Dragging my wretched self back...

[zagafi]

Argh. So, once again I'm starting over. I know emotional eating is my greatest obstacle, but I have no idea how to overcome it permanently. HELP!

I know it's going to be difficult, but not impossible, to overcome years of habit. I've decided I'm going to do the 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk again (60 miles over 3 Days--anyone care to join me?) because one of the women I walked for in 2001 when she was diagnosed passed away last week. Of the three women diagnosed within the same timeframe (all of them coworkers, too), 2 have passed on.

I'm not going to be able to work out the logistics of the 06 Marathon, but I can do this. 2007 is still on my "to do" list, though.

So, any tips you've got for overcoming emotional eating would be great. I can't get rid of any of my current stressors, unfortunately, so any support you wise and wonderful women can offer will be greatly appreciated.

And, if you think you might want to do the walk with me, PM me!

 

[wtpclc]

I struggle with that one too. The best advice I've see is to exercise when you want to eat. Step one is realizing that you do it. Now, you just have to figure out what works for you. Keep us posted on your proegress! Good luck!

 

[ZerasPride]

Welcome back! I know it's so hard to overcome emotional eating. I have been an emotional eater all my life and as I near goal I have wondered if I will slip back into my old habits. I like Carrie's suggestion of working out instead of eating. I have also found this wonderful thing that I never knew existed and it has helped me so much! I no longer hold my feelings inside! I'm not rude to people but I have decided to put my feelings first. This is truly a novel thing for me because I grew up feeling that I wasn't worthy and that because I was fat, I had to please everyone or they wouldn't like me. I'm not even sure where those thoughts came from but they have been with me all my life.

There is a situation going on with my family right now, I won't bore you with the details, but I think my family thinks I've lost my mind. Usually I would have caved in by now and given the trouble maker what she wants. Nope. Not this time and never again. Normally, I would have given in, been angry, hurt and upset and went to Taco Bell for a lunch of a nacho bell grande with 2 additional tacos on top and extra cheese sauce topped off with a soda and a chocolate oreo cookie blizzard from Dairy Queen. Instead I told them respectively how I felt and am holding firm to it. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't rude or disrepectful but I got my point across and left it there. I feel like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders and don't feel compelled to overeat. What a freeing feeling!

I'm not saying holding your feelings in is your problem, but it sure was mine. I would also suggest Dr. Phil's book. He can help you deal with the emotional side of overeating. I think unless you deal with that, if you are an emotional eater, you will always be in danger of either sabotaging your efforts and never getting to goal or once you get to goal, you might gain the weight back because you didn't deal with the emotional aspect.

I hope some of my ramblings are helpful.

 

[lmhall2000]

HEY!!! WOW!! WHat a GREAT walk to aim for!!! I'm sooo sorry to hear of your co-workers...

I've struggled with this and I've realized that it takes a lump of decisions to make a habit go the right way. I have tried to lose these 80 pounds since I had my first child almost 10 years ago! I'm trying to think of the things that have gotten these 60 off and trying to continue on to 80...

1. I did start a journal...for the first 8 weeks I weigh EVERY SINGLE DAY! I realized when I got off the scales I kind of stopped accepting the responsibility of how foods affect my weight. I found that chili is very bad for the day before weigh in...I found that carbs (those white sugar/white flour ones) really slow my weight loss down...I joined a 100 day challenge to give up something...I figured if I gave up french fries and white bread that meant I had to order something other than a value meal when we had to eat on the go. Through this I've learned to LOVE chicken salads!! I actually prefer it now to a quarter pounder with cheese!!

2. It's the little consistent things that add up...I drink water...no sugary drinks..I may have an occasional diet coke or unsweet tea (about 4-5x a week) but the rest is all water...I don't drink juices...I will eat 1/2 an orange or 1/2 an apple for snack....I try to eat every 2 hours...starting with an egg and wheat toast for breakfast, then 1/2 fruit for snack then a salad or such for lunch and so on...if I really want to splurge on pizza or something I'll slimfast a meal that day.

After doing this for 12 weeks...I really do want to continue losing...next week may be different but I can tell it's working and with doing some form of exercise 6 days a week atleast 45 minutes or more each time I can feel my body morphing. I have a waist again...I have more energy...I am energized by a week of losing only .5 pounds because that means the next week I'm due for a bigger loss.

Now catch me on a bad day and I'll just want to eat M&M's....but I won't overdo it...I'll allow myself a single serving of them and it's over...no more 1/2 pounder bags in 2 days for me.

It's been a struggle...it's been hard...my life has not gotten easier (dh working in another state during the weekdays and coming home on weekends, while trying to sell our house (over a year now) and keep a home in show quality at a moments notice with 3 children I homeschool...dog being attacked and maimed by neighbor who I'm having to take to court for a second time without legal representation...all this is going on...but ...) I still want to be healthy through it. I can have a direct impact on that....maybe not on everything else going on around me but this I can control.

Knowing you can do it is half the battle...wanting to is the other half.

I hope this has helped...I know how hard it was for me to start..you coming here and posting is the right way!

Tara