Emotional Eating vs Other Types.

edub · July 18, 2010

I found this article on emotional eating and I think it partially describes me. If so, is it true the band will not work for me?

food issues:

I am always hungry and never feel satiated. Even with a full stomach I may feel like the food I ate didn't do the trick. To me, food is like crack; I will wear out the carpet walking from the sofa to the fridge trying to figure out what will make my hunger go away. I do eat quite healthy but just can't stop and my portions are way too big.

Another odd phenomenon is that when I begin to feel even a little hungry, I begin to panic as if I'm not going to have another chance to eat and am going to starve. So, I often eat what ever I can get my hands on and as much as I can. I even use this fear to rationalize eating bad food. I think to myself "I know it's bad but I might not get another chance to eat and it's going to hurt." I can not think of a reason I might have a fear of starvation but I do.

Of course there are times when I decide I just want to hide in my house with a movie and some junk food - but only on occasion and I think that is normal.

Aside from that, I don't see any emotional link to food. I do take Xanax for anxiety and I would think if anxiety was causing my over eating, that would solve the problem. It doesn't.

Personally, I think there is not nearly enough attention paid to the issue of Leptin insensitivity and I suspect that is my real problem. I guess I just want to hear as much input as I can as to whether or not the band will work for me.

I should also mention the procedure will be covered by insurance.

Edited July 18, 2010 by edub

Jachut · July 18, 2010

I wouldnt really call myself an emotional eater. There's no "void" that I'm trying to fill, for example. So I'm not an emotional eater in that sense.

But - I was (and still am really) addicted to sugar as a means of soothing stress. It doesnt have to be bad stress, my worst habit, the one that escalated my weight problem from overweight to obesity was dealing with the insane busy-ness of being a mother of young toddlers by half an hour on the couch with a coffee and a packet of biscuits whilst they were asleep. I could FEEL that sugar hit my bloodstream and I would calm down. I wasnt upset, angry or tense, just needed to relax and have a bit of time out.

I dont overeat ANY other food other than sugary sweet ones, although as I got fatter and more disgusted with myself, I began to do that "what the hell" thing and started shoving in Mcdonalds and things like that just because I could. It was starting to escalate. Before that stage, with everything else, I never did eat past feeling satisfied (although what it took to feel satisfied was a fairly large amount of food). I was always a bit plump, with a BMI in the high 20's and forever trying to lose weight. But the drop in exercise and increase in sugar that occurred once I started having babies tipped me into obesity and not having been obese for my entire life, my tolerance for it was low. I thought I was the fattest person who ever lived, found my body and my lifestyle rather disgusting and was being banded once my BMI hit an all time high of 35.

But consequently I havent found it hard to lose weight with a band. I was sporty and easily rekindled that and as long as I keep away from sugar, the rest of my eating is fairly stable and healthy.

edub · July 18, 2010

The same thing happens to me!

If I eat candy, it feels as though the sugar is absorbed straight through my mouth like some kind of drug. It almost feels like a tiny...well you know.

I have trouble buying the whole "nervous eating thing" because if that was the case, anxiety medications would be effective for obesity.

I honestly believe that Leptin insensitivity is the chief cause of obesity for most people but because people are so prejudiced, and doctors are people too, the research doesn't receive enough attention.

Anyway, I'm just hoping and praying that this is successful for me.