Hi Nairalanders. I am an emotional eater and it has taken it's toll on me. I have had this problem since primary school but it was manageable because I lived with my mother who regulated my intake. . The irony is that I am majoring in Psychology but not even I can help myself for if I am sad, I eat. Mad, I eat. Happy, I eat. Bored? you get the picture. On RARE occassions if I am heart broken I do not eat and in January of 08 that was the issue and I was extremely skinny my mother thought I was anorexic and would cry and force me to eat large quantities of food. . .which is the reason it's truely gotten out of hand!

I have always been slender in body with a big behind and as of my second year in college (fall semester 2008) when I began to eat again, I have gained 30 lbs! from 135 to 165  and I have gone up in about two to three pant sizes (depending on brand and material). My stomach is not "bangin" but it's not flat either and my face is a bit chubbier. To put it short I am losing myself in my addiction with food. My life has changed dramtically in the last two years and I dont like change too much where as one time nothing fazed me now the slightest thing has me running for the cabinet searching for Little Debbie lol. Dont get me wrong I do excercise but putting gas in a running car makes no sense right?

What are some suggestions to help me get over this addiction? If anyone else is going through the same thing feel free to share 

have u thought about counselling? wouldnt it be more like an eating disorder?

From your description I think you have food cravings. Food cravings are emotional alright, but at the root of it all is a series of chemical imbalances involving hormones and mineral deficiencies that affect the brain. Can you give me a description or list of the types of foods you generally or usually eat?

Ok Ill give it a try. Identify the problem: You use eating to cope with your emotions. Instead of eating to feel. Why don't you just allow yourself to feel what you do. Let it out or express yourself? If you feel sad, feel it, let it out and cry. If you happy, feel it let it out and laugh. Anger, or fear, insecurity, what ever, just let yourself feel what you do.

You keep all those feelings bottled up inside you they will come out in other ways, like eating. Quit putting your body through so much ups and downs, no stability for the body. That ends up affecting the mind and you siral out of control.

2nd problem. Become a warrior and whip the craving. Start off small with a simple battle to recognize your power. Start off giving up something you know you can abstain from. like say no more fried chicken. I know you can do that. Just agree to yourself, no more fried chicken. After about a month you will be empowered over chicken. begin to apply that to other things, because after freeing up the chicken energy, it returns to yourself to make you stronger to fight other battles.

@Sissy no one thing makes me suppress my emotions its a series of events  i have considered counseling but i wish to make that the last resort.

@Slimhealth I eat good sometimes. I always start the day off with a fruit and water, I drink PLENTY of water and greens for lunch and a nice amount of food for dinner but it is the inbetween snacks that kill me. Usually drama or any type of emotions I feel are during the afternoons which happens to be when I am either at school or at work and you guessed it thats when I dive in the most!

@laup that is FANTASTIC advice. I however can start to self discipline myself but its maintaining it thats the issue. I will get there, i hope.

Discipline is a difficult way to go but I can think of something better.

The trouble is with the school time junk, you say? Fine replace the junk with fruit. Carry the fruit to school with you if you have to and dig in whenever you must.

Apples, cucumbers, tangerines, mangoes and carrots won't give you any added weight. The same goes for ice cream and yoghurt. This way you can dig in without the extra calories.

You see, these foods are called Low Glycemic index, Low Glycemic load (low GI/GL) foods. They are slowly converted into glucose and not a lot of it at that. In fact, you may even lose weight.

You can trust me on this.

@poster
IMHO
if you eat when mad/sad/happy or bored but then dont eat when heartbroken then your eating "disorder" has nothing to do with emotions because being heartbroken would have made you eat TWICE as much.

emotional eater will use food to cope with stress or any sudden emotion so a heartbreak would have been the jackpot of eating.

whatever you may have, remember that any eating disorder is a treatable disease and therefore you should seek PROFESSIONAL help, dont let it get out of control before seeking help.

MzDarkSkin:

@Slimhealth I eat good sometimes. I always start the day off with a fruit and water, I drink PLENTY of water and greens for lunch and a nice amount of food for dinner but it is the inbetween snacks that kill me. Usually drama or any type of emotions I feel are during the afternoons which happens to be when I am either at school or at work and you guessed it thats when I dive in the most!

@Poster: I had posted this before but somehow it got removed so I'll post it again.
Since the snacks are the problem, all you have to do is make healthier food choices during the periods when you have a tendency to eat emotionally.

Instead of snacks and pastries, do fruits like apples, cucumbers, melon, tangerine, carrots and garden eggs. Ice cream and yogurt also helps. With these foods, you wont add weight

These are known as low glycemic index and glycemic load (low GI/GL) foods. They convert into glucose slowly and not much glucose at that. You may even lose weight by just making the food changes alone.

If you want to know more, you can get on my program called Thinner&Thinner. Just send me your e-mail address to 08095089534 and I'll send you a package.