How do you handle these days?

enzosmama
enzosmama Posts: 134 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm battling either a cold or allergies and I'm feeling exhuasted. On days like this all I want to do is eat pizza and cookies. I have a diary full of healthy choices set up for the day- this is what I've brought to work and intended on eating. But it's not satisfying today. I just had my morning snack which usually ties me over until 1 (it's 11:20 now) but I am still so hungry and unsatisfied. I get like this EVERY TIME I'm feeling tired.

I had a great day yesterday food-wise, but I haven't worked out since Monday and I won't make it to my barre class this afternoon because I feel crappy. I know I could allow myself an "off" day but with my lack of activity this week and dealing with slow progress with the scale (and inches) I just don't think it's worth it.

How do you battle the days like this? What do you do? Do you give in and eat some of the less healthy things you're craving? Or do you avoid them, and how?

I absolutely hate days like this and I suck at dealing with them.

Replies

  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
    A lot of us associate food with comfort so strongly that it's ALL we crave when we feel upset, sick, or stressed. I am still trying to break the chains of this association myself, but just knowing that I mainly want food for emotional comfort over anything else definitely helps me make better decisions.

    You could try a couple of cups of coffee/tea, a warm feeling to fill your belly with that's not overloading on calories. I like those 90 calorie hot chocolate packets. Black tea with honey & lemon is medicinal too, so it could help :)

    You could also self-soothe/comfort yourself with your favourite music or activity, or do something that cheers you up and makes you laugh, or just plain old distract yourself by keeping busy.

    Hope you feel better soon!
  • redscylla
    redscylla Posts: 211 Member
    Sometimes, I cave in and make poor food choices. Often I text my sister to have her encourage me to eat what I know I should eat. So this is me saying, go eat what you know you should eat. You logged it, you planned it, you packed it. Don't break its little heart by not eating it.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    On Tuesday I had an unusual day...last minute, it was requested that I travel to one of our satellite offices which is in BFE nowhere and a good 2 hour commute each way from home.

    I a-typically woke up a little late after a restless night and little sleep so I didn't have time to get my breakfast and lunch ready like I usually do...instead, I popped through the drive through at McDonalds (something I haven't done in ages) and got a greasy breakfast sammich and hash-browns, etc on my way out of town.

    I took care of some business that morning and went out with the staff for lunch to a local diner and ate what I'm sure amounted to 1200 calories at least with a delicious Cuban sammich and massive side of french fries...and I splurged and had a root beer (I have a soda maybe once or twice per month).

    I left the office later that afternoon for the long commute home....Tuesday evening is generally a gym night and weight lifting time...I was exhausted...just one of those days...decided to skip out, even though I had missed the gym the entire previous week and had also missed my ride that day and the day before.

    So you'd think maybe I get home and I'm feeling all "guilty" or whatever...nah, you see, I like to look at the bigger picture. Forever...as in lifetime is a LONG time and there are going to be plenty of these kind of days along this lifetime journey of good livin'. This was a pretty a-typical day for me...in fact, it had been a weird and pretty a-typical week or two for me with all kinds of madness going on at work...but it's irrelevant to the bigger picture. This day...the last couple weeks...the future a-typical days are just blips on the radar...they don't undermine the success I've had in the past two years I've been on this little safari, nor is my future success predicated on whether or not I indulged in a greasy Cuban sanmmich and *kitten* load of onion rings or had opted for a salad.

    We are a collection of the decisions we make...when the decisions you make are overwhelmingly good, good things happen...when they are overwhelmingly bad, bad things happen...but having a "bad" decision here and there most certainly does not negate what is otherwise a bank of good decision making.

    TL/DR - Don't get wrapped up in the minutia of day to day...look at the bigger picture...realize that this little journey is forever and that today is just today....
  • redsoxmj
    redsoxmj Posts: 31
    Go to the gym! I know you said you feel crappy, but do what you can while you are there, The energy you get will definitely make you feel better, and if you give in to temptation, it will make you feel not as bad for eating the other things.
    I know it's weird, but usually if I'm hungry and I feel like I want to snack on EVERYTHING, I'll grab the coffee like onefortyone said, and I'll go to 7/11 or a gas station and get those 2 hard boiled eggs in the plastic packet. Eggs are around 70 calories a piece, and after 2 of them, I definitely feel so much fuller than I would have before. Jerky also works for me, it tastes delicious and doesn't have that many calories in the entire bag. It allows for a change, and you feel kinda like you are doing something a little wrong, because you are getting food from a convenience store, but you are getting the good for you things.

    But....go to the gym!!! You planned it, and I promise you will be so much happier when you are done with the class and it might give you the motivation to do better with the diet. One good thing leads to another good thing!
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    When is your monthly cycle?

    That is often how I feel during the first three days of TOM. I want to eat the ENTIRE WORLD and I know I will still be hungry.

    Here are my solutions (they are not all completely healthy, but sometimes you just have to cope):

    1. Drink coffee (no sugar, just a bit of milk) all day.

    2. Drink Diet soda

    3. Go for a walk instead of a heavier duty exercise. Or maybe a bike ride.

    4. Have one square of dark chocolate. (And later maybe another. . . . )

    5. Really, really try to eat some low cal high fiber or protein foods first and then wait before indulging. MAYBE the hunger will go away. . , .

    6. If you start feeling better, do a high calorie burning workout (I like to run, but do whatever your go to cal burner is). Sometimes you just have to make yourself do it.

    7. Finish the day and move on. Maybe tomorrow will be better!
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
    I haven't had a day like that in a while but I know what you're talking about. I tend to try and figure out what it is about the craving before I eat. For example, you're wanting to eat pizza and cookies to me would be I need something salty and sweet = pretzels and caramel. Sometimes the food is just plain boring to me that day and I mentally need a break from it, good day to grab a frozen meal or a healthy frozen pizza but be careful with cookies, I find some days that just one is like a drug, you can't leave them alone.

    The warm beverage does help, warm water, tea or coffee have all worked for me in the past, sort of the comfort of hugging the mug and the feeling as it goes down.

    Depending on how you're feeling, as long as you don't feel sick then some time at the gym or perhaps just a good relaxing walk would help you out. Allergies can be tricky especially if it's airborn, you can't always avoid them.

    Good luck!
  • lmann72
    lmann72 Posts: 82 Member
    Another great soother is some kind of broth - warm chicken broth which is also low calorie can provide the need that you're looking for from feeling under the weather.
  • Irishmegs18
    Irishmegs18 Posts: 1 Member
    If you're looking for something sweet, light hot chocolate w/ a little of the spray/can whipped cream (15cal/2Tblsp) - and throw a pinch of sprinkles on top for a little visual happiness :) You can get your chocolate/sweet fix in about 110cal, and it's warm like a hug. Otherwise, there's a lot of great fruited green teas out there that will have the same comforting effect, but gives you a little boost of energy as well. Good luck!
  • bohoT
    bohoT Posts: 37 Member
    I would do a walk as soon as you finish work, so you don’t have time to get too comfortable. Doesn’t have to be a long or fast walk, just whatever you feel up to.

    Then I would find something that comforts you other than food and spend the night doing that. A long hot bath, movie you’ve been wanting to see, something like that.

    For food you could eat the healthiest version of what you are craving. Or you could eat something that would kick those sinuses into gear like a really spicy soup.
  • pixelatedsun
    pixelatedsun Posts: 165 Member
    I chug a bottle of water before I make any other decisions - my Nalgene holds 4 cups, so when it's empty I feel almost seasick and don't want to eat much else!

    I also keep some Hershey's kisses in my office at work for precisely this purpose. :) They're like 22 cals apiece, and they hit your chocolate sweet tooth where it hurts!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I go to work
    go work out
    show up at dance class
    go home
    figure out what I can stuff in my face
    go to bed
    drag myself out and repeat again.

    If I'm REALLY bad- I take the day off of work-
    then go work out
    then show up at dance class
    then go home
    figure out what I can stuff in my face
    go to bed
    drag myself out of bed and repeat again

    I have to be bent over a toilet or possessed with demon spirits in my intestines to not show up for work- workouts or dance class.
    People count on me- I gotta show up.

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