How to figure out why I emotional eat?

Posts: 176
7/2/11 9:38 A

I make poor choices whenever I'm sad or depressed. I wish I could figure out how not to be an emotional eater....

Posts: 824
6/28/11 8:07 A

I think being aware is the first step to changing the behavior. I am a boredom eater. I recently went on vacation and snacked all the way home - RIDICULOUS! Not going to take snacks in the car with me...ever!

Posts: 12
6/27/11 11:29 A

My mom does bake a lot but for me its more out of boredom maybe? I will see basket of peanuts and walk past it and grab a handful......and do this like 7 pr 8 times. Or I will take a handful of choc covered blueberries....little things like this that I do. It drives me crazy.....how do I stop this? also have zero self-control. If I make choc chip cookies at home, I go for rge dough. I have even tried putting gum in my mouth while making the dough.....I spit it out and eat the dough!

Posts: 37
6/27/11 9:56 A

i never realized that being in a certain mood we tend to eat more, mine is when I'm angry...

SparkPoints: (502)
Fitness Minutes: (230)
Posts: 29
6/27/11 9:04 A

I have a similar situation. Whenever I go to my parent's house, I just have to eat because there are always things to eat on display (like cookies or pastries). I figured out that I go back to my old childhood eating habits whenever I'm there, mostly because the same foods are available. Adding to that, I get criticized if I eat, and criticized if I don't. I think it's just one of those things that bug people about their parents. My parents also seem to show affection with food. Maybe you have some of the same things going on, and that's why you overeat. At least you know that it's emotional eating, now you just have to figure out what the emotions are, and how to avoid/prepare for them. When I lost 30 lbs with SP, I used to take a baggie of fruit or my fully prepared meals with me to avoid temptation.

Posts: 12
6/27/11 1:48 A

I am super frustrated.....I will do so well during the day with my food choices and then I go to my parents house for dinner and start snacking. Its not even food I want to eat. Tonight after I ate about a cup of roasted peanuts at my parents house I come home and found my husband opened a bag of candy. What do I do? I mindlessly eat 5 pieces-just stuffing them in my mouth. It makes me sad/sick that I do things like this. Why?