Emotional Eating.......... Help me

[cahu]

I have been a yo yo dieter all my life and have been very slim all the way up to huge in pregnancy. Am now mid 40's and since my divorce have turned to food again and I think I am around the weight I was when I was pregnant. Really need to lose it to start the next phase of my life but am finding it extremely hard to give up treats especially when kids are with their Dad. Is there anyone out there who can support me in hard slog to lose about 4 stone. Am quite new to Mn and have been so impressed......... wish I had used it when going through hellish divorce.

Hi Cahu,

You might find that the diet on this thread might be what suits you - it's aimed at cutting cravings first and if you can get through the first five days you should do well on it.

I only want to lose a bit of weight and lost easily on phase 1 but then slowed down, so I'm now calorie counting.

My other tip would be to take up yoga - it helps enormously with stress and controlling emotions and might cut the link between food/drink as a treat and you can use the yoga as a treat instead.

If the Harcombe diet doesn't work for you (the one above), then Weight Watchers is a great source of support and advice and a tried-and-tested way of losing weight.

You will find the support on MN a help too, I'm sure.

Good luck!

Hello,
I can thoroughly recommend the following books which are helping me to work out why I eat emotionally and how to do something about it:
Geneen Roth, Breaking Free From Emotional Eating
Susie Orbach, On Eating
Paul McKenna, I Can Make You Thin
and
Sophie and Audrey Boss Beyond Chocolate

I read the Paul McKenna book a year ago and had some success with weight loss, but have found that learning how to eat intuitively is an ongoing thing for me. I recently bought the Geneen Roth book as it seems to be the one the others are based on and it's very good and very detailed.

I find different things help me on different days, but in a nutshell it's waiting until I'm hungry before I eat, eating exactly what I want/crave, concentrating on eating and stopping when I'm full. All much simpler said than done! But I feel I'm on the right track.

And yoga is my thing too - it really feels like I'm treating myself when I make time for it.

MN is lovely, isn't it? I'm definitely a happier, better mum because of it.

You've pin-pointed the fact that you're an emotional eater - well done! You've also pin-pointed when it happens - when the children are with their father. So you are essentially eating your emotions. Have you had counselling to try and find out what it is you're eating rather tha discussing? What I mean is - it sounds like something is going unsaid with your ex... and you're literally swallowing the words down (followed by "treats"). Best of luck.

Thanks so much for all of your messages. I am definitely going to start yoga as In my younger days loved exercising but sadly have let it fall by the wayside. Skihorse, I had a terrible end to my marriage which a small part of is on another thread. I have had limited counselling last year but I think feeling good about myself ie losing the weight and getting more of a life is the answer. I will have a look at those books, thank you.

Lastyearsmodel, I have just ordered a couple of those books, thanks.

You're more than welcome. As Skihorse said, you're a good part of the way there because you've identified it as emotional eating. Be kind to yourself and good luck!