I figured with my son leaving for US Air Force I should start preparing for empty nest syndrome. (Empty nest syndrome is a feeling of grief and loneliness parents or guardians may feel when their children leave home for the first time, such as to live on their own or to attend a college or university.  It is not a clinical condition).   A very close relative to Empty Nest Syndrome is Emotional Eating.  I can already see myself being weak and falling off my low carb diet.  My son is my rock, it’s been me and him for 18 years, now it’s just me.  Will I make it? I want to succeed, but our emotions are very powerful.  You know what they say “Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer.”   Time to do some research and study this new enemy in my life.   Where to start? ITG Diet Health Article  “Are you an emotional eater?” 

Wow, this emotional eating thing is very powerful.  Sometimes I can’t tell the difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger.  Bottom line is Emotional hunger isn’t satisfied with a full stomach and Physical hunger stops when your stomach is full.  I started noticing my emotional eating before my son even left, now that he is gone I really need to stop, look and listen to my emotions. Common causes of emotional eating are stress, stuffing emotions, boredom or feelings of emptiness, childhood habits and social influences. The first step to stopping emotional eating is to identify your personal triggers. Eating may feel good in the moment, but the feelings that triggered the eating are still there.   My personal trigger for emotional eating and looking for comfort food is the fact my son has left home for the first time.  What’s yours?

Let’s face it…whatever our reason is for emotional eating, we have to learn how to feed that hunger with something else.  Emotional hunger can’t be filled with food.   We need alternatives to food that we can turn to for emotional fulfillment.  Get rid of your nervous energy by dancing to your favorite song.  If you’re bored read a good book or turn to an activity you enjoy.  I often turn to crafting and cooking.  Preparing food and eating it can be entertaining and fills gaps in time.  

Tina Sly

Week # 4 loss 3.4 lbs

Week #5 loss 2.4 lbs