Emotional eaters, raise your hands

[J.Lo from JHole]

I'm doing the Whole 30 to try to get ahold of my sugar addiction and get closer to my healthy weight.

 

Being raised in the South among some of the unhealthiest food in the world was bad enough. My parents divorced when I was 11 and I learned emotional eating from my mother. I also picked up body image issues. I got the heck out of Mississippi at age 22 and moved to Wyoming.

 

Sports kept me at a healthy weight until my early 20s, when it began to creep up after my first ACL surgery rendered me inactive for a short time. Vegetables were a rare part of my diet. I climbed mountains, rode bikes for up to 10 hours at a stretch, but I was always one of the slowest in the pack and was still never really satisfied with how my body looked.

 

Knee surgeries, stress, breakups, pregnancy, working more hours after a promotion... I always had some reason (excuse) for eating sugar and drinking wine. My cholesterol isn't great, environmental allergies are terrible and I probably have a systemic candida infection.

 

Now that I'm 40 I have a solid two decades of cooking under my belt, and I've learned to enjoy more vegetables. I'm looking forward to kicking the sugar addiction and feeling in control of my eating. I want to have the energy and stamina to mountain bike, play tennis and skate-ski in the middle or front of the pack. Thanks for listening!

[Tulip]

Hi! I recognise much of what you write here. Good luck to us both!

[gm20]

Definitely am an emotional eater: boredom, sadness, frustration, even happiness all linked with eating sugary foods and I think this is going to be the hardest part to kick. I think though that if there are so many people out there who have gone through this successfully then we must be able to as well!