Emotional Eating

Posted on January 21, 2016

I have a special needs child, he is on the Autism Spectrum and his care takes up so much of the time that I would normally spend on myself. Sometimes I have to wonder if taking care of myself can even be in the top 5 things I do on a day to day basis.

I can't be alone here, I'm sure that so many of you fight your own battles day to day, trying to prioritize self care with the rest of your responsibilities in life. How do you avoid "eating" stress, or food rewards or Sweets as consolation.

While I try all the common things; drinking water, taking a walk, reading, doing something with my hands... I feel like what I get from food cannot be "replaced" with something else. Is it just me?

-badjenetix

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Yvonne

01/21/2016 7:38PM

I find that it helps to find something that feels rewarding and really good for you. For me, coloring and drawing is what makes me feel awesome and it totally replaces my cravings during emotional times. Hope this helps.

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Tina T.

01/21/2016 6:32PM

You are not alone! I am happily divorced, and don't get much help with my 17 year old son. I know it's different than your situation, but it's pretty stressful dealing with him much of the time. I have found that when things are at their most stressful, that is when I wanted to reach for food. I am on a low carb diet. I started with dietdocor.com, and they explain it very well. It's a free, 2 week program, and I'm only on week 2, but my "desire" to eat has drastically decreased. Even when we have out "moments" I'm not reaching for something to put in my mouth. It's actually quite amazing, because I am a serious emotional eater.Good Luck! Hope this helps!

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Biking Syl

01/21/2016 4:47PM

I feel for you! For myself, I had to break it down into a few steps. First: I was still allowed to snack, but I made sure I had *healthy* snacks available at all times (in this case: mixed, unsalted nuts, dates, baby carrots, grapes,...). I was allowed to eat those, as long as I stayed away from the chocolate. And the amazing thing was: Even though I was still eating a lot of calories, the cravings went away, because I wasn't eating pure sugar any more. I definitely recommend this! Over time, you will start snacking less, because the sugar highs and crashes are avoided. Second idea: I downloaded the 'Lose Weight' app by Andrew Johnson. Not sure if the hypnosis part of it works, but it does calm me down and usually makes me fall asleep. If you don't mind his Scottish accent, this might work for you, too. He also has 2 free apps: Power Nap and Relax. So take some 'me time', you definitely earned it!!

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Badjenetix

Thanks! I'm going to try to stock up on some better snacks, just gotta find things I like. I'll look into the app as well.