Nervous eating

[brooklyngirl]

So, what do you fellow nervous or compulsive eaters do to stop/distract yourself from the negative behaviors?

I've been a nervous eater for as long as I can remember, way before I was even able to identify that stress/anxiety/nerves was the main emotional culprit. Today was particularly bad since I am PMSing (yes, AGAIN, my cycle seems to have settled in on 21 days with a 7-10 day period, fucking JOY) and I'm super anxious about the start of my new job and all the crazy training stuff I have to get done by tomorrow night. I found I was more mindful than I would've been pre-op, when I probably would've eaten NOTHING but carbs and sugar all day, but I stuck to mostly protein and complex carbs (and potato chips ). But as I caught myself shoveling almonds into my mouth like a crackhead, I thought "I have to find something to distract myself". It used to be smoking, but I don't do that anymore, although I do keep an ehookah and that helps a little. Sometimes I'll take a xanax, but not if I really need to be focused. And yes, before EN yells at me, I AM in therapy already, we've just been working on some other issues that I thought were more pressing first.

So I'm sure there more strategies than I can imagine, and different things work for different people, so what's yours?
(And I ask for brainstorming purposes, and also for conversation because I'm procrastinating )

 

[Elizabeth N.]

suck on fluids maybe?

 

[brooklyngirl]

suck on fluids maybe?

See, brainstorming works! I just remembered that sugar free ice pops help in these situations, esp because they last for a while.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

It's generally about keeping the hand-to-mouth action busy.

 

[hilary1617]

I go brush my teeth when I feel I am munching too much....

 

[JackieOnLine]

I am not doing well lately - when nervous I default to either wine or other carbs, sometimes both! - but in the past I have found eating fruit you have to work at helps. an orange, for example, you peel it and separate the sections and take off the little white bits. lots to do! not helpful if you don't eat fruit, of course.

I have heard people sometimes find keeping their hands busy with knitting or crochet can help. I was all set to learn to knit and then backed out for some reason. last night I tried coloring, seriously, I have crayons and colored pencils and coloring books - nice ones, not kid ones and certainly not the kid ones that are trying to sell you crap. I have this one



and I want to get this



and I hear you on the procrastination thing - I keep meaning to do something about that...


OMG in searching on amazon I found a new one: Coloring for Grown-UPs - hysterical! check out some crayon color names: "court-ordered urine sample yellow" and "pregnancy test blue"

 

[brooklyngirl]

@JackieOnLine - that's an amazing idea! I've always been the idiot that likes coloring books, and I didn't know there were adult ones! My husband put a Mickey Christmas coloring book and a box of crayola 64 (with the sharpener on the back!) in my stocking 2 Christmases ago, you would've thought it was diamonds if you heard me squealing with delight! I spent my (formerly) ceremonious, day after Christmas, pajama-wearing, movie marathon day coloring as well

 

[Jo777]

My "healthy" habit- pounding those fizzy waters, the la croix, Dasani.. the carbonation doesn't bother me.. gives me the hand to mouth thing, some flavor and fizz. I also like the salty roasted seaweed snax. I need to do that far more often than the wine, xanax.. etc when my anxiety spikes.

 

[brooklyngirl]

My "healthy" habit- pounding those fizzy waters, the la croix, Dasani.. the carbonation doesn't bother me.. gives me the hand to mouth thing, some flavor and fizz. I also like the salty roasted seaweed snax. I need to do that far more often than the wine, xanax.. etc when my anxiety spikes.

Yeah, sometimes I succumb to the xanax, I actually spiked my espresso the other night because I had to get a ridiculous amount if work done for the following morning that I did not plan out well and had to be up stupid late to get it done. That day was the worst I've had that I can remember (the day I posted this) and I was shoving food in my mouth to ease my nerves. The rum cream in the espresso did help to calm me down while still being able to stay awake, but I don't exactly wanna get into that habit!

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Words with Friends, Online Solitaire, but I eat anyway...I just have a lot of chocolate smears on my keyboard.

 

[brooklyngirl]

Words with Friends, Online Solitaire, but I eat anyway...I just have a lot of chocolate smears on my keyboard.

 

[southernlady]

Words with Friends, Online Solitaire, but I eat anyway...I just have a lot of chocolate smears on my keyboard.

That's me but different games

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Words with Friends, Online Solitaire, but I eat anyway...I just have a lot of chocolate smears on my keyboard.

me too. I am murder on keyboards and touchscreen protectors.