Emotional Eating: What’s Eating You?
Posted on November 21, 2007Filed Under Diet, Weight Loss |
What is Emotional Eating?
Are you having a hard time losing weight because you eat mindlessly? Do you have a pattern of eating when you’re bored, lonely, sad or angry? If yes, chances are you’re an emotional eater.
Emotional eating is a self-destructive pattern of eating without feeling actual hunger. In this scenario, food provides comfort and pleasure. It distracts us from facing our core issues and what’s really troubling us. Sadly, many of us don’t want to face those unpleasant feelings and turn to addictive behavior. What we are really looking for self-esteem, self-value, and self-nurturance. If emotional eating is left unresolved, over time it becomes an addiction that will rob you of health and happiness.
I once had a co-worker who weighed more than 400 pounds. She tried every diet you could think of to lose weight. Every time you saw her, she was eating. Her desk drawers were always filled with the three C’s: Chocolates, chips, and crackers. After her numerous diet failures, she decided to get a weight loss surgery. Although it would be very painful and it required a long recovery, she was convinced it was her only solution. When she told me of her decision, I pleaded with her to see a psychologist before having it done. You see, I knew her painful background of being sexually abused. She ignored my advice. In the course of one year and a half, she indeed lose weight, about 150 pounds. She looked great, felt better, and was much happier. However, her success would be short-lived.
By treating (surgery) her symptoms , and not the cause (emotional distress), her eating disorder remained an issue. After having her stomach stapled, she couldn’t eat as much. But that didn’t stop her. She continued to eat and eat. At times, she’d eat so much that she’d feel nauseated. Over time, her over-eating caused her stomach to stretch. As a result, she gained some of the weight back. I’m not insinuating that every plus-size person is an emotional eater or that their situation is this severe. However, what I’m trying to stress here is that my former co-worker was an out of control emotional eater.
Unfortunately, no one is immune to challenges, struggles, stress, boredom, sadness, anger, loneliness, and the like. While we cannot control some aspects of our lives, we can and we should focus on what we can improve. Whether you want to lose or maintain a healthy weight, you must first learn how to eliminate emotional eating before is because it becomes an addiction.
In my next post, I will explain the first step on how to lose weight by eliminating emotional eating.
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8 Responses to “Emotional Eating: What’s Eating You?”
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I don’t weigh 400 lbs but a lot of what you said is familiar sounding to me. Like eating when I’m not really hungry. I look forward to the next post.
You are a very insightful and smart lady. I am trying to incorporate your wise words for my own struggles with weight. I look forward to your next post.
Dear Shegoddess: I definately use food to hide other problems with daily life. My husband and I are both challenged with weight. It is destroying our marriage. We are always tired and short tempered towards eachother. It is obvious to both of us that losing weight would get us in the right direction. What do you think?
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I’m definitely an emmotional eater. With the amount of food I consume it’s a wonder I don’t weigh 500 pounds. My problem is that I’ve been doing this for so long that I’m not sure what the root problem is any more. I’m just sooo tired of it!!!
Dear Maltma,
Please don’t give up on finding the root of your emotional eating. Chances are, like most of us, it stems from your childhood. Hang in there because it takes time to actively uncover it. Please read my posts on how to manage emotional eating. If you leave it unresolved, your quality of life will surely spiral downwards, like my mother’s.
I sincerely wish you courage and committment on your quest of discovery and change.
Warmly,
Vasiliki
I would just like to say that your journals have truely blessed me. I am someone who is not naturally big, and was previously successful at dropping my “emotional eating pounds.” I am a mother of two, and have been struggling with losing the baby weight of baby #2. I have managed to lose 41 lbs since Dec. of 2008 (I weighed 217 before birth and now weigh 176-41 lbs down) I am trying to lose more weight. My ideal is 155 (but we will see as I cont. I just want to be comfortable w/ myself). I am very happy with my progress so far, but I know I would be much farther if I was not an emotional eater. I am seeking guidance through my spiritual walk. Thanks for all the advice!