Emotional Eating Help

I eat from emotions. Any emotion! Better still I crave junk ( sugar please )

e.g. I'm tired from work today and have a headache? Then bring on the food.

It is seriously compulsive . I do what I can sometimes talking to myself.

e.g. you know what you aren't actually hungry or yes body I recognize that you are tired and will try to address this when i get home.

But am wondering if anyone has anything they do that helps or alternatively any really, really low calorie/ fat foods that still have that junky sugary taste they turn to in this time to avoid packing on the lbs.

Better still any bb support groups out there so I wont be the only one coaching myself out of it?

First thing, start logging every little thing that passes your lips. Everything. then you will have an idea of how many calories you are really eating and that might help put things into perspective. Have you gone into the groups section?

Have been logging for some time now I know that I generally hit over 2000 cals a day and that on an average good day perhaps 10% of my intake is sugar based versus a high emotional day where my food intake can double and sugary food increase up to 40/50%. I've not yet signed up for any groups. Was just hoping for some tips and advice from the community in general.

i used to be an emotional over eater,i don't know where you are,i'm in the UK and started keeping a draw full of special k bars,snack a jacks,twiglets & 2 fingerkit kats plus fat free activia yogurts in the fridge....that little lot catered for sweet and savoury cravings! you can make small changes that all add up to a big result......track it all and incorporate a few little changes until you feel comfortable making bigger changes......to see the fat,sugar and calorie count go down can be very motivational! also do nice things for yourself.....if you're tired and stressed,take a nice long bubble bath,if something good happens then treat yourself to something nice non food related with the money you'd normally spend on a choc bar etc,if something goes wrong talk..don't eat.......good luck

I was, and still partially am, an emotional eater. But I loved salty, savory foods. Give me crisps any time... those salty snacks were something I loved. And most of my cravings strike at dinner.

Now, whenever such a craving strikes, I first look at the available calories that I have and try and calculate what I plan to eat. Often, the craving goes away. Else, if the craving is really strong, I change my dinner to incorporate that flavor in a healthy way. For example, if I'm craving something salty and garlicky, I make a rice and vegetable soup with lots of garlic and chilly.

Maybe, you can eat some healthy sweets whenever the craving strikes. Off the top of my head, I can think of a frozen fruit salad dressed with cinnamon and a bit of crunchy sugar, or dressed in honey. Or maybe a bowl of strawberries dipped in dark chocolate?

Else, talk to someone you haven't caught up with for a long time.

Drink water.

Distract yourself by doing a favorite activity like reading, walking, or watching out the window.

Hope this helps!

I'm pretty much the same way that you are.. emotional eater and no self-control. One thing I realized is that when I chew minty gum or brush my teeth or use mouthwash after a meal, I typically don't crave chocolate when I have some kind of mint taste in my mouth. I started buying gum and using that as dessert instead of always searching the office for chocolate. Most days it helps!

Here are some ideas:

- fresh fruit covered in sugar free whipped cream
- fresh fruit dipped in a chocolate pudding cup
- sugar free jello

The fruit helps to fill you up, while the whipped cream or pudding satisfies your sweet tooth.

But my advice would be to enter the calories of what you are going to eat before you eat it. Without that, it's easy to say "oh I finished that first pudding cup, I think I'll have another", but when you see the calories adding up, it's easier to talk yourself out of seconds.