Replacing Emotional Eating

[sun seeker]

Okay, so obviously I can't sleep, this being the middle of the night in Canada.

A couple of months ago I realized I have to change the way I eat or a bunch of niggling health problems would start to get worse. I made a rule for myself about no eating after supper, and have managed to stick to it. I've also recently cut out a lot of things I was eating, which is helping my digestion enormously. All this is good and gives me something positive to focus on.

The trouble is, it makes me see just how much I was using food as a crutch. When I'm depressed, food can be the only thing that feels good. When I am anxious, it is numbing. That was the reason for eating at night, when the anxiety is worst. It calmed me enough to let me sleep.

So now I don't have that crutch anymore, all the feelings it was numbing come flooding back. I suppose this is good (grim smile here) but not at one o'clock in the morning when I don't want to process feelings, I just want to sleep!

So how do I go numb at will? Something mindless. Relaxation techniques like guided meditations often seem to energize me. I try watching TV and it does calm me (I know you're not supposed to use electronic media before bed, but it actually feels relaxing to me) but it often gets later and later. Books work too, if I find the right ones, but again it can take a long time. Oh how I'm longing for a nice cup of tea and some chocolate chip cookies right now...

 

[shimmerz]

I was going to mention that I noticed the time there was beyond bed time but chose not to. I swing wildly between starving myself and heavy carb eating right now. I have it down - the falling asleep part (catatonia will do that to someone) however it is the staying asleep that gets to me. I am up anywhere around 3:00 am every morning. Last night I fell asleep again but had the wildest dreams (as I always do at that time), so I avoid it. And when I am up at stupid o'clock???? I eat. I am pretty sure it is to feed my body that is screaming at me 'I NEED SLEEP'. So, pump it full of sugar and carbs so that it will stay awake. Not sure if that helps, but this seems to be my issue when I am like that. The starving thing is something entirely different.

 

[Friday]

Even when I'm doing well, I eat kinda weird. Too many ears of working night shift: I like dinner for breakfast & breakfast for dinner. (Breakfast always makes me sleepy, rather have a steak or sammie or anything that's not breakfasty). The night shift thing, and being a SAHM... Meant I was up & working 20 hours a day. How I worked it out, food wise, was to eat 6 meals a day rather than to increase my calorie load by a 4th "whole" meal. Just cut each of my normal ones in half. Half now, half later. ((When I first switched over, ate the second half 30 minutes later. After a week or two it bumped to 3-4 hours later.)) Of course you're hungry if you at at 8pm & it's 1:30am!!! That's not just emotional eating, that's hours spent awake. That's 6 & 1/2 hours. If you eat dinner earlier it's even longer. So you're fighting 2 things; biology & psychology.

I just find that whenever biology & psychology are paired? It makes things enormously easier to take care of the biology. Get it out of the equation before dealing with my noggin.

 

[Momofthree]

I'd suggest drinking a cup of caffeine free tea (no sugar and only a little milk if you take it) and eating one low sugar cookie (like a shortbread or peanut butter cookie) or a handful of baby carrots. Personally I like to just eat a spoonful of peanut butter straight off the spoon. Like FridayJones said if you eat at 8pm (I eat dinner at 6pm) and are up at 1:30am you haven't eaten for over 6 hours and you really are hungry, just don't eat a lot of sugar and don't binge eat. Like I said I eat dinner at 6pm and then if I'm still up at 11pm (5 hours later) and feel hungry I allow myself a snack ( tea and peanut butter on a spoon more often then not). When I'm vary anxious or depressed and not in control of my feelings that's when I eat a pint of ice cream and half a dozen cookies... that's emotional eating, a small controlled snack is not emotional eating.

 

[sun seeker]

Of course you're hungry if you at at 8pm & it's 1:30am!!! That's not just emotional eating, that's hours spent awake.

Yes, of course, you're right. (Now how did you know I eat supper around 8 p.m.?) It just seemed the easiest way to work with my long-term patterns. Once I open the doors to let myself eat at night, I overdo it. But I will try eating supper a little later and see if that helps.

When I'm vary anxious or depressed and not in control of my feelings that's when I eat a pint of ice cream and half a dozen cookies... that's emotional eating, a small controlled snack is not emotional eating.

So that's more what I was getting at. When you are anxious or depressed and have that tendency, what works to distract yourself? Unfortunately I am either anxious or depressed almost all the time.

 

[sun seeker]

I was going to mention that I noticed the time there was beyond bed time but chose not to.

lol, I noticed that too!

I have it down - the falling asleep part (catatonia will do that to someone) however it is the staying asleep that gets to me. I am up anywhere around 3:00 am every morning.

I used to be like that, falling asleep fine but waking up and not able to get back to sleep. For some reason I can't pinpoint, it doesn't happen much anymore. I hope you find the same, it's not much fun!

 

[Momofthree]

what works to distract yourself?

unfortunately I haven't figured that out yet... I either give in and beige eat or I eat the snack and then force myself not to eat anymore and try my best to go to sleep without eating anything else.
Wait, I have started Journaling this week, just putting my feelings on paper seems to get them out of my body, and I've not had a beige eating episode or a sleepless night (asleep by 12am at the latest this week) maybe their is a connection, maybe not. Too soon to tell, but I plan to keep it up.

 

[Kintsugi]

If I am truly not hungry, drinking a large glass of water (I have 20 and 40oz cups for this) over time instead of eating peforms a similar soothing effect by expanding my stomach and giving my oral fixation something to do. I used to use crystal light packets, then I switched to just water. It sounds weird, but it really helps. Drinking water (or slightly altered water) also helps control impulse eating. Sometimes when you think you're hungry (but you're truly not, and you know you're not) you are actually dehydrated.

Repetetive activities like knitting or coloring in one of those cool fuzzy posters help me relax.

 

[sun seeker]

Think I'll try the knitting. The water sounds good but since my problem is mainly at night when I want to go to sleep, I don't want to drink more water and not be able to sleep because of an over-active bladder!

 

[Changing4Best]

I eat 4 small meals per day of 325 calories each. If I feel hungry before I am supposed to, I eat something and then subtract it from my next meal's calories. (I work at staying at 1300 calories per day or less). I also try to exercise a half hour per day. My final meal of the day is at 8-8:30PM. My first meal of the day is at 7:00 AM or so, unless I am sleeping in, then it is when I get up.

 

[joeylittle]

@sun seeker, you could also try (instead of the fill up with water idea) just having a cup of tea. I've found these savory teas that are sort of like broth, they are really nice and kind of make me feel like a had some soup.

 

[Tinyflame]

Not sure if this is helpful, but I've craved peanut butter & margarine (though I didn't realize that was it- I would make a 'raw' PB cookie), since the ptsd started. My dad (undiagnosed ptsd- who will ever know?, from what I know now it sure seems like it & he had the requiring trauma(s) ), he craved copious amounts of peanut butter also. (I thought it was genetic! -I'm eating 2 kilograms of it & about 1/2 kg of margarine every week! :eek: :eek: :eek: ) I do not know if it's the body's way of combating low blood sugar, or something re: countering stress/ cortisol production, but I can't fall asleep or stay asleep without having it. So maybe it is physiological? (I don't like the taste of either that much). But my eating is screwy & I am like @shimmerz (I also feel better when I don't eat, partially 'not deserving' & partially lousy guts), & FridayJones (I work nights, am inclined to protein/ veggies/ yogurt & cheese/ sugar).

I also think ptsd uses up a lot of calories!

Interestingly, I once came across something about the connection of autism to a bacteria in the gut that I can't recall if it was in excess or lacking, that interfered with fat absorption. Perhaps stress does as well? And we frequently have digestive issues (though mine are also caused/ exascerbated directly by a particular trauma/ happening- ie damage).