I don't want to suggest anyone isn't wrapped well, but I see so many posts about emotional eating that I just have to speak up.

I went along for years, struggling with this issue. It's one thing to hear the dieticians preaching, "Don't eat when you aren't hungry." What about when you are always hungry? When you get up at 3 AM and prowl the kitchen, helplessly chopping away at the frozen Sara Lee cake with a bent fork?

It's so great when a low carb plan works for you and kills the terrible hunger, kills the cravings, kills the monkey on your back.

That's why I get upset when I see people who don't have these physiological issues anymore getting tripped up on the emotional issues.

These have to be dealt with.

I just made a post where I pointed out something I had to get through my head...dealing with one's stress by eating isn't taking care of the stress. It's not shutting off the alarm, it's just hitting the snooze button.

You are actually adding to your stress issues when you endanger your health and self esteem by choosing a BAD way of dealing with stress.

So do the work yourself or with someone competent...but do the work!

It breaks my heart to see people suffering.

I agree with you so much, adkpam, that LCing gives you control over food.

As far as emotional eating goes, I have to go back to my early experiences with Weight Watchers. I was very young (13), and that's probably why I took it so to heart, when WW taught me to choose other sources of gratificaiton over food.

Whenever I felt I wanted to reward myself with food, or I was bored and wanted to eat to fill the time, or I was stressed and felt I had to munch, I would consciously find an alternative. For rewards, I started to identify things I really wanted to do or have, for being bored or stressed, I found ways to distract myself instead of eating. I made lists of non-food rewards so when I wanted to turn to food, I had a ready source of alternatives. I also made a list of things to do when I was bored or stressed (deep breathing, BTW, really works for stress).

So I've been very lucky I think to have learned early not to rely on food for emotional support. The hard part, until I found low-carb, was dealing with the constant hunger caused by carb-overload and wow did I overload . Now that I'm satisfied with what I eat, I can say no to the candy and the breads and the rice and potatoes, and yes to the avocados and artichokes with mayonaise that I always wanted to eat without guilt and all the luscious meats and seafood and butter in my eggs and chorizo for breakfast. And the vegetables I eat now are so much more satisfying with sourcream or butter and wonderful full-fat salad dressings than they ever were when I was overeating carbs and avoiding fats, especially butter.

Now I eat for sustenance and enjoyment, but not for comfort.

I think part of it for emotional eaters is having problems recognizing the feeling of hunger. Both hunger and stress can cause an uneasy, gnawing feeling in the bottom of your tummy. There is also that "what to do with hands" issue that smokers and overeaters both face.

Therapy could help many. Some may not need to go to a full counsler though. Groups support that helps to teach people to recognize emotions versus physical hunger can help. It can also give them a place to air bottled stress and anger to get it out of the stomach Even this bored can be a form of theropy. Yell at your SO and kids, they will hold it against you for a day at least. Rant, rave, bitch, and moan on here and the worst you will get is ignored most of the time

Typing helps with the hands, and other bored members can offer more sugegstions on how to stay busy. Some just have to get over the habit of snacking (or smoking) while online. When I quit smoking I wasn't LC, so I ate baby carrots by the ton and avoided the computer completely for a while

Another great saver in that area can be a yoga, stress relief, or exercise class. Something that helps your body to feel healthier and gives you heathy ways to combat stress instead of eating.

Low-carbing has given me the freedom to deal with the emotional aspects, now that I have teh carb cravings at a manageable level.

I tend to push it, but for those of us who don't have access to therapy, I have found an invaluable tool in the Dr Phil book... I know a few known Dr Phil-haters that have even found it useful! It's really helped me pinpoint and FIX the non-physical types of "hunger" I've been treating with food.

The heck of it is, the ones most in need of help, even on this board, are the deepest in denial about it. It is hard to see someone where you WERE and extend the hand to help... to have it "bitten". People have to be ready to accept help, I guess.

Boy oh boy does this strike a nerve with me!

I have been noticing as I lose weight and get into smaller and smaller sizes that at certain points I start stalling and or backsliding. At first I didn't think anything of it, making excuses like we were on vacation, I deserve a break, a refeed, etc. Once I realized that I was remembering different events (trauma, etc. or whatever is the pc psycho babble of the moment) occuring at these weights I've been trying to deal with whatever emotion was bubbling under the surface, regret, shame, fear to name a few. Some breakthroughs occur just by recognizing the event and letting go, others take a few weeks or so to really work out. I haven't gone for professional help yet but if I ever need it you can bet I will add that to my arsenal of tools to get healthy (physically, mentally, and emotionally)

Sorry for the rambling, glad to know I'm not alone. I've been very lucky to have a wonderfully supportive dh, family and friends, and now my LC WOL family.

Good luck to everyone on the path to better health!
Domus