Comfort eating

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So self-explanatory enough post really.

I comfort-eat quite a bit. Does anyone have tips about how to combat this?

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  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    Try taking a comfort walk.
  • motterotter
    motterotter Posts: 701 Member
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    Misery and calories loves company
  • Rachel0778
    Rachel0778 Posts: 1,701 Member
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    Adult coloring books are my new favorite thing. It keeps my hands busy while I watch a silly show on Netflix and it's fairly meditative.

    Other things I've done in the past:
    1) Journaling my feelings
    2) Calling family/friends
    3) Yoga video on youtube or walking
    4) Hot tea with stevia and almond milk
    5) Cuddling with significant other/pets/friends
    6) Hot bubble bath and a good book
    7) Get out of the house asap. Walk the mall, go to the library, go to the gym, get around people
    8) Talk to a professional, especially one with experience in eating disorders because they will have a better grasp on the eating for comfort mindset even if you specifically don't have an ED

    Hope that helps :)
  • sarahxlara
    sarahxlara Posts: 14 Member
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    Drink loads of water or like me sugar free juice every time I want to reach for something I grab water instead it's hard but I just keep thinking of that fabulous dress I want to get into in November for my bro'd wedding you can do it also green tea I'm drinking 2-3 a day
  • mis1022
    mis1022 Posts: 109 Member
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    Ugh I feel you here. I have been doing great for about 3 weeks now but had a super stressful day at work Monday which resulted in eating a doughnut and a couple mini snickers. I acknowledged my feeling in the moment so that is a small win, knowing is half the battle. I also did log this in my tracker, I ended up going to the gym and was still over my goal of calories, but next time I will limit even more the comfort eating but it's not easy.
  • mz_getskinny
    mz_getskinny Posts: 258 Member
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    You could always throw a "comfort treat" into your log at the start of the day, that way it's already there and accounted for if you need it.
  • brinktofit89
    brinktofit89 Posts: 5 Member
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    I like a lot of the tips above. For me, I usually just try to do something I consider "fun" when I feel the urge to eat for comfort. So for me it's reading, scrapbooking, crocheting, or video games.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Rachel0778 wrote: »
    Adult coloring books are my new favorite thing. It keeps my hands busy while I watch a silly show on Netflix and it's fairly meditative.

    Other things I've done in the past:
    1) Journaling my feelings
    2) Calling family/friends
    3) Yoga video on youtube or walking
    4) Hot tea with stevia and almond milk
    5) Cuddling with significant other/pets/friends
    6) Hot bubble bath and a good book
    7) Get out of the house asap. Walk the mall, go to the library, go to the gym, get around people
    8) Talk to a professional, especially one with experience in eating disorders because they will have a better grasp on the eating for comfort mindset even if you specifically don't have an ED

    Hope that helps :)

    I like this list. I occasionally give in to the desire to eat comfort food. I am assuming this takes you over your calorie goal. If it doesn't, no harm done.

    If it does, and it's an infrequent stressor that was your trigger, also probably no real harm done. A bad day every once in a while is meaningless in the long run.

    Still, I try to avoid turning to comfort food because every once in a while, a bad day turns into a bad week/month etc, and I regain weight. Instead, I try to eat more that day (I'm stressed already, I don't want to be hungry too), but nutritious stuff like meat and vegetables.

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,218 Member
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    Good ideas here.

    If I've had a stressful day, I like to walk down to the beach. The sound of the waves is soothing. Or I might "play" with my photography.

    Find things you enjoy doing, and instead of eating, do them.

    I've found lemon-ginger tea and rooibos chai teas are nice if I want something warm and relaxing.

    And I still eat foods I like. Cottage pie, for example, is a nice choice for dinner. And there's a La Zuppa soup I like for lunch.

    Yesterday, I had dental work and wasn't feeling particularly well. We had pumpkin soup mixed with a lentil dahl and topped with light cheese. That was delicious! It just hit the spot.

    Have a look around and see what delicious, lower calories options are available.