How I Got Over Emotional Binge Eating

It would happen every night at about nine. Dinner was finished, the dishes were done and the kids' homework had (finally) been finished. For the first time since waking up, I'd have a few minutes to myself–and I'd eat–and eat and eat and eat.

I was a binge eater.

My snacks of choice included microwave popcorn, potato chips and, occasionally, a heaping bowl of ice cream. And that's just for one night.

The stress of being a mother of three young kids, a wife, working full time and trying to maintain some semblance of sanity in our home was taking its toll on me. My only escape from the everyday craziness was between 9 and 10 p.m., when the day's chores were finished and I had an hour to myself before bedtime.

I'd sit on the couch and eat. The time provided comfort and allowed me to sit mindlessly and watch TV while devouring salty and sweet snacks. It made me feel better. It also made me gain a whole lot of weight.

I'm happy to say that I'm no longer a binge eater. I'm reformed, more energetic and feeling better than ever. But getting over binge eating wasn't easy. It took effort, focus and commitment.

Here's how I did it:

The first time it occurred to me that I had a problem with binge eating was when I read about it on a blog. I was surfing the Internet, watching TV and eating popcorn when I read a story about how to overcome binge eating. The definition–eating mindlessly and needlessly in order to find comfort–fit me to a T.

I had one of those a-ha moments and new I had to change.

I decided to take some of the advice I found online and put a plan in place to help me stop. Instead of sitting on the couch, I'd read every night. I also decided to replace the junk food with something more healthy–vegetables and tea seemed to do the trick.

And it did. I no longer binge eat. I've lost weight. And I feel better than ever!