suitable for you to deal with food and everything will fall into place.

All the best :) xx

(sorry for the long post )
 
Last edited:
I think what sophia-jo has mentioned about buying a book to help with your eating is a fabulous idea. It could be a good start, even if you just read through it when you felt like eating. I second that idea :) xx
 
Thank you both so so much for taking time to give me such great support. I know that everyone has difficult days & I hope that they can also gain something from this thread, even if its just knowing that other people feel the same.

Its time to learn new behaviours that will help us all manage things differently. M B- I'll definately try some of your ideas. S-J, as ever you are full of loveliness & support. Yes I have been slim & that is something to focus on. The book idea is great, I'll have a look for some & let you all know what I think of them.

Tomorrow is another day & will bring new challenges I'm sure, but hopefully I can deal with them better.

Thanks again girls, what would I do without Minimins!!! xxx
 
Thank you both so so much for taking time to give me such great support. I know that everyone has difficult days & I hope that they can also gain something from this thread, even if its just knowing that other people feel the same.

Its time to learn new behaviours that will help us all manage things differently. M B- I'll definately try some of your ideas. S-J, as ever you are full of loveliness & support. Yes I have been slim & that is something to focus on. The book idea is great, I'll have a look for some & let you all know what I think of them.

Tomorrow is another day & will bring new challenges I'm sure, but hopefully I can deal with them better.

Thanks again girls, what would I do without Minimins!!! xxx

I'm glad we can be of some help. I know exactley what you are going through and i am so happy that i can share my expereices with you to help you succeed and feel better. I am sure you will do really well with dealing with your eating habits because you seem so determined and thats the key. Take things a day at a time and rememeber that you are only human and so you are allowed to make mistakes and have a ruff day, its the way you deal with it that makes the difference.

We're here for you hun :) xx
 
I guess I'm sort of an emotional eater. Not so clearly defined as I can eat on any occassion. Don't just have to be sad or worried. Will overeat when I'm happy, bored, relaxed, stressed, overworked, underworked, hungry, bloated, stuffed, on holiday, not on holiday, Jan-November, and then double for December :D Guess they're all emotions eh;)

The way I've dealt with it is to understand the difference between what my body wants and what my mind wants. Then it was 'just' a case of accepting that it was my addictive desire in action....not the need for food. Food wouldn't make me feel better. In fact, entirely the opposite.

The more you make sure the desire doesn't lead to the action of eating, the better you get at it. Making a new connection in the brain and all that.
 
Thanks Karion,
The whole 'just' thing made me laugh. Theres a lot of 'just's that we encounter throughout life! You've done so well & its lovely that you're now supporting others through it.

S-J & M B, you can't ever know how much you helped me at whatever ridiculous hour it was last night. Sometimes having people to reach out to, even virtually, is enough to help you through.

Keep strong everyone through out whatever challenges are thrown in your path. xxx
 
The whole 'just' thing made me laugh.

Ummm. It was dead easy really. Once I got to grips with it, I found I was ready to discharge myself from the mental institution, and not long after that I gradually started tearing up the suicide notes.:eek:

Tomorrow I plan to untie the noose from the banisters and with a bit of luck, the gun is being sold on ebay in September. Either that, or I'll put it in the charity bag that sits here full of clothes sized 16-24, 2 bottles of prozac, one old waterproof pillowcase (would have worked, but couldn't stay conscious long enough to tie it around my neck), one can of petrol and a box of matches:clap: Oxfam will be dead chuffed

;)
 
As some of you know i've had a really tough day today. This is because in the past I used food as a security blanket to keep me safe from the emotions that I didn't want to dealt with. Now that these emotions have arisen while doing SS I've had the choice to face them or to eat. Today I have made what I believe to be the right choice & not eaten but after a lot of thinking have realised that I don't actually know how to deal with difficult emotions as food has been the answer for as long as I remember. I've dealt with it by ignoring them & being busy but ultimately know they will come back.

So the whole point of my ramblings is to ask... how have any of you dealt with similar situations? Those of you who self medicated with food but are now at goal, how have you overcome it?

Theres so much more to CD than not eating in my opinion. I hope I find the answers that I'd never even relised I was looking for.


Hiya,
Just a thought - there was a post with some books listed that help to deal with emotional eating. I've not read any of these yet although have added some to my Amazon basket :). It is on this thread :
http://www.minimins.com/cambridge-diet-forum/19920-books-may-help-you-your-cd-journey.html

I've found I've replaced food with a bath products habit - I think I've bought up most of molton brown, lush, l'occitane and the body shop recently !! But I can't eat whilst I'm lying in the bath so I guess it's healthier :rolleyes:

Good luck :p
 
~note to self~ Avoid Oxfam today. Might not be able to 'just' resist temptation!

Thanks guys x

:D You never know when you might need these things. Always worth grabbing a bargain when you see it ;)
 
Back
Top