comfort eating alternatives?

em_lou007
em_lou007 Posts: 117
edited September 25 in Motivation and Support
Hi all

I have a fairly big problem with comfort eating when I am down - which is quite often :( I know it's bad and not good for me and I have tried everything I can think off to stop it from happening. This just ends up with me thinking of the food i'm craving :(

I know the thing I should do is to overcome my problems but I have tried this and after counselling and sorting out 99% of things it's just problems relating to my Fibromyalgia left over to deal with..... which is most days..........

Does anyone have any ideas of what I can do instead?

Please please help as I need to get over this as I really want to move my excess weight (and I know that this should be motivation enough and on some days it is, but sometimes things get too much as i'm only human)

Many thanks in advance

xx

Replies

  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
    What are your favorite "comfort" foods?

    I have completely revamped all of our favorite recipes to be much healtheir, so share some of your favorite things and I can give you some advice on how to still enjoy some (or a close alternative).
  • monkeybuttsmommy
    monkeybuttsmommy Posts: 343 Member
    I have found that spicy hummus and trader joe's whole wheat middle eastern flat bread is great for that! Low fat and pretty low calorie. Also sugar free fat free jello pudding is awesome! They have every flavor you can think of and I am a desert person!
  • brancakes
    brancakes Posts: 263 Member
    Comfort Food Diet cook book! it's my favorite thing ever and i haven't made one thing out of tha book i haven't liked!!
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I try to exercise instead. It gives you the same endorphines. Otherwise drink a lot of peppermint tea.
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    Before grabbing comfort foods, take a walk around the block. You just might find yourself walking further than that! If you still have a craving, eat a healthified version of your favorite snack. Portion it out and put it on a pretty plate. Eat it at the table with no TV and savor every bite.

    All of those things will help to curb how much you eat and how junky it is!

    Good luck - we all struggle with this!
  • seleck05
    seleck05 Posts: 74 Member
    I have found rice cakes to be good for this. When I get the comfort munchies and I want to just grab a bag of chips and eat the whole thing I reach for my rice cakes! I just had 4 of them (didn't have lunch today because I had a big, late breakfast) and it was only 140 cals.
  • dizidaisy
    dizidaisy Posts: 68
    I think that if you can, you should avoid food as a means of comfort - I'm talking from experience as I've always done exactly the same as you - turned to food when things are tough (which sometimes seems like all the time!) think of other ways to fill up that empty feeling inside because food doesn't actually do it - food makes the feeling worse in the long run and food is a ridiculously quick fix and that leads to a very long downer, because the chocolate for example may gives you a lovely comforting feeling for all of the 5 seconds it takes you to eat it - but the guilt and beating yourself up emotionally afterwards, and the poundage added on the body seems to last for ever! When you weight it up properly, you realise how counter productive comfort eating is.

    Go for a walk and notice your surroundings, make yourself a hot calorie free drink, read a book, have a bath, paint your nails, listen to your favourite music - get a hug from someone you love/care about, do anything that feels good but doesn't leave more damage in its wake than the comfort it gives!
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    popcorn, rice cakes and weight watchers strawberry smoothie ice cream bars, also frozen yogurt seem to do the trick for me......
  • LexyDawn
    LexyDawn Posts: 113
    Things that keep your hands and mind busy. I like to do things from my childhood that have good memories... like coloring a picture, play with Lego or playdough... you could put on some wicked music and dance around or sing along.
  • greeneyed84
    greeneyed84 Posts: 427 Member
    I drink a big glas of water & get some cleaning done or a workout. Works most of the time. If not I eat something sweet but low in calories, like rice pudding. Oh, gum also helps
  • leomentlines
    leomentlines Posts: 440 Member
    Drink a bunch of water first, then re-evaluate..
    If you're still feeling hungry, go for some rice cakes, and eat them slowly
  • Linda4859
    Linda4859 Posts: 78
    I go for almonds I know that they are high in calories but I eat them one at a time and chew them forever, you only need 4 or 5 of them. I dont go for fruit as to me its just a sugar rush and then seems to make me even hungrier. Try making a soup old fashioned vegetable or tomato low in calories but does give you that warm full up feeling. Most important, DONT beat yourself up, you are doing so well and as time moves on you WILL drift away from the comfort eating. We are all taking the same journey and support is all around you. xx
  • rinnywee
    rinnywee Posts: 3 Member
    I'm a big chocoholic and have found a diet hot chocolate that doesn't taste like *%£%! :) It really helps me when I need something like that.

    When I'm in the mood for pizza or bread or the like, rice crackers with low fat margarine (and sometimes vegemite/marmite) helps a lot.
  • em_lou007
    em_lou007 Posts: 117
    Hey everyone thanks soo much for all your words of wisdom.......

    I've had to have a week or so off from MFP as everything was getting too much and I have ended up putting on weight - as I had expected.

    Your advice will help me to get back on track and also keep on track - I appreciate that alot!!

    Good luck everyone with the rest of your weight loss journeys

    xx
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