Help to stop comfort eating please.

alisonengland · May 2010

My food and diet plan is not too bad. I am fine with breakfast and lunch and am very controlled. In the evening I always feel like a glass of wine but mostly I dont bother. I eat a healthy dinner and portion control is fine. My downfall, and the thing I fear is inhibiting my weight loss is evening eating. I have this reward mentality that after I have got the kids to school, driven 50 miles to work, gone to the gym, driven 50 miles home, cooked dinner, put kids to bed that I should reward myself. I mentally tell myself I deserve chocolate, or cake, or cookies. I then obsess about them and think of them until normally I give in. I am almost always under my calorie count but that is only because I eat a small lunch.
I would really love any suggestions of how to alter this mindset as it is unhealthy and seems to be sabotaging my weight loss.

Thanks! Ali x

angela75022 · May 2010

Eat fruit... Make a fruit smoothie... Keep yougurt in the freezer (it kinda helps replace ice cream)

Hope this helps:flowerforyou:

kimberly428 · May 2010

Do you keep it in the house? If you dont have it you cant eat it, right? OR what if you buy the 100 cal items? I just bought skinny cow caramel truffle bars and they are SO good and only 100 calories

But that doesnt help with the thinking part.

MacguyverMommy · May 2010

I struggle with this too. Heres a few tips:

Realize that the 2-5 minutes of "comfort" we get from the food ends up giving us hours and days of grief. Weigh the pros/cons before eating

Tell yourself that your "deserve" to FEEL and LOOK healthy, as opposed to "deserving" to extra calories.

Not keeping "trigger" foods in the house is key--- or putting them in the freezer, so it takes 20 minutes for them to defrost and therefore 20 minutes for you to change your mind :noway:

If you MUST have something (aside from fruit bc that never seems to satiate me) I find that YORK peppermint (sugar free sometimes) patties are a good treat for 2 reasons:
1- the mini ones are like 60 calories
2- after eating something MINT flavored, other stuff doesnt taste as good.

Thinwithin2010 · May 2010

When you put the kids to bed brush your teeth!! Who wants to mess up nice clean feeling teeth with a snack....

sarahsmom1 · May 2010

I found I can not by skinny cow. They are just to good. Once I have one the rest are goners I make jello pudding I find it very sweet which helps a lot and when you top it of with cool whip its only 100 calories. Or I cut up strawberries and a banana put a dolip of cool whip it curbs it for me. Or even fudge cycles the ones I buy are 120 calories

ChrissyM · May 2010

I have the same problem. I've been trying to reward myself by doing something I enjoy instead of eating. Like read a book, scrapbook, paint my nails, call my sister or a friend, or sometimes I lay in bed and watch tv instead of watching tv in the living room since I don't eat in bed this seems to work really well too. I've decided that I need to change my mindset about food and not use it as a reward or for comfort. It's a slow process but it seems to be working for me since I find myself wanting other rewards instead of food.

alisonengland · May 2010

Thanks for all the tips! Sorry you are in the same boat as me ChrissyM! The alternative reward thing is a good idea except I associate watching a dvd with eating! In fact, curling up with a book normally would involve a coffee and a cake to go with it! I blame the "bookstore with integrated cafe" culture!

But the teeth brushing idea is a good one. I will go try that now and lock myself upstairs away from the kitchen!

naturebaby · May 2010

Okay..so I'm trying to think of this as a life food plan NOT a diet so who can go forever without a treat now & then?

I do have a glass of red wine and include the 103 in my food count. I also find 1 (one) dove dark chocolate promise is only 42 cals. or jello brand dark chocolate sugar free mousse is delish..and 60 cals.
I find if i go ahead and allow myself one of these i'm less likely to feel restricted, and less inclined to fall off my food plan. I am still losing fat with this strategy and not my mind! :drinker:

perrim · May 2010

I do a protein shake that I make into a pudding at night for dessert every night. It totally satisfies my sweet tooth and it's healthy. I'm getting tons of protein and fiber with no guilt. There are so many creative things you can do with a chocolate protein powder to make it sinfully good without guilt, like making a milkshake out of it or something.

Also, the yogurt in the freezer idea is a good one. I used to buy a chocolate yogurt from Trader Joes that I would freeze and it was so good. I would scrape the yogurt with a spoon to eat and it would take a long time, was totally satisfying and again made me feel like I was really treating myself without the guilt.

ntsmomma1 · May 2010

Try finding some water packets to put in water that are flavors that you like...When i want some ice cream i put some Hawiian punch in some water because i like it....i find that it works and water is 0 calories and most water packets are around 5 each...just an idea

kdsmith · May 2010

My food and diet plan is not too bad. I am fine with breakfast and lunch and am very controlled. In the evening I always feel like a glass of wine but mostly I dont bother. I eat a healthy dinner and portion control is fine. My downfall, and the thing I fear is inhibiting my weight loss is evening eating. I have this reward mentality that after I have got the kids to school, driven 50 miles to work, gone to the gym, driven 50 miles home, cooked dinner, put kids to bed that I should reward myself. I mentally tell myself I deserve chocolate, or cake, or cookies. I then obsess about them and think of them until normally I give in. I am almost always under my calorie count but that is only because I eat a small lunch.
I would really love any suggestions of how to alter this mindset as it is unhealthy and seems to be sabotaging my weight loss.

Thanks! Ali x

I am exactly the same as you!!! By 8pm, when my children are in bed, all I want is to watch tv or read my book while eating treats! My problem is that I can't just have one cookie as I'd continue eating until I eat 5. My diet is generally great during the day. Anyways...recently, I told my children and husband that I was going to do 30 days without treats. I messed up at day 14 (thanks to Mother's Day) but I started again yesterday. It has helped immensely with not eating in the evening as believe me, if I am not eating treats in the evening, then nothing else really appeals to me. I lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks just by not eating treats in the evening. This has really motivated me as I can just imagine what I will lost in the next 30 days without treats!
Good luck!
Kim

Help to stop comfort eating please.

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