Emotional Eating During The Holidays!

Its that time of year again!

The food, oh the food. Every time I turn around there is food. I gained 3 pounds from Thanksgiving weekend, and I did not eat any sweets. Its crazy how quickly the calories add up and the pounds go on. I gave up sweets and bread in April, as I realized that my emotional eating needs had turned into a habit. I no longer ate because I could not control my emotions, I ate because I had not admitted to myself how miserable I was by continuing this bad habit.

Have you ever stopped to think about food as an addiction? In my opinion, a food addiction is a different kind of addiction, as there are no 30/60/90 days sober. In my case, my food addiction started when I suffered a life-altering trauma when I was an adolescent. I was lonely and in pain, and I needed a source of comfort. Unfortunately, food became my best friend and continued to be so until this year. My emotional eating caused a great deal of pain in my life, as I have spent most of my adult life as an obese woman. Furthermore, I did not teach my children healthy eating habits; instead, I taught them how to eat emotionally.

My emotional eating was a vicious cycle that saw no end, as I was so mentally unhealthy, I could not see the damage I was causing. As I dealt with the path of destruction I lived from the trauma that occurred as an adolescent, I learned my best friend, was not a friend at all. I knew I needed to make fundamental changes that included finding a new best friend. Admitting that I had a food addiction was not easy or an overnight process. I was in denial for years, as my excuse was I have food allergies; therefore, I cannot lose weight. I never took time to look at the number of calories I was eating or how my actions were the source of my obesity.

With the holidays upon us, I am struggling with the desire to eat dessert! I have learned that dessert is an all or nothing food for me. I cannot eat a little here and there, as when I have sugar of any type, I am all in, and eat it several times a day, as it is my drug of choice. To survive the holidays, I must put myself first! I know I must focus on why I cannot have dessert, my long-term goals, and how good I feel.

Honestly, I no longer crave sugar; however, the old grasps of addiction are still very present.

I have many food allergies that cause me severe issues. I have begun to listen to my body and make changes accordingly, as I weigh myself twice a day, to further learn about my allergies and to control my weight loss. I continue to have success, as I have lost 48 pounds since April, by taking control of every avenue of this journey. I continue to succeed because I have stopped my emotional eating, and have begun to approach food as fuel for my body.

My new best friend is self-care. Self-care is a necessary part of life and looks different for everyone. My self-care involves spending time with my husband and family, reading, tv, cooking, and vacationing. When life dishes up difficulties, I know I must take time for myself, so I do not fall back into old habits. I encourage you to find a new best friend, put yourself first, and take control of your emotions.

If you find yourself having a best friend called emotionally eating, and are ready to make changes in your life, I am available to help! I believe in you, as you can do this!

Much love,

Traci