redgirl1974's Journal, 18 January 2017

Cause it feels better.... If I eat cookies, I just eat less later.. It isn't realistic for me to never eat cookies or chocolates.. If I'm upset, I hit Godiva.. There are some things I will NEVER eat, such as Cinnabon... but from Whole Foods, I get these Melatonin Chocolate Candies. They're great because I know at night, I've been good all day, need to relax and sleep, chocolate to make me feel relaxed, melatonin to help me sleep. If I eat cookies, I eat cookies, I'll take calories out elsewhere... Add more protein so I'm not hungry or sluggish for eating junk... Stress.. how do I deal... Go to LUSH, get a bubble rune... I say bubble rune because they're the cheapest... they can be split in half... soak in a hot tub, the aroma, the scent, the smooth buttery feeling it puts on your skin, partnered with a good mask... will make you forget the world for a bit... after hundreds of years, bubble bath is still great medicine...  

I ate Peanut Butter Cups yesterday and compensated for it by eating less at supper. Be realistic. You'll be eating cookies the rest of your life. Learn self control and only eat a few and then tweak your diet later. It's all good! 

There's been times where I'm swallowing something and I'm all like, "how tf did that get in my mouth!?" I don't even remember tasting it, how sad is that, almost an automatic response. Worse, I'll look at something on a plate that's not mine and think how good it looks, when I have the exact same thing on my plate and I'm just sad thinking how it will be gone soon. Ugh. Food is not our friend.  

I recently bought a bag of dark chocolate Hershey kisses. I find when I'm stressed or just craving sweets I suck on ONE and really enjoy the flavor. The hard part is having just one! But I do it! Because I know if I have more I'm done for. There's where the willpower come in. Hang in there and you'll figure out what works for you. 

Well... better than me. Started fresh with trainor last Monday... one week in and I accidently missed a meal... I ended up eating my lunch and downed 10 cookies. Oops. It's a food addiction for me, emotional eater as well.  

Plan ahead. Have ready snacks that satisfy you. If you're doing lcHf then prepare some fat bombs and choose those over cookies. Maybe just eat a teaspoon of pure coconut oil, just let it melt in your mouth, before you allow yourself a snack. Or do the opposite and stop snacking, period. Only eat 2 or 3 times a day. I've been reading how snacking keeps the insulin going all day and never gives our body a chance to do the wonderful things it can do when it's not filled with food. I think snacking has been part of my downfall for years. Just suggesting. 

How many of us grew up with Mommy giving us a cookie or treat when we're sad or sick? I did. It was the cure all. Offers us comfort. 

how about a nice relaxing walk around the block? I am making LCHF almond joys this weekend so I have a dessert that will not derail me. it is my reward for being good each day. if i mess up no treat. 

Why do we eat crap, period? I don't even have to be stressed out...I still haven't figured it out. What Phil said really hit a nerve..."I don't even remember tasting it, how sad is that, almost an automatic response." EXACTLY! Automatic response....something for ME to think about... 

I make myself drink a glass of water when I have the desire to grab a comfort "snack". It doesn't always work, but I think it helps. Although lately, I have been so stressed, I am nearly sloshing when I walk!! I also have carrots at the ready. They are the best for my stress eating - I can eat several without thinking, but they don't kill my waistline and they make me feel full quickly. 

(I'm going to brainstorm, which may cause me to ramble...) -- The sad truth is that it - eating crap food - truly IS an addiction - biologically as well as metaphorically. Sugar and wheat, for example, both have actions in the body and brain very similar to narcotics. The alter your chemistry, rewarding you for ingesting them and making you long for them if you don't eat them. Breaking the cycle cold turkey is the only thing that worked for me. I will never eat a refined sugary, wheat/simple carb flour cookie/cake/etc. again - not as a treat, a cheat, a celebration or holiday food - never. It's just not workable for me. I treat these things like ALLERGIES, and it really helps my mindset. (For me, as an autoimmune person, inflammatory foods act just like an allergen, so it's not far off, but I've done it with foods I wish to avoid for general health or ethical concerns, too.) I can have a square of 85% bittersweet chocolate and find it very sweet now, and it doesn't set off cravings for me. I also NEVER allow myself to eat something I consider a treat (the dark choco, a glass of wine, air popped popcorn, etc.) if I'm in a bad mood. I will purposely fit such things into my daily macros when I feel GOOD, as a normal thing to eat. This has helped me disconnect food from emotions in my head. -- Another thing: develop a habit/addiction that doesn't hurt your health. For me, it's books. But I'm also on a budget and am firmly against conspicuous or useless consumption. So - if I'm down or stressed or, on the other hand, want to reward or treat myself, I take $2-3 to a local charity shop or used indie bookstore or online bookstore that gives profits to literacy charities, and I shop around and nab a new book. I've spent no more than a box of cookies would cost, given a bit to a local bookseller or a charity venture, and besides the fun of shopping and the little thrill of acquiring what to me is a treasure, I still have hours of reading it ahead - yet another layer of reward! (Bonus: reading builds brain connections and helps keep our brains young and healthy as we age; weight isn't the only aspect of good health, of course!) -- (Oh, I REALLY wish FatSecret allowed line breaks in posts...) - Do you have some sort of interest, hobby, obsession, or love that isn't food-related and doesn't break your particular budget or support another habit you consider unhealthy? Perhaps indulge that craving instead of food cravings - a new-to-you thrift item, a kitschy little piece for a collection, a skein of yarn or bag of beads for a craft hobby, a movie/museum ticket or garden gloves/tool/seeds/cute plant pot, a music download, a stuffed animal, a suncatcher, a handcrafted soap, wonderfully-scented candle, a pair of earrings....anything that you love can become a small-self-gift "addiction" to replace food. I like that bubble bath idea, too! How about meditation or purposeful breathing? (This might also help with the "unconscious" eating aspect, by focusing on mindfulness.) You could even start volunteering somewhere, so that if you're down/bored/stressed you can make a habit of dropping in to spend an hour walking dogs or reading to kids or sorting food donations. After a while, anything we habitualize truly does become a habit/addiction, and we will reach for that in times of stress/need/celebration. Conversely, things we avoid will lose that addictive quality over time. So....do you have a not-unhealthy interest or hobby with which you could consciously begin to replace food and stress/unconscious eating? Is there a new one tickling your brain that you might encourage to develop?  

BH look kkkwkk 

The short answer is cortisol, a stress hormone, which unfortunately makes us hungry. But you said you weren't really hungry, so I think that's more of a habit (one that I share with you - get upset, reach for something sweet). Some degree of re-programming is needed here; and if you find out how to do it PLEASE let me know! 

Great question and there is a great answer for it and it falls within what CandissTC said, read a book called 'Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength' by Baumeister & Tierney. I too had and still have to a lesser degree willpower issues but after reading this book I better understand that it's available to us in finite quantities which has helped me figuring out that I'm more likely to eat at the end of the day because, well, all my willpower has been pretty much spent on family & work throughout the day. Once I open the fridge to look around equates to me teetering on the edge of a food abyss that I on occasion fall into to. I'm far less upset with myself nowadays when this happens. I'm still disappointed in myself because I could of prevented this by not opening the fridge and frankly just running away from the kitchen. I often advance the dishes after I get off work at midnight, everyone else is asleep and I don't have anyone watching my inhibitions so it's pretty easy to get sucked into snacking. If I find that my willpower is low or even absent I just skip advancing the dishes, they can wait till the morning. I get out of the kitchen ASAP. The further I am from the fridge the more likely I am to not eat out of turn. Some people can moderate their food intake and adjust their caloric intake throughout the day, I sure can't. Had I been able to do that, I don't think I would of ever needed FS to keep me accountable. I too am a food addict and an emotional eater. I still struggle with separating emotions of eating from eating true reason; to give us sustenance to survive. I enjoy eating but I no longer look to it as for compassion. // Read the book, understand what willpower is, why we have it and why we lose it throughout the day. Do not hit the gym to undo eating choices. You'll **NEVER** be able to out run, cycle, walk, or lift a bad chef. Attempting to do that isn't dealing with the problem, it's just trying to find ways to make it acceptable.  

I appreciate this. When I choose to eat poorly I own and restart, reevaluate what's up with me. I then forgive myself and move forward asap. Anyway reinforced good thinking helps us all out. 

Frosty . gonna take your advice and look for that book ... by I have zero will power at times and dont think of the consequences sometimes. I am a food addict and have a horrible relationship with food..  

I'm a boredom eater, so I try to stay busy. That usually means laundry, reading, helping kids with homework, etc. NOT tv! Also, I like to drink flavored tea at night rather than snacking. No calories, but I still get some "sweetness" You're doing great, keep on keeping on! 

I'm a worry eater and guess what I'm always worried! 😨😂