Stress eating, I really need help

[EscapeArtist]

Grrrrr.. Every single day I try to go back to eating right, plan my meals out, count my calories, drink tons and tons and tons of water (up to 17 glasses a day!), run up to an hour a day if desperate... But really it doesn't matter because I've missed a lot of school work because of anxiety, so when I get home with 10 projects/tests to catch up on... The only good thing in life seems to be SWEETS!

So I end up eating usually more than 3000 calories just in one sitting! Always after school, up until evening. One long, long, procrastinating, stressful sitting. And I can't stop!! A couple days ago I ate up to 7000 calories! WTF. I've gained 20 pounds in a matter of 2 ish months, and i'm a short person. I eat until uncomfortable and sick feeling..

SO... I can't figure out how to stop :: but slowly, this is throwing me into the realms of a depression I never knew possible.

 

[Kat]

Woa! 17 glasses is a big concern be careful with that one, it’s possible to get brain damage from drinking too much. I am not for certain what would help::, I don’t think I have ever been too out of control with my eating habits, but if you are able to distract yourself every time you have an urge to consume, it may help.

 

[Dronee]

I feel that one important component to succeeding in something is that you enjoy it. Is it possible to substitutes healthier kinds of sweets? For example, you can opt for honey instead of coke... Some sweet wholemeal bars and mangoes instead of going heavy on ice cream? That way, you can vent on those foods but they won't really harm you. I'm no nutritionist, but I'm fairly certain that the foods and drink I've mentioned can actually benefit your body.

If I'm the one in your situation, I'd stock up my fridge with those substitute 'sweets'. But that's just me.

 

[BlueDays]

There are Websites that give heaps of ideas and strategies to help people overcome comfort eating. Different ways work for different people.
Just Google until you can't google anymore! I know because I have had to research how to overcome comfort eating too.
You should also read up on how sugar affects some peoples brain chemistry.

 

[Hadron]

I'm the complete opposite. I can't bear to touch food when I'm stressed.

It's a shame because I'm trying to build muscles and I can't do it without eating properly. From now on I'll just have to force myself to eat, I guess.

 

[fudgy]

Well your in a vicious circle now ...but....welcome to the world of most of us !!!!!


I am 43 , imagine how many times I have gone up and down on the scales ... weight gain throws you into a sea of depression that makes you eat more.

This is a hard one because you KNOW the answer lies within ! You have got to get a grip on yourself before eating yourself in a state so bad you wont know where to start.

I don;t mean to sound hard faced ..but stop stuffing your face and gain some strength in the fact that your not eating , I am afraid only you can do it ..a couple of weeks of resisting and I will tell you now you will feel an achievement , you will feel more alert , but more importantly you will have control and there is nothing better than that when your so our of control with your own head space regarding everything else.

 

[Hadron]

THAT'S a terrible thing too, hadron. had the worst experience with that aswell!! what you must emember is that, you will get your appetite back. and though it may seem difficult to eat more than you can at the moment, it's for your own benifit. good luck with eating more

It's not that bad for me because my body weight doesn't change very much. Even when I barely eat at all I stay at the same weight (when I eat a lot I also don't tend to gain weight, though). I'm 160 pounds and 6'2", so my weight is normal. I still hate my metabolism, though.

 

[Richey]

i used to do this in my final year of college when the pressure was on i'd eat chocolate, biscuits, drink coffee, cola, chips, coffee and i still did for a bit after and sometimes i still do..

i think its important to remember what may cause health problems and that is butter!! or anything with butter texture like milk chocolate or fried foods, cream texture, egg rich foods like ciches or cake, omlets etc will do the most harm in the long run...the foods that taste the nicest are generally the ones that will be unhealthy, sad but true, ...watch out for elderly ladies offering you sweets as well, tell them straight up thanks but no thanks..they can be a walking cliche.

now i try to stick to tea and if i have toast i dont use butter so i just use jam or honey ..
instead of chips/crisps try popcorn and instead of chocolate eat nuts or liqoriche stick..
instead of soft drink try cordial with water..

its hard at first but you get used to it..try and make junk food a food that you treat yourself with rather then it being a regular diet..

i dont see how 17 cups of water is bad, i mean water is healthy for you..

 

[fudgy]

too much water is toxic ....

 

[garry29]

Grrrrr.. Every single day I try to go back to eating right, plan my meals out, count my calories, drink tons and tons and tons of water (up to 17 glasses a day!)

People have died from drinking too much water. It affects the electrolytes in your blood which causes your blood cells to stop working properly. Obviously drinking water with moderation is perfectly healthy but drinking it in gallons at a time can be fatal.

Also, I think drinking a lot of water can enlarge your stomach permanently which makes you feel hungrier as you need more food to feel full.

 

[Luthien]

Grrrrr.. Every single day I try to go back to eating right, plan my meals out, count my calories, drink tons and tons and tons of water (up to 17 glasses a day!), run up to an hour a day if desperate... But really it doesn't matter because I've missed a lot of school work because of anxiety, so when I get home with 10 projects/tests to catch up on... The only good thing in life seems to be SWEETS!

So I end up eating usually more than 3000 calories just in one sitting! Always after school, up until evening. One long, long, procrastinating, stressful sitting. And I can't stop!! A couple days ago I ate up to 7000 calories! WTF. I've gained 20 pounds in a matter of 2 ish months, and i'm a short person. I eat until uncomfortable and sick feeling..

SO... I can't figure out how to stop :: but slowly, this is throwing me into the realms of a depression I never knew possible.

I wonder if it's just from stress, perhaps you're addicted to food? I know this sounds silly, but it totally happens. My sister's going through it right now, actually. It was driving her crazy because she bikes and walks and does yoga constantly but she kept gaining weight and she realized it was from her constant eating. When she tried to stop, it was really hard and she was getting really depressed and judging herself a lot. Now she's finally accepted that she has a problem and she's started going to a group called "over-eaters anonymous" She was really nervous and thought it would be totally weird (especially since she's not really overweight and she was worried that everyone would be annoyed with her for that) but it was great! They are helping her so much and everyone is super supportive.

Other than that stuff, my advice would be to stop judging yourself. Stop counting your calories and worrying so much because that will only cause more stress and depression and make you eat even MORE! What I would do is to try to eat consciously (it's funny because I JUST wrote another post about this the other day) But when you want to eat, try to tune in with your body to see if you are REALLY hungry or not. If you are, then eat an amount that would fit in your cupped hands and eat slowly, savor every bite and take a breath between each, so that the food has a chance to get into your stomach before the next bite goes in your mouth. Don't watch tv, read, talk to people or do anything else while you eat. Make it just about eating. When you're done, if you're still hungry, wait five minutes before having seconds and then repeat the process. You'd be amazed at how enjoyable it actually is to eat this way. I love it, and it helps you to only eat until you're full, rather than eating and eating and then realizing that you've overdone it and your in a food coma.