Binge Eating Forum » Binge Eating Support - General Comments, Questions, and Posts
VIDEO - Emotional Eating Explained
(7 posts)-
Posted 1 month ago #
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question. so, when you felt like you were hungry when you really werent, did you have a little snack or didnt have anything at all? and when i feel that way, should i allow myself to have a little bit of something or should i start writing stuff down (like you did) and let that emotional hunger go away? and one morething. are most bingers perfectionists?? cuz you kinda sound like me. well, kind of.
Posted 1 month ago # -
Great questions...I'm not sure if all overeaters are perfectionist, but I know that many are if not most. I thought it was just me at first but from talking to others who read my newsletters or from reading posts on the forum, it seems like perfectionism is a common theme.
Perfectionism and unrealistic expectations are a huge source of stress, which I think often leads to stress eating or eating for comfort.
When I catch myself about to engage in emotional eating I don't eat any food, it's like playing with fire. I wouldn't grab food if I pause and figure out that my eating is emotional. From journaling and studying this topic for a while I can often tell the difference. If you are not sure it's always a good idea to wait 30 to 60 minutes and then see if you are still hungry.
It's also a bad idea to eat after an emotional spike of any sort. Like say you just got a call with really bad news. Even if it's time for you to eat dinner, instead of eating here is what you should do...
Pause, journal about the emotions, get them all out on paper, accept what happens and once you start feeling a little peaceful then it's okay to eat.
I know this might sound outrageous or like too much work. But emotional eating is very serious. And of course sometimes I do engage in emotional eating still. It's just over the last couple of years I noticed that from working on it the frequency has decreased.
So that's the best I can give you is to work on it gradually and allow yourself to screw up occasionally since it's a required part of learning.
Posted 1 month ago # -
ComA
MemberYou are right. I am also perfectionist, "achiever". Can't stop, restlessly: more, more, more. Always something to do, no time for relax and fun. And never happy for what I already have. Lately, in my new job I heard all good comments about my personality, I work with so cool people that I have fun working. Seriously. I wouldn't recognise myself with that enthusiasm. I have to say I shared a tear when I watched that video cause I realised that without binge eating I wouldn't have gone so far in my mental development, I would have stuck as I was 17 when I started counting calories. I have a courage to have my own opinion, accept myself more, I just definitely got more mature since then. I owe something good from this disorder, isn't that amazing?
Posted 1 month ago # -
wow. that is very cool. you also sound like me too lol.. i guess we all just have kind of similar things in general.. i think i started counting calories between 13 and 14.. i still do but at least not crazy only about calories . we're all getting better :))
Posted 1 month ago # -
taoissilent
MemberIt's really weird knowing that there are other people suffering from the same feelings I have. I am very sorry for everyone who has binge eating disorder as I have. I have to confess that I had this anorexic story of mine 2 years ago, i started counting calories even calories from lettuce. All my life I wanted everything to be perfect and strived for it but then suddenly i crashed and burned sometimes. I used to be really in control with these eating issues but then I lost control and started binging due to emotional reasons. I didnt even know that this was a mental disorder. I was just thinking oh ok i am overeating now and the reason is because i have been restricting way too much recently. After sometime I became bulimic which was the worst part of this. Then I dont know how but I became unable to throw up, it was like my body rejected to throw up. This lead me back to anorexia, and now i am stuck in a cycle where i binge like once in a weak and i restrict the other days thinking about food all the time. I cant even concentrate on my studies anymore. I need help I admit this finally..
Posted 3 weeks ago # -
again, you sound just like me too.. you should start journaling right now. like i tell everyone, im not an expert but some of the main things are...
you have to believe in yourself.
you have to stop thinking that you're a "binger"
you have to stop dieting--eat when you're hungry & stop eating when you're full.
you have to get HELP.you might think..."how is this gonna help? how am i gonna do those stuff? how are these people doing so good but i cant??"...
like i said , you have to believe in yourself.
i used to think "im never gonna get over this. I'll probably keep doing it after 10 years from now" (this wasnt a long time ago)
but now, i am able to control myself a little better because i think i can get through this whole stupid binge eating thing.if you read other people's journals & comments, there are a lot of helpful infos too.
im telling you, you are NOT alone.
Sunny <<<3333
Posted 3 weeks ago #
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