Bad Day

I know what it's like to have a bad day turn into a bad food day. I've also learned to log it, love myself, and move on.

But I've also learned that I can often reflect more rationally on a bad day/bad food day one or two days later -- after the stress has assuaged. I can think through what my triggers were and the situations that led to poor food choices, and that can help me better prepare for the future.

Do I still use food to cope with stress? yes. Is that a bad thing? Sometimes, but sometimes not. I've come to recognize that yes, there are other "unfood" ways to deal with stress, and I can draw upon those on occasion. But I've also recognized that food IS a way I deal with stress-- so sometimes I just plan so I can make good choices

For example, I have learned that if I feel a stress binge coming on, I can sometimes come to my senses by jumping on to the MFP boards for 10 minutes because there's ALWAYS someone who's having a worse day than me. I can also take a quick walk around the block, which clears my head and helps me focus on dealing with stress in a more positive way.

But I have also learned that SOMETIMES, I WILL STRESS EAT AT WORK!! So, instead of beating myself up for getting stressed out at work (where I can't log on to MFP or walk around the block. . . ), I have learned NOT to keep chocolate kisses and Ritz crackers in my office. Instead, I keep mini microwave popcorn bags in my desk and frozen grapes in the break room freezer. That way, when I AM going to stress eat at work, a 100-calorie bag of popcorn or an icy cold handful of frozen grapes is a better choice than half a bag of chocolate Kisses or a box of crackers!

I'm sorry your day has been awful. Do something for yourself. Listen to your fav music, take a walk, take a nap, go for a drive with the windows down but most of all forgive yourself. The past is the past. Take care of yourself Hun.