Healthy Weight Loss

[Gemme]

*raises hand*

I gotta get some shuteye for my day tomorrow, but want to chime in on this briefly.

I'm an emotional eater. Any emotion will do. Stressed? Eat something. Hurt feelings? Eat something. Hurt body? As long as it's not a stomach ache, eat something. Angry? Eat something and eat it fast. Bored? Eat something and take my time. The sweeter or creamier or more 'comforting', the better. Don't forget to plunk myself down in front of the computer or TV while doing it.

Emotions: disengage.
Face stuffing autopilot: engage.

Food is love until it's not. Too much love smothers the spirit and too much food kills the body.

I just read a story about a 7 year old boy who volunteers for an organization that trains dogs to signal when someone's blood sugar rises too high or falls too low. One of the dogs signaled at him. His parents had him checked and he's at the tippy top edge of diabetes. SEVEN!

Back on track....


*****possibly triggering******

It...emotional eating...started early for me and has always been a coping method. I haven't been shy about my history. I spent 10 years under the thumb of a controlling, manipulative child rapist as well as experiencing a one time molestation by one of my first cousins at age 5 (he was 14). I think that, subconsciously, I wanted to make myself less attractive in the hopes that it would stop. I know that's a normal response now. Then, it just felt like a failed attempt and thus began the cycle of punishing and rewarding myself with food that I still have to work on to this very day.

[Chancie]

Good Morning!

I just want to share where I'm at; I'm not looking for any advice or suggestions.

I'm still tracking my food, and I've lost about 50 pounds. I still have plenty of weight to lose but my blood pressure's lower, my cholesterol's gone down, and I'm no longer pre diabetic. I'm much more physically comfortable and I just started exercising.

I'm taking water aerobics five mornings a week, and I joined the Y so I can take group exercise classes. I've been doing great, and I am very proud of myself.

My weight loss seems to be stalled since I started exercising. Maybe I'm not drinking enough water; maybe I'm not eating enough calories for my level of exertion. I should have taken some body measurements so I can assess my progress that way.

I know that it took exactly this many years and personal work on myself to get me here, to this place where I can pay enough attention to my body.

[Kelt]

Originally Posted by Gemme

The sweeter or creamier or more 'comforting', the better.

This part stuck me. I happened to be reading a book right now about this very topic, The End of Overeating by David Kessler MD, former FDA commissioner.

It examines a lot of the current chemical tinkering that is going on in the processed food industries right now. There is very targeted manipulation of sugars, fats, and salt, along with texture and mouth feel. It is strikingly similar to what was going on in the tobacco industry 30 – 40 years ago. These foods are being specifically engineered to trigger opiate and dopamine receptors in our brains. Heroin anyone?

This emotional connection that we have to certain foods is most certainly being exploited, only making it worse. For me, knowledge is power, and this is helping. Understanding how it works, and that I am not the only button-pusher involved here somehow makes me feel a little more in control.

Not a fix, just another tool in the toolbox.

[Mopsie]

Happy 4th of July everyone!

For me, today is the kick off day of my healthier habits. (My independence day!)

In the past its been about taking things away ... ie. taking things out of my diet or severely limiting them. I tended to feel like I was missing something or would feel rebellious against the rules.

This time I decided to focus on the positives - on what I'm going to add in to my diet or my lifestyle. The first steps I decided on was to have a piece of fruit every day, drink 8 glasses of water a day, and move more often.

I've been slowly reading through this thread and have been very inspired. Thank you to everyone who has posted!

[Zimmeh]

I am the same way and I am trying to curb my emotional eating habits. When I found out that I was losing my job in May, I would normally go home and find any form of sweets we had. Instead, I took my dog out for a nice walk around our apartment complex and enjoyed it. Each day is a struggle for me since my job has been extended and knowing that I might lose my job at the end of July.

Zimmeh

Originally Posted by Gemme

*raises hand*

I gotta get some shuteye for my day tomorrow, but want to chime in on this briefly.

I'm an emotional eater. Any emotion will do. Stressed? Eat something. Hurt feelings? Eat something. Hurt body? As long as it's not a stomach ache, eat something. Angry? Eat something and eat it fast. Bored? Eat something and take my time. The sweeter or creamier or more 'comforting', the better. Don't forget to plunk myself down in front of the computer or TV while doing it.

Emotions: disengage.
Face stuffing autopilot: engage.

Food is love until it's not. Too much love smothers the spirit and too much food kills the body.

I just read a story about a 7 year old boy who volunteers for an organization that trains dogs to signal when someone's blood sugar rises too high or falls too low. One of the dogs signaled at him. His parents had him checked and he's at the tippy top edge of diabetes. SEVEN!

Back on track....


*****possibly triggering******

It...emotional eating...started early for me and has always been a coping method. I haven't been shy about my history. I spent 10 years under the thumb of a controlling, manipulative child rapist as well as experiencing a one time molestation by one of my first cousins at age 5 (he was 14). I think that, subconsciously, I wanted to make myself less attractive in the hopes that it would stop. I know that's a normal response now. Then, it just felt like a failed attempt and thus began the cycle of punishing and rewarding myself with food that I still have to work on to this very day.