rebuilding my relationship with food.... ideas? page

[4me]

So i've been on primal about 7-8 months now. i've lost weight (about 20lbs) still working on another 15lbs, maybe 20 ? i'm 5'6" 148 lbs. 34yrs old. anyhow i understand what to eat...logically... but emotionally when stress happens, i stray... i admit that before going primal i was a HUGE emotional eater. whether i was happy or sad or whatever i celebrated with heavy grains- pasta, bread, cake, cookies. so i think that with emotion, my body expects that insulin spike.

a little background: it's only been the past ten years i've been an emotional eater, growing up my mom cooked all our meals, (filipino dishes) so mostly a protein with veggies and some rice. i didn't grow up with the CW diet. she didn't buy processed food, no fast food, no candy or cookies or anything like that- it was VERY RARE. i played outside as a kid every day, biked to my friends house, spent jr. high, hs and college on the swim team... in hs and college i was usually about 125lbs... my weight started to go up gradually over the past ten yrs and then last year i had a baby

I've recently started walking more, doing sprints once a week, basically trying to replace the insulin spike with play or moving slowly... sprinting if it's been that hectic...and started up yoga again... but i haven't dropped more than those 20lbs because once there's a flux in my stress/mood/ life.... i reach for grains/sugar to comfort....

does anyone have any advice, suggestions, their own personal experience with transitioning away from being an emotional eater to becoming healthier all around?

thanks for your suggestions!

[Tashenka]

Hi 4me,

Yes, I have lots of experience dealing with my emotional eating. I have described it in this thread (link takes you directly to the post in question) http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum...tml#post511117

I dealt with that before I started PB, btw. Not saying it can't work the other way around, but whenever I tried any major lifestyle changes based on diet in the past, the addiction/emotional part always came back to bite me in the... derriere.

I'd be happy to answer any questions if you think my experience can help you. Best to private message me, as I don't check threads too often.

Wish you lots of strength and success with everything

Tasha

[gunnk]

I think the key for you might be to transition off of stress-eating in two steps. First, allow yourself to stress eat, but ONLY primal and lower-carb foods - NOTHING SWEET! Do that for a month or two and then give that up as well. I'd avoid nuts, though, since the calorie density is so very, very high and (especially salted ones) are very easy to put away in great quantities.

I'm basically suggesting the same sort of process that smokers use by separating the habit (something in their mouths) from the chemical response (nicotine addiction). Smokers may use the patch (keep the nicotine, lose the cigarette, then drop the patch later) or lose the nicotine with nicotine-free cigarettes or simply things like lollipops (lose the chemical response, keep the habit, then drop the habit later).

In this case you're separating your eating habit from the sugar-spike, so you should go with primal foods first (even if you aren't hungry -- we're breaking a bigger bad habit here) then drop that as well later (i.e.: switch to eating only when hungry).

Good luck!

[indigogirl]

Hi 4me.
I'm an emotional overeater (sweets...sugar is my drug of choice) and did not begin to emotionally overeat until my late 30's. I'm now 58.
It sounds like you are making good choices (eating Primal, exercising moderately).
There are 12 step programs (Overeaters Anonymous) that can help with this.
I have found some of Geneen Roth's books helpful.
When I am not eating properly for me and being nourished by the food I eat, the exercise I do, and the choices I make I tend to reach for sweets.
The Emotional Freedom Technique, which is tapping on accupressure points while saying specific affirmations has also helped me.
PM or email me if you'd like.