emotional eatting

Ok I have this big problem.... I don't know how to say no.  Im a big comfort food lover you know the mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese and lots of other real bad stuff... I am not over weight by any means im 5'5" and 122 lbs. Im just not really comfortable with it because my pants have started to get tighter. I run alot and walk the dog so I am pretty active on a daily basis but for some reason whenever im feeling a little down or lonely (my hubby is in Iraq) I turn to those foods. I think that is the only thing that is holding me back from loosing those few extra pounds to make my pants fit again. Any advice would be fabulous Thanx!

Hi!  Let me start with you are a great weight for your height.  My daughter is 5'3" and 115.  She is too low.   She would love to be 120.  I give this comparison as she was born in 1985, as I assume you were by your name.  You can find her on this site under "munkeyeatbrains".

I am sorry your husband is in Iraq.  I too was married to a military man (we ended in divorce).  It is hard when then are away.  You need to find something to occupy your mind and time.  For me I had two children at a young age. 

One thing you can do while your man is gone is bake.  But you will eat what you are baking you will send it to him and his friends.  They will all adore receiving some great treats.  Your time will be filled too. 

Stay strong!  It is hard when the men are away.  But we have to keep up a comfortable home for them to return to.

 Yes! I was born in 1985. I have baked alot for him and the guys, he mostly hangs out with single guys so they appreciate it even more then he does to have some home made cookies... and yes lol I do eat them i usually try to pack them up before they even cool down to stop the temptation.  This is our second deployment sence we have been married so I am almost use to it. Its just that problem I have with the warm gooie  comfort foods. Last time he was gone I gained 20lbs and I was so unhappy and it happened for the same reason, I just wanted to eat everything that made me feel better. So yeah im just trying not to do that this time. Cuz gaining weight doesnt help me feel better at all.

Ok so you probably have not been married too long..  So how about using this time to create new recipes to share when he comes home.  Try to create some healthy meals that he will enjoy when he returns.  This will give you healthy food to eat while he is away while knowing you are doing it for him as well. 

You are going through something that is the most difficult next to being there.  There truly is not an easy answer.  You just need to find what makes you feel closet to him.  For me it was cleaning the house top to bottom, cooking and stocking the freezer and taking care of my girls. 

I am adding you as a friend.  I will be hear for you to vent with when you need to feel safe. 

Take care.

Aww that must be a really tough thing to deal with:( im sorry!

Ok so hmm the only thing I can think of is to let yourself have the foosd,but moderately? find healthy alternatives...and don't have the real/unhealthy versions in the house.

like for mac and cheese, lean cuisine makes mac and cheese frozen, or you could get the organic kind at trader joes, or you could get the little mini cup of kraft's easy mac. i get the mini cups all the time because its just me and my mommy in the house,and she always ends up making the whole box for me and i eatlike 1/8th of it haha. so i just get the small bowls theyre only 220 calories.

if you post maybe what other foods you tend to eat when you need comfort,we can help you find alternatives!

Lets see im a big one on ice cream too, I am excited my favorite is Cherry Garcia from Ben and Jerrys and they finally made a sugar free pint of it YAY for that. oh and I really love KFC and Jack in the box tacos. I actually like the lean cusine mac and cheese its great its just when I want to eat it at 3am when i cant sleep in the problem. Thats actually alot of the problem too i use to never ever eat after 7:30 and now when i cant sleep thats all i want is food.

Do you live by yourself right now?  If so, don't buy any of those tempting foods.  I'm living in a dorm by myself currently, and there've been many nights where, had the food been around, I would have down lots of snack foods and high calories carby things...but it wasn't there, so I gave up haha.

One thing that i've discovered lately that I like to have instead is some good, really flavorful tea.  I love all kinds of teas, but the kind that can kill some cravings for me tend to be the herb 'teas'.  Not a true "tea" but it has a lot of flavor that's totally different from a white/green/black/oolong tea.

Other than that, I would just suggest having a ton of health food around.  And get rid of quick, easy meals that you can whip up in the midst of a 2 minute craving lol.  If you feel the need to eat, and don't want to bake at that time, cook up a really healthy treat.  make a full vegetable stir fry with some good spices/herbs in it, blend up a fruit smoothie, etc.  Or, just search around online for some healthy ideas :)

You sound like you might be eating because you're bored which is understandable with your hubby away. When I need a comfort food I make a baked potato and throw on some hummus or cottage cheese or both.

I also like to eat microwaved apples sprinkled with abit of cinnamon, and some healthy granola. Then topped with lowfat vanilla yogurt.

Mac n' cheese is yummy but you could make your own. Use whole wheat elbows, lowfat cheese, skim milk and lots of pepper.

So you can still eat, but watch what you're eating! Also maybe get a hard jigsaw puzzle to work on, or get some kind of hobby going like knitting. (I can't knit so it's kind of funny suggesting that, but just a thought)

Drinking lots of water is good too. But stay clear of the fast food--so unhealthy and full of fat.

My boyfriend is coming home tomorrow (not that I want to run it in or anything, I just want you to know I can relate) I know you probably want to surprise him when he gets back by looking great (atleast I did). So I just want you to know, you can do this! Whenever I think of binging or whatever I always think of myself on the pier watching the ship pull in, I sure don't want to be the wife or girlfriend standing on the pier who looks a little chubby (not that you are or anything) and dosn't feel their best when they see their man for the first time in ages. Sometimes thinking this way works for me, and sometimes it dosn't, good luck with everything PM me if you ever want to talk, and I'm sure your husband will be happy to see you as long as you're not three months pregnant, when he's been gone for six.

Emotional eating at a normal weight is a pretty volatile thing. For me, my fear of gaining extreme amounts even though I couldnt stop eating turned me bulimic. I managed to pull out of it and get help when another bulimic I know died of heart complications.
Best thing to do is get a hobby to do after work, plan group get togethers with friends and focus on eating good healthy salads when out, and do your best to only have the comfort foods in small amounts on occasion.
Feeling  down is the main cause, so find something that helps you release the feelings. Talking to a friend, watching a sappy film, watching a funny film... Whatever it takes to keep your mind off food. Also, onlyeatwhen you are hungry, this might help you not eat needlessly.

My manager was just telling me about a seminar she went to with her daughter because her daughter is having a REALLY hard time losing weight. The lady was a former bulimic and she was talking about emotional eating. Well one of the things my manager was talking to me about was the 6 things you should ask yourself before you eat anything: 1. Am I emotionally hungry or physically hungry? 2. If I am emotionally hungry is there anything else that I would be willing to do? Ex: go for a walk, read a book, talk to someone 3. What do I REALLY want? Ex: comfort, security, to be occupated 4. Is there something you would eat that is healthier and would satisfy you? Ex: instead of a cookie a granola bar 5. Would you be willing to stop eating once you are full? 6. How full do I feel? I used to think that I wasn't an emotional eater but really I am, I eat when I'm angry and when I'm happy and this lady even said that 2 common feelings that trigger emotions are anger and entitlement and that is EXACTLY the 2 emotions that make me wanna eat! This lady, her name is Vicki O'Grady BTW, also says that abusing and shaming yourself will NOT motivate you! It will do the exact opposite and instead you should acknowledge the healthy things you have done! 

My husband is also gone over seas.  He has been gone close to a year (gets back in 38 days....I'm not counting or anything) and it will be a year when he finally makes it home.  Him being gone is a big reason why I am here.  I too went for the comfort foods.  He wasn't there to keep me company and we rely on emails and phone calls to talk to each other.  It has been hard.  I have gained about 10-15 pounds since he has been gone. 

I am not much of a cook (my husband usually does that) so the comfort foods are usually the easiest to prepare.  I had enough of excuses.  I finally decided I couldn't rely on food to get me through the hard times.  What really helped me was I just stopped buying all that food.  I made sure i didn't go to the grocery store hungry so I wouldn't be tempted by it and I have stuck to healthy options.  I have learned to cook healthy foods that fill me up and I have learned that strawberries are sweet enough to fill a sweet tooth craving.  So far, so good.  I have found that if it is in the house I will eat, even if I am not hungry.

Another thing that has also helped me is to just stay active and busy.  I take Internet courses that keep me busy with homework.  I have volunteered spare time to help local non-profit organizations and I make sure I hit the gym because being at the gym with all those people is better then going to a cold, dark, lonely house where I am all by myself.

I know it is hard and I understand the things you have to go through as a military wife.  I am a military member and a military wife.  If you ever need to talk to some one that knows where you are coming from fill free to send me a message. 

I dont know if you work but I know for me it really helps.  Having other activities to do makes a difference- spin class, girls night out, nightly walk on the beach??

  Also, if u bake anything do it with a friend!! Have a friend over and talk while u make the treats. This is hopefully prevent any over eating (i get embarrassed when eating a lot of junk in front of others). Seal them up in front of her and send them out. :)

 Hope this helps!