Everyday Systems

So, I got home from school and almost instantly, the No S is failing. I think it has to do with the issues that come about from moving home for the summer. I had seconds for the first time in a while, I have basically had two s days in the middle of the week, luckily, I still haven't had any snacks, and I am struggling to not eat sugar. Basically, I don't know what to do!! How can I stop myself from eating the junk? I am an emotional eater, so when I freak out, I go for food. How can I stop these bad habits?! Does anyone have any tips/hints?

Good news that you finished the semester and have been No S-ing at school. You say that you are an emotional eater; do you know what your triggers are? What are your plans for the summer? Exercise is a great way to relieve stress , so I would encourage you to do that. Good luck and let us know how things are working out.

I totally understand. Going to my parents' is STILL the hardest place for me - the food cues are constant, and old habits kick back in too easily. (Fortunately for me, I only visit on weekends these days... but I'm pretty much guaranteed a "wild" S-day if I visit.)

Can you structure your day so you're not at home as much, so there are fewer food cues and emotional triggers? (Are you working?)

Can you start new habits that help? Drink herb tea while everyone else is having dessert?

Sorry I don't have a lot to offer - I still struggle with this one. But I'm sure that the collective wisdom on this board will help.

I actually did a program before No S that helped me a lot with emotional eating. There is a book Shrink Yourself and onling three month program. I am surprised in retrospect how much it has probably contributed to my being able to stay on track with NO S. It is all about emotional hunger and helped me cut through the fog and get at what were some deeper underlying issues.

It goes pretty deep if you do the work,

Blueskighs

You're ahead of the curve because you've realized that you have a problem and you're already starting to think about how to solve it. Yay for you! I'm not sure exactly what your issues are, but I know that moving is VERY stressful. Can you find non-food treats? Herbal tea has definitely helped me to avoid snacking. A walk or calling up a friend can help too. Or maybe a visit to the library to get some good books to read. It can be really hard to be back at home after you've had the independence of being at school. Thinking about whatever issues are present and how you can deal with them is another good way to avoid emotional eating. So can the knowledge (repeated almost mantra-like) that the food will not make the stress go away. It will delay it a bit, but you'll really end up right back where you started.

If you're in a situation where "food is love", here's something I've found that can help. Take a small portion of whatever is offered you--as in half a serving spoon sized--until your plate is nice and full, then eat SLOOOWLY. As slowly as you can manage. As long as your plate looks fullish, you can legitimately say to any offers of more, "Just a minute. I'm still working on this plate." By the time you've finished, everyone else will have eaten as much as they can, and you'll have eaten one plate, with tastes of everything, but you won't feel stuffed or insulted the cook(s).

I hope this helps!