Autumn comfort eating

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Replies

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Its time to nip those old habits in the bud, while its fine to take a diet break for a week or two, if you are slipping into old habits you need to keep logging your food.

    I do agree during winter we are inclined to want to comfort eat but its just a notion/habit.

    I sip at water during the evenings to stop me thinking I need to be snacking - I used to gain around 4lbs every winter because I gave in and snacked while I watched TV (less active in winter/dark evenings in general). I got fed up spending early spring always trying to lose those extra pounds so a few years ago I gave myself stern talking to - no more mindless snacking! and you know what, after the first week or so of not eating in the evenings I got used to it....3 years on, I don't even think about eating at night now. Once I've had my dinner all I'll have is tea/coffee/water. We can make new lasting habits :smile:
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    Sara1791 wrote: »
    maxit wrote: »
    Really craving carbohydrates in the fall may be due in part to decreasing daylight and the resulting chemical changes in the brain. Some people are enormously sensitive to this. If you are one of them, you can try a couple of things. One is to get outside more at mid-day. Another is to get a light box of the kind used to treat seasonal affective disorder and use it 30 min each morning. Doing both has worked for me.

    ditto this

    Definitely not this.

    As a licensed mental health clinician with three decades of experience, I know that "this" happens. The beauty of this particular approach is that if you are the person prone to "this" the light box is effective (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004726/) and has no nasty side effects :)
  • JeanCricket
    JeanCricket Posts: 176 Member
    edited November 2016
    Yes, the urge to eat more is hitting me, too. I have been making pots of vegetable soup, lentil soup, and trying to keep cravings in check. Have gone over calories a few times in past week and am trying to reign it back in...

    Regardless though, I log everything - every meal, snack, etc. Never give up! Logging helps us stay aware of our eating habits and the cause and effect of our choices.

    Good luck and do your best to stick to healthier comfort food choices.

    Jean
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    edited November 2016
    maxit wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    Sara1791 wrote: »
    maxit wrote: »
    Really craving carbohydrates in the fall may be due in part to decreasing daylight and the resulting chemical changes in the brain. Some people are enormously sensitive to this. If you are one of them, you can try a couple of things. One is to get outside more at mid-day. Another is to get a light box of the kind used to treat seasonal affective disorder and use it 30 min each morning. Doing both has worked for me.

    ditto this

    Definitely not this.

    As a licensed mental health clinician with three decades of experience, I know that "this" happens. The beauty of this particular approach is that if you are the person prone to "this" the light box is effective (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004726/) and has no nasty side effects :)

    I'm sure "this" happens, but how many people use it as an excuse vs the 10-20% of of recurrent depression cases follow a seasonal pattern?
  • Derpy_Hooves
    Derpy_Hooves Posts: 234 Member
    edited November 2016
    I definitely feel I need more warming food now than during summer. Makes sense really doesn't it?
    So instead of my green smoothie, I now have porridge as a snack in work. I have these handy sachets that just need water added and 2 minutes in the microwave (I add cinnamon too). About 150 cals.
    And for lunch I would have a nice thick soup, ie minestrone. With a nice chunk of bread for dunking. It doesn't have to be high calorie at all.
    And of course exercise helps. A lot! I was frrreezing last night, couldn't feel my toes! My spinning session sorted that pretty quick...
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    maxit wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    Sara1791 wrote: »
    maxit wrote: »
    Really craving carbohydrates in the fall may be due in part to decreasing daylight and the resulting chemical changes in the brain. Some people are enormously sensitive to this. If you are one of them, you can try a couple of things. One is to get outside more at mid-day. Another is to get a light box of the kind used to treat seasonal affective disorder and use it 30 min each morning. Doing both has worked for me.

    ditto this

    Definitely not this.

    As a licensed mental health clinician with three decades of experience, I know that "this" happens. The beauty of this particular approach is that if you are the person prone to "this" the light box is effective (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004726/) and has no nasty side effects :)

    I'm sure "this" happens, but how many people use it as an excuse vs the 10-20% of of recurrent depression cases follow a seasonal pattern?

    Well it's an interesting thing - it may be that more people are affected mildly than would meet criteria for SAD. Whether it's an "excuse" or a "reason" a person's still left with choices about taking action. Exercise and light seem like a reasonable way to go if the desire for carbs takes on the quality of craving, especially in the presence of wanting to sleep more, feeling "blah" and being more irritable than in the summer months.
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