Emotions and dieting...

Cupcake:)

New member
Hiya everyone! I tend to do quite well on a diet for a week or so, but then upon finding that I havent lost any weight get frustrated and upset and end up eating lots because I'm angry about it. Then I put on weight, get annoyed about that, and eat more......and the cycle continues! Any tips to stop this vicious cycle?
Thankyou :)
:willy_nilly:
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Hmm... Well I can explain something that might inspire or motivate you, or make you annoyed at evolution... either way :)

Each time you react a specific way to a specific situation, you build up the neuron pathway that is responsible for that reaction happening... so... if you for instance eat an apple each time the phone rings, it will become easier and easier to do so since that specific chain of neurons grows more and more connected and more and more efficient.

This might sound a bit boring but what this means is that basically... if you write down on a piece of paper something like "remember not to eat in anger because of the weight" (to remind you) then for each time you stop yourself from over eating when you get frustrated with your weight, it will become easier.

The point of this is, first of all, if you keep doing a healthy diet, you will loose weight, and second, each and every time you do something (and survive) it becomes easier to do said thing. This is generally talking but... yeah.

This might be explained simpler with "habit, break it" but... I feel it inspires me to know that it is actually possible for every sort of person to change such a habit, it isn't because we're a "bad person" or "lack a spine" that it is hard, it is simply that you have developed a VERY efficient chain of neurons that makes you eat a lot when your weight frustrates you, time to rewire the brain :)
 
It took me a week of un-broken dieting to break through that "I'm so hungry I could die" phase. I always felt so sleepy, fatigued, and restless and of course, extremely hungry. But once I got through that first weak without cheating, it got a bit easier. I think your body has to go through an adjustment phase but you really have to not cheat even once during that phase or else it resets back to where it was.

After you've adjusted, you'll still feel hungry (probably) but you won't feel like you're going to pass out anymore if you don't get food. I'm not sure you even ever feel that way but I sure did and it kept me from losing any weight for years until finally I got through a whole week without cheating and I've been losing weight since then.

I also didn't lose any weight that first week either. I'm not sure why that happens but the body seems to refuse to burn off any fat at all while it's adjusting. You just have to be really really disciplined and stick to the diet like a warrior sticks to his code of honor, and eventually, you will see the weight come off.

My diet (and I've tried several) is simple calorie restriction. I basically eat whatever I want but I eat very little of it. Feel free to use whatever diet works for you though because they all seem to work, and they all fail when you cheat. Just have to stick to it religiously.
 
Thanks guys, I think i'm coming to terms with the emotions now and not automatically eating as a response to anger/sadness etc :D
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I feel for you because I can totally relate to your emotional eating. I've discovered recently that I only eat excessively when I visit my boyfriend for a couple of days. My boyfriend will comment on the fact that I'm over weight and that makes me feel depressed and then I eat even more while I'm visiting him. The only time I can eat properly is when I'm not around him.

Also, I'm not getting as much exercise as I should because my EDIT: NO LINKS has told me to lay off my knee for a bit. I twisted it a while back and I'm still hurting from it.
 
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Wow, clever_plant- what a simple, but AWESOME solution! I have a very hard time with emotional eating. I have never heard your suggestion before, but it makes sense. I am going to try this!
 
Hi, I'm new to the forum and just finding my way around. I'm an emotional eater also - any excuse - sadness, stress, worry, lack of weight loss - any excuse really. At the moment I hate myself and just can't motivate myself. I have 40lbs to loose and have tried every diet around. I am living in Limerick Irland and am thinking of trying Motivation Weight Loss. Just wondering is this another fad and really I know it's down to myself but at the moment i just can't motivate myself. I am constantly tierd, eat just for the sake of eating and don't exercise very much. I feel I am in a hold. I know I am prob lazy but if I could just get a good start I think I would stick at it. Help!
 
So you're saying... when I fondle the baked goods wistfully and then don't eat them, I'm actually breaking old habits and establishing new ones?

I knew there was a reason I had those Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs sitting around my kitchen for 2 months ;)

... I do some times touch food instead of eating it ... But it's Reiki grass touch, so it's ok.
 
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