Comfort foods

shorty458

I'm sure we've all been there. Bad day, week, etc and really wanting the comfort foods. How do you get through the urges? I've been under a lot of stress at work. Working lot of late hours (the OT is nice though!) and just keep getting passed up for promotions, so it's hard and I'm stressed and want my "happy foods." My happy food is pizza and mountain dew.

just started back on my diet again (in addition to my diet, I am working on my acne and going to the dentist and I need two teeth pulled!) so I'm under a lot of stress. Plus for my acne - they put me on two medications, so I'm going through a lot!

How do you get through the cravings of the comfort food? I I know I ate well past 1200 calories today, and today it's sad but I just don't care.

Thanks for any advice and listening! (well reading!)

dakitten2

If pizza is a go-to food, make your own for 300 calories or so.

I use Flatout Flat Bread (90 calorie version) - the large size
I use different sauces (2 tablespoons) - pizza sauce, taco sauce, BBQ sauce, etc
I use 3/8 cup of Kroger pizza cheese - any lo-fat, lo-cal cheese can work
For proteins, I use Canadian bacon, chicken, taco meat, hamburger, turkey sausage (amounts vary based on calorie count)
Add fresh veggies if you like.

oven 350 degrees. I put the flatbread in first to crisp for a couple of minutes or so. Then add my toppings. Bake until cheese melts. Then I turn the broiler on just to brown the cheese a bit. All of this cooks very quickly, so stay in kitchen and keep an eye on each stage. Then I eat the whole thing.

Diet Mt Dew Code Red was all I ever drank before making my lifestyle changes. I gradually made the change over to lemon water and just refused to bring any more soda in the house.

I can go either way when stressed, undereat or overeat. One thing I have done while making changes was I brush my teeth a lot. LOL I know it sounds funny but when I get an urge to overeat, I brush my teeth and I hate eating right after brushing.

I have built up a number of pizza recipes in my recipe builder and worked the numbers to an acceptable amount. It sure beats spending 1000 calories on delivery pizza and since I love thin crust pizza, the flatout bread is perfect for me!

And another thing. We all have bad days. Learn to not beat yourself up for it. Remember it is just one meal or one day. Start fresh the next day. I also usually preplan my entire day in the morning and log it in and change it only if I have to, but it gives me a guide for the day.

Also, days that you go over, maybe add some extra exercise to the day.

Good luck!

BluePHX

I still haven't figured out how to deny myself comfort foods when I'm feeling stressed, but I will say that finding healthier alternatives to what you're eating now is one way to definitely help yourself out, regardless of whether you figure out how to curb the cravings. Instead of soda and processed foods, I usually get a jar of Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut butter and go to town. It is VERY fattening, and not at all privy to a steady diet to eat as much as I usually do, but the only harm it's doing is fattening me up a little. It's completely organic and free of harmful chemicals, so my teeth, skin and vital organs are much much safer, even if I'm not doing my figure a lot of favors. The chocolate is dairy free too, it's just from coco, so it isn't irritating my skin. This may not be the answer you were looking for but the truth is, everyone falls off the wagon once in a while. It's just about maintaining healthy choices even when you do.

lvsglass

I sure can relate to what you are talking about. I've tried learning to calm/comfort myself with alternative methods than food because when under stress, I just can't seem to trust myself with the food. So...I took up yoga, meditation, breath work, walking and gardening. It works for me because I've found that the cravings only last a short tine and my alternative methods distract me until the craving has passed.:flowerforyou: