Emotional Eating

I had such a moment today!  I never thought of myself as an emotional eater....boredom eater, yes...emotional eater, no.  I realized today I was TOTALLY wrong!  There is a lot of stuff going on in my office right now...SERIOUS budget cuts, they're trying to avoid laying people off, people are quitting left and right....its a stressful place to be.  So...today....they fired my boss.  I got called into a meeting with several other people and they announce that he is no longer with the company.  This throws a LOT of things up into the air for us...it just added to the stress.  I was pretty upset...he was my friend as well as my boss and it was just a lot to deal with.  The second I got out of the conference room I went back to my desk and looked for a snack!  I NEVER realized that I did that before! Thankfully I realized what I was doing and stopped myself (had a big drink of water and got right back to work instead of eating) but I was so amazed.  I don't know how to convey what it felt like, I just felt like I needed to share the experience with people who might understand what I meant?  I feel like this journey is changing me in so many ways and this is just another thing to add to the pile.  Being aware of this is going to empower me to stop it from happening I am sure.  Anyhow...I don't know if that made sense....just wanted to get it out of my head.  Hope you all had a better Monday than me! Shell

HEY SHELLEY,                  THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE DOESNT IT? WE REACH FOR THE FOOD WHEN THINGS GO ON. I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU FOR MAKING THE BETTER DESICION THOUGH WITH THE WATER. IF WE ALL COULD JUST CATCH OURSELVES WE WOULDNT EVEN BE ON THIS WEBSITE TO START WITH HUH? IM SORRY ABOUT YOUR WORK ISSUES. MAYBE THINGS WILL BE GETTING A LIL EASIER FOR YA SOON. I ON THE OTHER HAND CANT EAT WHEN SOMETHING BAD IS GOING ON. I ALL BUT GET SICK ON MY STOMACH WHEN IM REALLY STRESSING OUT BAD. BUT IM THE QUEEN OF BORDOM EATTING. ALWAYS WERE. SO HAVE HAD TO GET A GRIP ON THAT ISSUE ALSO. GUESS WE ALL HAVE CLOSET EATTING ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO MEET HEAD ON. HOPE THINGS GET BETTER FOR YOU AND JUST HAND IN THERE. MY HUSBAND IS A CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE  FOR THE MARINE BASE HERE IN OUR NEARBY TOWN AND HAS BEEN THERE FOR LIKE 25 YRS AND EVERYTIME IT COMES UP ON THE CLOSURE LIST I ALL BUT MAKE MYSELF SICK WITH WORRY SO BEEN THERE DONE THAT. SO HANG IN THERE SWEETIE! HUGS MARGE

Thank you!

Shelley, I have a super stressful job.  I really struggle with emotional eating!  I even started seeing a therapist a couple of weeks ago to try and help me with this.  If you can fight it, as you did, you will be better off.  If you give in to it, like I have over the last several months, it is an extremely hard habit to break again! Big hugs, Lori

I had been considering seeing a therapist as an extra little support to working out the issues that got me here....I think I might look and see what my insurance coverage says....if they wont pay for it I wont be able to do it.   Thanks for the thoughts! Shell

Hi Shell, I know what you are going thru and I feel your pain. That happened to me last Thursday. Called me in out of the blue and told me I was terminated!  The first place I went was the grocery store to get comfort food. I know I shouldnt, but old habits die hard. I was not as strong as you were, and I am not eating healthy right now. I am a lot further out of surgery then you are, so I can eat anything with no problem, and I am right now. I know I will stop, and I am down almost 200lbs and I refuse to ever go back to the old me, but it is so hard when the emotions rise. The other thing thats hard is you just assume when your fat that "if only I was thin then everything will be ok". Well, that is sure not true. Same problems, just a different shell carrying them around. Hang in there and you are not alone. Just do your best and remember that we are human and we will slip but we have to hang tough.. Hugs, Soos