Post
by hexagon » Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:43 am
Hi Sinnie,
I hear you on the emotional eating issues. It's true that the real cure for the emotional eating is to solve those issues, but usually those are pretty deep-seated things or life situations that can take time to change.
I've found a few things have helped me a lot.
(1) Staying away from situations where I am bored/lonely, or at least finding a place where there isn't so much readily accessible food to be lonely. I moved a few months ago to a totally new area. I've been working hard and haven't had time to meet people, especially since I was limited by not having a car (finally I have one, woo!). Saturday nights sometimes suck, so I've gone to one of the late-night coffee shops sometimes to work on things. Even if I'm alone at my laptop, I'm out of the house, I'm keeping myself busy, and I can't just munch incessantly.
(2) Keeping trigger food out of the house. With my stress level, I've found that certain foods that normally aren't trigger foods have temporarily become that way. I'm working on dealing with the stress, but I've also just brought those foods to work. That way, I can eat them for lunch and not feel deprived, but I don't have constant access to them.
(3) Planning for events. You mentioned that you had situations worrying about whether your friends were going to get a drink, appetizers, dessert, etc. Either come up with what to say to them if they bug you about it, or work it into your schedule. At work, we often have Friday morning meetings where somebody brings in breakfast food. I either eat something beforehand or I make Friday one of my S-days; that way, I can eat what my colleagues eat and not feel deprived.
I've looked at what my thin co-workers eat. They do go ahead and eat the Friday morning pastry. However, most of them eat most breakfasts at home, and bring their own lunches, and eat home-cooked dinners. Basically, they eat so-called "bad" foods in moderation--they don't deny themselves, and they otherwise eat pretty reasonably.
(4) Fitting in some sort of exercise during the day. This is especially effective if I do it in the morning, but also works if I do it later on (say, taking my 50 minute walk home from work). Somehow it puts me into a health-conscious mood and I'm less likely to slip.
(5) Eating large-volume foods, or foods that take a longer time to eat. I really like to eat, and my brain is easily fooled by volume. I'll find a meal more satisfying if it looks bigger and I have to take more time chewing it (a big fresh salad instead of a piece of bread). This is why I don't do smoothies or fruit juices much--sure, they taste good, but I gain more general satisfaction out of eating an apple rather than drinking apple juice.
One thing to remember is that while it probably isn't a good idea to get *all* of your life's pleasure from food, you shouldn't feel totally guilty about it. To me, food and the ability to taste and smell it are one of life's great simple pleasures. It's no wonder that many of us turn to it when the rest of our lives are unpleasant--it's arguably one of the most easily accessible forms of basic pleasure available to us. I guess my point is not to beat up on yourself too much--I mean, heck, we're biologically programmed to really dig food! This isn't to say that it is good to continue the same behavior if it ultimately makes you unhappy, but maybe taking a more loving, understanding attitude towards yourself could help.
I still struggle with the same issues you do. I'm not perfect, and I've probably still got 15 pounds to chuck off (hey, less than before). Despite my struggles, I'd have to say I've felt WAY better about food overall since I found No S. I don't feel like it is my enemy anymore. Even though No S sets limits, I don't feel really deprived or restricted. I think somehow it has helped me to shake off some of the guilt I've carried about "taboo" foods. It's also made me accept that if I want to lose weight, I must work at it--it takes life and attitude modifications. Ridding myself of some guilt and accepting that I *do* have to change have quelled some of my tendencies towards rebellion that made my relationship to food dysfunctional and sometimes agonizing. Maybe you have to really think about your mindset a bit--it kind of sounds like this rebellion issue is going on with you too (I think it happens with many of us!) For many of us, losing weight goes far beyond merely sticking to some rules--it means evaluating our attitude towards food, ourselves, and our lifestyle in general.
Best wishes,
H