Why can't i stop eating? I want to lose weight but i eat too much.

[Tortoise]

I think i have a problem but not sure where to go from here.
I am about 12 stone and 5ft 9. About a size 14.

I am not happy with my weight or all the wobbly flab i have but i can't seem to control my eating.

I pick most of the day, eating whatever i can find left in the cupboard/fridge. Crisps, choc, yogs, biscuits, chocolate spread off a spoon, sometimes fruit, home made cakes of various types. I eat some ok meals in the evenings that are homemade ie lasagne, cottage pie, carbonara, spag bol, chicken leek and potato pie. But if the kids are having a quick meal because we are low on food i just chop up some spuds and make chips in the deep fat fryer.

Then once kids are in bed the picking at food starts again. Just ate 2 pieces of choc cake, a rice crispy cake and 2 bags of crisps.

Trouble is then i have to buy more food to replace what i scoff otherwise their is nothing for DC, so i find i have hardly any money left.

I don't know how to stop it. Sometimes don't even think about food but find myself eating something.

Should i make an appointment to see someone about this or is their something i can do to help myself? If it wasn't for the school run each day i would be huge. (Walk about 6 miles a day in all, sometimes more.)

And i need to do some execrsise too but haven't really found one i enjoy. I have a bike and quite like cycling but always putting it off.

Please, someone help me.

from me you'll get a not particularly helpful/sympathetic 'DON'T have that stuff in the house'

I have zero will and will graze endlessly - but when there are no 'treats' in, then you can't give in.

Has saved me a fortune and is better for the children too.
They don't need them either.

Sorry, that probably isn't what you want to hear but was the only way for me.

Good luck!

Thanks for your reply.
If there is no choc/bics/crisps etc in the house i find something else. ie pieces of cheese/ham/cereal anything to fill the will to eat.

It would be hard to find something for kids lunch boxes too if there was nothing in the house.

I don't know what is wrong with me?
I can also go all day without food easily if i am out or not feeling great. But as soon as i am home/ feeling better it starts again.

It sounds like you may be eating because you're bored or stressed rather than because you're actually hungry. You need to address these situations and resolve them with something other than food.

Most of this needs you to work on your mindset. If you don't like it, do something about it. Nobody is forcing the food into your mouth - you have to decide to control it. Then it won't matter what's in the cupboards because you've got your head clear and know what you want.

Do you like how you feel right now? Do you like what you see in the mirror? If you don't, do something about it.

Of course you can help yourself!

Identify why you do this (boredom/misery/habit)

Do something else when you get a craving

Take up some serious exercise (running sounds horrible but is in fact great for eg)

etc

I am a terrible picker given half a chance
I also find that because I am a natural grazer I don't eat big meals as I hate feeling really full. Then I am hungry again an hour later which is when picking starts

So I eat low GI stuff as much as poss. Oats in some form for breakfast + yoghurt. Protein and carbs for lunch, protein and veg for dinner. And factor in some snacks along the way that aren't so bad eg nuts, fruit, veg etc. You just need to re-align your eating patterns and make sure you aren't hungry or giving yourself big sugar boosts and then getting cravings.

hth

Thanks.
Sometimes feel i am not even conciously getting food and eating it. I don't sit here and think, i will get something to eat. I walk into the kitchen and the next thing i know i have picked something up and am eating it! Sounds weird to write it down but maybe i just need to try harder.

Cheese, ham and cereal better than chocolate cake & crisps but agree with kolakube that you have to find the cause, boredom and habit were key factors to me and periods in my life when I have felt lonely.

Yes boredom is part of it i guess. Gave up smoking 3 yrs ago too.
I don't like how i feel right now and i hate what i see in the mirror.

CD I did atart running a year ago but soon gave up, i didn't like being seen out running/jogging.

*start

If you're not aware of what you're eating you could try writing it down over the course of a few days. It can often give you a bit of a shock and that may get you motivated to change things.

I do this. I know I am not hungry and don't actually want to eat yet find myself scoffing something that I don't even like. If there is nothing in the house, I have been known to eat spoon fulls of jam, even marmite

However, I have a history of EDs and I think, for me, this is just one way it manifests.

Doesn't help you, I know but if you think it is a problem for you, more than just being greedy so to speak, I would see about getting an appointment with your GP.

superbunny Sounds like the same as me. What is EDs though?

Could i be slightly depressed? I don't think food is my only problme TBH. I have trouble getting to sleep, stay up too late and struggle to get up in the morning.

I am pretty lonely, single mum with 4 DC and no family nearby other than my younger brother.

Tortoise-i am doing the same

I quit smoking nearly 3 months ago and just can't help myself snacking, i feel soooo hungry and empty-i think it is boredom, stress or just something that makes me want to do it, how about something like....buying enough food for the dcs packing up at the beginning of the week, then putting anything you have left in a savings account for a treat-a weekend break or a day out to look forward to, also may help motivate you to try and tone up. everytime you want to eat crap, have a glass of water, run up and down the stairs, do some hula hooping or something else.

I know its really hard, but worth trying eh.

meant to say-its not just cos of the smoking, have been putting weight on steadily for a while.

will try and think of more ideas, but must go to bed now, why don't you go soon too

NeedCoffee Nice to hear i am not alone in this.
I drink lots of water, actually i only drink water (Friends think that odd lol).
Anything is worth a try! Thanks.

Eating Disorders.

I also get depressed and can not always tell when that is happening. I am in a similar position - single mum, stay at home, no family for thousands of miles...

I ate too much when i spoked too so not just that here either.
Yes i should go to bed. Am tired but takes me a while to give in and turn laptop off!

Supperbunny Thanks, don't know why i didn't work that one out lol! I have often thought of just not eating but i can't do that either!

Thats smoked not spoked!!!

Well, not eating is my way of combatting it. But it isn't a good thing to do and I seem unable to do it atm which, I suppose is a good thing... I seem to not know hhow to eat normally - it is all or nothing. It is not nice so you have my sympathy.

The only thing I can think of is to have very low-fat snacks in the house. Chop up an apple, rice cakes (the boring plain ones!) etc etc. I'm a bit of a grazer too and am attempting to stop smoking (again), so I foresee this problem for myself too. Best of luck and I will think of you when I am trying to persevere!

The other reason I posted was to say...your children are gorgeous

Thanks, you have my sympathy too.

Going to switch laptop off now. Typing keeps going wrong!!

eugh can't stand the stuff myself-ok, vodka then..you know what i mean, just a 5 or 10 min activity to try and stop the craving or whatever it is.

Right really time for bed now!